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Correlates of hepatitis C testing among heroin injectors in Sydney
Author(s) -
Day Carolyn,
Dolan Kate
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he06070
Subject(s) - heroin , medicine , public health , hepatitis c , methadone , syringe , hepatitis , family medicine , drug , environmental health , psychiatry , virology , pathology
Issue addressed Hepatitis C infection is a significant public health problem with most cases occurring among injecting drug users (IDUs). Little is known about the uptake of testing. The study examined correlates of hepatitis C testing among heroin users. Method Current heroin users, recruited through needle and syringe programs, methadone clinics and via snowballing, were interviewed about hepatitis C testing. Results Four hundred heroin users were interviewed and most (91%) reported having been tested for hepatitis C. Females and those with a history of incarceration or drug treatment were more likely to have been tested, but those who had been using for two years or less were not. Conclusions Hepatitis C testing is common among heroin users. Groups most at risk of infection are being tested. So what? The majority of heroin users had been tested for hepititis C antibodies with little difference between risk groups. Testing can provide important opportunities for risk reducing counselling, but more work is needed to ensure drug users receive appropriate pre‐ and post‐test counselling.