Public Health Policy: Clinician Attitudes Impact Treatment Outcomes for Drug Users With Hepatitis C

According to research from Australia, "the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common infection among injecting drug users. There are currently few available data on the extent (or prevalence) of HCV-discrimination. This study examined perceived discrimination among a sample of heroin users and sought to determine whether the discrimination was attributed to their drug user or HCV status."

The researchers recruited 401 heroin users from Sydney needle exchanges and methadone clinics and asked them about discrimination in the previous 12 months. Of these, "59 percent reported being HCV-positive. Discrimination was reported by 22 percent of the 237 IDUs who reported being HCV-positive, with 17 percent reporting that the discrimination occurred in the preceding 12 months," wrote C. Day and colleagues at the University of New South Wales National Drug and Alcohol Research Center.

"Sixty-seven incidents were reported, of which half were perceived to be due to their drug user status, 15 percent of these incidents were due to HCV status and 25 percent due to a combination of both. Twenty-five incidents occurred in a health-care setting, of which 13 resulted in the service being withheld," the researchers wrote.

"HCV is a serious public health concern, and if IDU are to be encouraged into drug treatment it is essential that service providers are perceived to be non-discriminatory. In managing IDU patients, health-care workers need to be cognizant of the impact that their attitude has on treatment outcome," Day's team advised.

The study, "Hepatitis C-Related Discrimination Among Heroin Users in Sydney: Drug User or Hepatitis C Discrimination?," appeared in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review (2003;22(3):317-321).

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