Living with hepatitis C: qualitative interviews with hepatitis C-infected veterans

Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection affects millions of people in the USA and prevalence rates are higher in US veterans. The consequences of HCV infection include reduced quality of life, liver damage, and reduced longevity.

Our objective was to describe the experiences of US veterans living with chronic HCV infection and use this information in the development of an HCV self-management intervention.

Twenty-two male HCV-infected veterans completed qualitative interviews. Participants were recruited via flyers and hepatitis C clinic providers at a major VA medical center. Participants were asked about their medical history, being diagnosed with HCV, and general experiences living with HCV.

The study gathered the following findings: the impact of HCV on interpersonal relationships was pronounced, recovery from substance use disorders and getting care for HCV were connected, receiving the HCV diagnosis was more troubling to non-IV drug users, participants had misconceptions about HCV and its treatment, psychological problems were prevalent as were barriers to participating in antiviral treatment and HCV care in general.

The themes derived from our analysis indicate that affected veterans may benefit from interventions or support to improve HCV-related health education, social/relationship issues, psychological issues, and exploration of the connection between substance use recovery and motivation to get care for HCV infection.