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Published on: December 15, 2023
A multicentre survey of hepatitis C awareness in a high-risk population
Therese Kanaan1, Anthony Liu, Marcel Leroi
1Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Aims:
To assess the awareness of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection status in a high-risk population.
Methods:
A targeted population survey of clients of methadone maintenance clinics in metropolitan and rural New South Wales, using an interviewer-administered face-to-face questionnaire. Main outcome measures include awareness of HCV status, time elapsed since last tested and children's HCV status.
Results:
A total of 329 clients completed the survey, of which 97% perceived to have been tested for HCV in the past. One hundred and seventy (52%) participants considered themselves to be negative for HCV. Of these the median time since last tested was 2 years (2 weeks-25 years). Although 94% of all parents believed that their child's HCV status was negative, only 49% of respondents stated that their children had been tested for HCV. Voluntary testing was offered to all clients and their children with only one accepting.
Conclusions:
Awareness of HCV infection status in this high-risk population is suboptimal. This indicates that existing educational strategies are inadequate and that there is a disconnect between their health needs and the medical care they receive. Novel approaches need to be considered to improve the knowledge of HCV transmission and hopefully improve HCV-associated health outcomes in high-risk populations.
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