Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Dried Blood Spots - Preparing and Processing for Use in Immunoassays and in Molecular Techniques
Published on: March 13, 2015
Self-reported hepatitis C(HCV) testing among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH)
Mustapha Thaim Buya Kamara1, Veronica L Richards1, Charurut Somboonwit2
1Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100231, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
Objective:
We aimed to identify disparities in self-reported HCV testing among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Florida.
Methods:
We utilized a cross-sectional study of 646 PLWH from the Florida Cohort study's baseline survey. Our analysis included chi-squared tests and logistic regression.
Results:
Participants that were 55 years old or above had more than twice the odds of reporting a past HCV test than those 18-34 years old (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.22-5.0), which contrasted with Non-Hispanic Blacks who had lower odds of reporting a past HCV test than non-Hispanic Whites (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.35-1.1). Drug use was also associated with higher odds of reporting a past HCV test for injection drugs (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.0-8.43) and non-injection drugs (OR 1.52 CI 0.99-2.21). Individuals with education beyond high school had higher odds of reporting a past HCV test than those that did not attend/complete high school (OR 1.9 CI 1.11-3.16).
Conclusion:
Our findings highlight the success of the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's campaign in groups at high risk of HCV, such as baby boomers and Injection Drug Users (IDUs). However, they also reflect the current low HCV testing in PLWH that are 18-34 years old, have a low level of education, and are non-Hispanic Black. Our findings are of crucial public health significance because untreated HCV in PLWH is a major cause of severe liver disease and death. They reveal the current deficiencies in HCV testing, which is the initial step to identify underlying reasons for inadequate testing in specific groups and develop practical solutions.
