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Updated: Jun 18, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Hepatitis B Virus Detection
Published on: December 15, 2023
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV in a Substance Abuse Treatment Center
Hatice Burcu Açıkalın Arıkan1, Nesrin Türker2, Başak Bağcı3
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Soma State Hospital, Manisa, Turkey.
Introduction:
Alcohol and substance use disorders are important public health problems with an increased risk for bloodborne and sexually transmitted infections.
Objectives:
To determine the frequency and risk factors of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in individuals with drug and alcohol addiction.
Methodology:
This prospective study was conducted in the outpatient clinic of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment and Education Center (ASATEC), Izmir, Turkey. Detailed anamneses were taken from alcohol and/or drug addicts who applied to the outpatient clinic; HBV, HCV, HIV serology results in the last 6 months were examined.
Results:
The study group consisted of 478 persons, including 112 (23.4%) alcohol addicts, 322 (67.4%) substance addicts, and 44 (9.2%) combined alcohol and substance addicts. The mean age of the cases was 32 ± 11 years and 432 (90.4%) were male. Drug injection and needle sharing was recorded in 16.5% and 9.8% of participants, respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity was found in 2.7%, anti-HCV positivity in 9.6% and HIV Ag/Ab positivity in 1.9% of the cases. Among patients using intravenous drugs, HBsAg positivity was found in 2%, anti-HCV positivity in 55%, while HIV Ag/Ab positivity was not detected. A history of sexually transmitted disease was a risk factor for HBsAg, HIV Ag/Ab positivity. Intravenous drug use, needle sharing and ecstasy use were determined as risk factors for anti-HCV positivity.
Conclusions:
Risky behaviors for HBV, HCV and HIV transmission are high in alcohol and substance addicts. The use of ecstasy is a novel risk factor for HCV transmission.
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