Recommendations to Enhance Engagement in Perinatal Research With People Who Inject Drugs

Women of reproductive age are significantly less likely than men to initiate hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, with the lowest uptake among women with children. Women who inject drugs who have children are a highly marginalised and stigmatised population who experience inequitable access to healthcare and poorer health outcomes. In the BUMP-C qualitative study-Bridging Unified Management of Pregnancy in hepatitis C care-we sought to investigate current HCV care pathways and perceptions of HCV management during pregnancy among women who inject drugs. During this study, several lessons emerged from both the challenges and successes in engaging with this population. The aim of this commentary is to outline key recommendations for optimally engaging women who inject drugs in perinatal research. These recommendations include building trust with research participants, promoting strategies for research flexibility and seeking and valuing community and lived experience. The voices of women who inject drugs, often neglected in this space, must be prioritised to improve health outcomes for them and their children.