Project dates: September 2001 - March 2007
Viral hepatitis infections in people who inject drugs (PWID) are among the most frequently occurring blood-borne infections in humans. HCV is highly prevalent in PWID, and is more efficiently transmitted by injection than HIV. The goals of the project were to examine the effectiveness of HCV prevention education and syringe access in reducing HCV infection, the risk of getting HCV from specific injection behaviors, to assess the feasibility and disease control benefits of HBV and HCV partner notification for PWIDs, and to study whether changes in HCV reporting laws are associated with increased reporting in PWIDs. This research has contributed to our understanding of the how these infections are caused, and the effectiveness of public health surveillance and prevention programs.
Abstract on NIH RePORTEREvaluation of a patient referral contact tracing programme for hepatitis B and C virus infection in drug injectors
Eurosurveillance, 14 (14), 5-9.
Brewer DD, Hagan H, Hough ES (2008).
Improved injection network ascertainment with supplementary elicitation techniques
International Journal of STD and AIDS, 19 (3), 188-191. doi: 10.1258/ijsa.2007.007167.
Vassilev ZP, Hagan H, Lyubenova A, Tomov N, Vasilev G, Krasteva D, Des Jarlais DC (2006).
Needle exchange use, sexual risk behaviour, and the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus infections among Bulgarian injection drug users
International Journal of STD and AIDS, 17 (9), 621-626. doi: 10.1258/095646206778113041.
Hagan H, Thiede H, Des Jarlais DC (2005).
HIV/hepatitis C virus co-infection in drug users: Risk behavior and prevention
AIDS, 19 (Suppl 3), S199-S207. Publisher's Website.