Research Note: Perspectives on the Hierarchy of HIV and Hepatitis C Disease: Consequences for Drug Treatment Program Patients

Abstract

Injection drug users (IDUs) face an increased risk of acquiring blood borne viral infections, including HIV and the hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, the discrepancy in funding for services to address these two diseases has implications. Although drug treatment programs have played an important role in fi ghting HIV/AIDS, the HCV-related services offered at these programs remain limited. Research from other countries suggests that drug users view HCV as less important than HIV, yet little is known about the extent to which our society's focus on HIV has at University of New England on June 8, 2015 jod.sagepub.com Downloaded from 518 JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES MUNOZ-PLAZA, STRAUSS, ET AL.been adopted within the drug treatment program culture. This qualitative study examines the perceptions of both staff (n = 165) and clients (n = 215) at these programs with regard to HIV and HCV and presents data on how staffs' attitudes toward HCV changed after participating in an HCV training. Clients described a services landscape at drug treatment programs that favors HIV services over those targeting HCV.

Views and experiences of hepatitis C testing and diagnosis among people who inject drugs: Systematic review of qualitative research

“…402. ) HCV was often understood relative to HIV; a product of joint testing procedures, a bias towards HIV services in practice, the relative trivialisation in comparison to HIV by others (including health professionals) and the social dominance of popular HIV discourse since the 1980's Harris, 2009a;Khaw et al, 2007;Munoz-Plaza et al, 2010;Rhodes et al, 2004). Studies that described the trivialisation of a positive HCV diagnosis, relating both to those delivering and those receiving the diagnosis (Roy et al, 2007;Copeland, 2004;Carrier et al, 2005;Cullen et al, 2005), noted that this trivialisation tended to be relative and in comparison to a HIV diagnosis.…”