Community Reach: Community-Based Screening Program for Hepatitis C Among People Who Use Drugs, Arizona

Community Reach: Community-Based Screening Program for Hepatitis C Among People Who Use Drugs, Arizona

Cassidy Snyder¹, Karen Broman², Beth E. Meyerson^3,*, Tripti Choudhury⁴, Joby De La Rosa⁵, Roberto C. Garcia⁶, Angelica Garcia Lizarraga⁷, Steven Levin⁸, Deseree Sieloff⁹, Rachael Sweet¹⁰, Turiya Weiss¹¹, Courteney Wettemann¹², Dusti Yamaguchi¹³

¹Preskitt Needle Exchange

²Sonoran Prevention Works Prescott, Arizona

³University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW) 925 N. Tyndall Avenue, Ste 201 Tucson, Arizona

⁴AZ Recovery Advocacy Project Mesa, Arizona

⁵Church of Safe Injection Tucson Tucson, Arizona

⁶Sonoran Prevention Works Yuma, Arizona

⁷Sonoran Prevention Works Phoenix, Arizona

⁸Sonoran Prevention Works Phoenix, Arizona

⁹Sonoran Prevention Works Globe, Arizona

¹⁰Kingman Harm Reduction Program, Sonoran Prevention Works Kingman, Arizona

¹¹Less Harm Consulting Prescott, Arizona

¹²Hepatitis Education Project Seattle, Washington

¹³Kingman Harm Reduction Program Sonoran Prevention Works Kingman, Arizona

*Corresponding Author: Beth E. Meyerson, PhD, University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW) 925 N. Tyndall Avenue, Ste 201 Tucson, Arizona, Email: bmeyerson@arizona.edu

Received date: 07 October, 2022 Accepted date: 31 October, 2022 Published Date: 14 November, 2022

Citation: Snyder C, Broman K, Meyerson E, Choudhury T, Rosa J, et al. (2022) Community Reach: Community-Based Screening Program for Hepatitis C Among People Who Use Drugs, Arizona. Sci J Health Sci Res Vol: 1, Issu: 2 (74-80).

Abstract

Introduction: Efforts to eliminate hepatitis C are hampered by the inability to reach communities with screening opportunities, especially people who use drugs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and impact of a community-based hepatitis C screening program for people who use drugs in Arizona.

Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of hepatitis C screening and participant survey data gathered from July 18, 2019 through March 23, 2020. The primary outcome measure was a reactive HCV test. The survey measured demographics in an open-ended manner, presenting an array of response options allowing participants to self-define their identities. The analysis was conducted in 2021.

Results: The sample included 541 people from 12 of Community Reach: Community-Based Screening Program for Hepatitis C Among People Who Use Drugs, Arizona Arizona’s 15 counties. Over half of the sample (50.8%) reported ever injecting drugs and 21% of the participants were reactive for HCV.

Conclusions: Community-based HCV screening among people who use drugs by harm reduction organizations will significantly assist public health efforts to identify people in need of curative HCV treatment early and within supportive environments to address it.

Keywords: Hepatitis C, Community-based Screening , Harm Reduction, Drug User Health, Epidemiology.