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Marshall AD, Rance J, Dore GJ, Grebely J, Treloar C. Applying a stigma and time framework to facilitate equitable access to hepatitis C care among women who inject drugs: The ETHOS Engage Study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 129:104477. [PMID: 38861842 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women who inject drugs are significantly less likely to initiate hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment than men. Concerted efforts are needed to minimise gender-based inequalities in care. The study aim was to use a stigma and time framework to investigate how women who inject drugs experienced HCV care in healthcare settings. METHODS Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 34 participants from the ETHOS Engage Cohort (n = 1,443) in Australia. Inclusion criteria were aged ≥18 years, history of injection drug use, and persons who injected in the prior six months or were currently receiving opioid agonist treatment. Drawing on the original qualitative dataset (n = 34), we conducted a secondary analysis focused on women participants' experiences of receiving HCV related care (n = 21/34). Utilising thematic analysis, we applied Earnshaw's theoretical framework, which incorporates time into stigma and health research via three "timescales" - historical context, human development, and status course. RESULTS Among the 21 women interviewed (mean age 42 years, 5 are Aboriginal, 11 received HCV treatment), the majority were currently receiving opioid agonist treatment and over half injected drugs in the past month. For historical context, most participants were diagnosed with HCV during the interferon era (1990s-2014). Participants had to navigate a sociomedical landscape not only largely bereft of adequate HCV medical knowledge, appropriate support, and adequate treatments, but were also generally assessed as "unsuitable" for treatment based on their perceived personhood as people who inject drugs. For human development, many participants reported encountering overlapping stigmatizing experiences (layered stigma) while receiving their HCV diagnosis in prenatal care and early postpartum. Under status course, participants acutely recognised the intersection of HCV infection, injection drug use, and gender, and reported concerns about being judged more harshly from healthcare providers as a result. CONCLUSION A stigma and time framework illuminated multiple overlapping stigmatizing experiences for women who inject drugs in HCV care and in turn, can help to inform tools and interventions to counter their impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Jake Rance
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Malme KB, Stene-Johansen K, Klundby I, Backe Ø, Foshaug T, Greve MH, Pihl CM, Finbråten AK, Dalgard O, Midgard H. Virologic Response and Reinfection Following HCV Treatment among Hospitalized People Who Inject Drugs: Follow-Up Data from the OPPORTUNI-C Trial. Viruses 2024; 16:858. [PMID: 38932151 PMCID: PMC11209464 DOI: 10.3390/v16060858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Treatment of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs (PWID) may be complicated by loss to follow-up and reinfection. We aimed to evaluate sustained virologic response (SVR) and reinfection, and to validate complete pharmacy dispensation as a proxy for cure among PWID enrolled in a trial of opportunistic HCV treatment. Data were obtained by reviewing the electronic patient files and supplemented by outreach HCV RNA testing. Reinfection was defined based on clinical, behavioral, and virological data. Intention to treat SVR ≥ 4 within 2 years after enrolment was accomplished by 59 of 98 (60% [95% CI 50-70]) during intervention conditions (opportunistic treatment) and by 57 of 102 (56% [95% CI 46-66]) during control conditions (outpatient treatment). The time to end of treatment response (ETR) or SVR ≥ 4 was shorter among intervention participants (HR 1.55 [1.08-2.22]; p = 0.016). Of participants with complete dispensation, 132 of 145 (91%) achieved ETR or SVR > 4 (OR 12.7 [95% CI 4.3-37.8]; p < 0.001). Four cases of reinfection were identified (incidence 3.8/100 PY [95% CI 1.0-9.7]). Although SVR was similar, the time to virologic cure was shorter among intervention participants. Complete dispensation is a valid correlate for cure among individuals at risk of loss to follow-up. Reinfection following successful treatment remains a concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Braathen Malme
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Akershus University Hospital, 1478 Lørenskog, Norway;
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0371 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Ingvild Klundby
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Backe
- Agency for Social and Welfare Services, 0182 Oslo, Norway; (Ø.B.); (T.F.)
| | - Tarjei Foshaug
- Agency for Social and Welfare Services, 0182 Oslo, Norway; (Ø.B.); (T.F.)
| | | | | | - Ane-Kristine Finbråten
- Unger-Vetlesen Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, 0456 Oslo, Norway;
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav Dalgard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Akershus University Hospital, 1478 Lørenskog, Norway;
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0371 Oslo, Norway
| | - Håvard Midgard
- Department of Gastroenterology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway;
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Opheim E, Dalgard O, Ulstein K, Sørli H, Backe Ø, Foshaug T, Couëssurel Wüsthoff LE, Midgard H. Towards elimination of hepatitis C in Oslo: Cross-sectional prevalence studies among people who inject drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 123:104279. [PMID: 38061225 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Norway aims to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection within the end of 2023. Before the introduction of direct-acting antivirals, the prevalence of chronic HCV infection among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Oslo was 40-45 %. The primary aim of the study was to assess changes in HCV prevalence among PWID in Oslo from 2018 to 2021. The secondary aim was to assess change in prevalence in selected subgroups. METHODS Point prevalence studies were conducted in 2018 and 2021 among PWID attending low-threshold health services in downtown Oslo. Assessments included blood samples analysed for anti-HCV and HCV RNA, and a questionnaire about drug use. Information about previous HCV treatment was only collected in the 2021 cohort. We calculated HCV RNA prevalence estimates for 2018 and 2021 and used logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with detectable HCV RNA and previous HCV treatment. RESULTS A total of 281 and 261 participants were included in 2018 and 2021, respectively. The median age was 40.6 and 44.0 years, 73.7 % and 72.8 % were men, and 74.5 % and 78.6 % reported recent (past four weeks) injecting drug use, respectively. HCV RNA prevalence decreased significantly from 26.3 % (95 % CI 21.3-31.9) in 2018 (74 of 281) to 14.2 % (95 % CI 10.2-19.0) in 2021 (37 of 261). The odds of detectable HCV RNA were significantly lower in 2021 compared to 2018 (aOR 0.41; 95 % CI 0.26-0.67). In the 2021 cohort, detectable HCV RNA was associated with recent amphetamine injecting (aOR 7.21; 95 % CI 1.41-36.95), and mixed heroin/amphetamine injecting (aOR 7.97; 95 % CI 1.55-41.07). The odds of previous treatment were lower among women (aOR 0.52; 95 % CI 0.27-1.00). CONCLUSION A substantial decrease in HCV RNA prevalence among PWID in Oslo between 2018 and 2021 was observed. To reach elimination, adaptive services must be further developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Opheim
- Agency for Social and Welfare Services, City of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Olav Dalgard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kjersti Ulstein
- Agency for Social and Welfare Services, City of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hanne Sørli
- Agency for Social and Welfare Services, City of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Backe
- Agency for Social and Welfare Services, City of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tarjei Foshaug
- Agency for Social and Welfare Services, City of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Linda Elise Couëssurel Wüsthoff
- Unit for Clinical Research on Addictions, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Håvard Midgard
- Department of Gastroenterology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Thomadakis C, Gountas I, Duffell E, Gountas K, Bluemel B, Seyler T, Pericoli FM, Kászoni-Rückerl I, El-Khatib Z, Busch M, Schmutterer I, Vanwolleghem T, Klamer S, Plettinckx E, Mortgat L, Van Beckhoven D, Varleva T, Kosanovic Licina ML, Nemeth Blazic T, Nonković D, Theophanous F, Nemecek V, Maly M, Christensen PB, Cowan S, Rüütel K, Brummer-Korvenkontio H, Brouard C, Steffen G, Krings A, Dudareva S, Zimmermann R, Nikolopoulou G, Molnár Z, Kozma E, Gottfredsson M, Murphy N, Kondili LA, Tosti ME, Ciccaglione AR, Suligoi B, Nikiforova R, Putnina R, Jancoriene L, Seguin-Devaux C, Melillo T, Boyd A, van der Valk M, Op de Coul E, Whittaker R, Kløvstad H, Stępień M, Rosińska M, Valente C, Marinho RT, Popovici O, Avdičová M, Kerlik J, Klavs I, Maticic M, Diaz A, del Amo J, Lundberg Ederth J, Axelsson M, Nikolopoulos G. Prevalence of chronic HCV infection in EU/EEA countries in 2019 using multiparameter evidence synthesis. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2024; 36:100792. [PMID: 38188273 PMCID: PMC10769889 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Background Epidemiological data are crucial to monitoring progress towards the 2030 Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) elimination targets. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of chronic HCV infection (cHCV) in the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries in 2019. Methods Multi-parameter evidence synthesis (MPES) was used to produce national estimates of cHCV defined as: π = πrecρrec + πexρex + πnonρnon; πrec, πex, and πnon represent cHCV prevalence among recent people who inject drugs (PWID), ex-PWID, and non-PWID, respectively, while ρrec, ρex, and ρnon represent the proportions of these groups in the population. Information sources included the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) national operational contact points (NCPs) and prevalence database, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction databases, and the published literature. Findings The cHCV prevalence in 29 of 30 EU/EEA countries in 2019 was 0.50% [95% Credible Interval (CrI): 0.46%, 0.55%]. The highest cHCV prevalence was observed in the eastern EU/EEA (0.88%; 95% CrI: 0.81%, 0.94%). At least 35.76% (95% CrI: 33.07%, 38.60%) of the overall cHCV prevalence in EU/EEA countries was associated with injecting drugs. Interpretation Using MPES and collaborating with ECDC NCPs, we estimated the prevalence of cHCV in the EU/EEA to be low. Some areas experience higher cHCV prevalence while a third of prevalent cHCV infections was attributed to PWID. Further efforts are needed to scale up prevention measures and the diagnosis and treatment of infected individuals, especially in the east of the EU/EEA and among PWID. Funding ECDC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilias Gountas
- Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Erika Duffell
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Benjamin Bluemel
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Seyler
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Irene Kászoni-Rückerl
- VII/A/11 Communicable Diseases and Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ziad El-Khatib
- Institute for Surveillance & Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Busch
- Addiction Competence Center, Austrian National Public Health Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Irene Schmutterer
- Addiction Competence Center, Austrian National Public Health Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Vanwolleghem
- Viral Hepatitis Research Group, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sofieke Klamer
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Els Plettinckx
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laure Mortgat
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Tonka Varleva
- Scientific Research Institute, Medical University, Pleven, Bulgaria
| | | | - Tatjana Nemeth Blazic
- Department for HIV, Sexual and Blood Transmitted Diseases, Reference Center of the Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Diana Nonković
- Teaching Institute of Public Health Split and Dalmatia County, Split, Croatia
- Department of Health Studies, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | | | - Vratislav Nemecek
- National Reference Laboratory for Viral Hepatitis, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Maly
- Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Peer Brehm Christensen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Susan Cowan
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristi Rüütel
- National Institute of Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Cécile Brouard
- Santé Publique France, The National Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - Gyde Steffen
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Amrei Krings
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Dudareva
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ruth Zimmermann
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Zsuzsanna Molnár
- National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Emese Kozma
- National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Magnús Gottfredsson
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Niamh Murphy
- HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Loreta A. Kondili
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- UniCamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Elena Tosti
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Ciccaglione
- Viral Hepatitis, Oncovirus and Retrovirus Disease Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Suligoi
- National AIDS Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Renate Putnina
- The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Riga, Latvia
| | - Ligita Jancoriene
- Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Dermatovenerology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Carole Seguin-Devaux
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Tanya Melillo
- Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate, Department of Health Regulation, Ministry for Health, Gwardamangia, Malta
| | - Anders Boyd
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- stichting hiv monitoring, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marc van der Valk
- stichting hiv monitoring, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eline Op de Coul
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Whittaker
- Section for Respiratory, Blood-borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Department of Infection Control and Vaccines, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Kløvstad
- Section for Respiratory, Blood-borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Department of Infection Control and Vaccines, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Małgorzata Stępień
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance, National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Rosińska
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance, National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Cristina Valente
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Directorate General of Health, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Tato Marinho
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Medical School of Lisbon, Directorate General of Health, Ministry of Health, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Odette Popovici
- National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases, National Institute of Public Health Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mária Avdičová
- Department of Epidemiology, Regional Authority of Public Health in Banská Bystrica, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
| | - Jana Kerlik
- Department of Epidemiology, Regional Authority of Public Health in Banská Bystrica, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
| | - Irena Klavs
- National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mojca Maticic
- Clinic for Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana and Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Asuncion Diaz
- National Centre of Epidemiology, Carlos III Health Institute, CIBER in Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia del Amo
- Division for HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis and Tuberculosis Control, Ministry of Health, Madrid, Spain
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