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Drug interventions needed to prevent HCV among young adults

CDC. MMWR. 2011;60:1457-1458.

Hepatitis C virus infections increased from 65 cases per 100,000 population in 2002 to 113 cases per 100,000 population in 2009 among those aged 15 to 24 years residing in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and CDC officials set out to identify the risk factors among 28 patients aged 18 to 24 years identified as having HCV by the public health department during July 1 and Dec. 31, 2010.

The mean age of the participants was 21.9 years; 54% were female, and 82% were white. Thirty-two percent did not finish high school, 32% were unemployed, 89% had health insurance and 93% reported drug use.

Moreover, 70% of participants reported sharing syringes and drug paraphernalia with injection drug users — 43% did so with those with known HCV infection.

One in four respondents reported they were never informed of their HCV infection by their health care provider, and 39% were tested for HCV in a drug treatment program or during incarceration, according to the report.

“Thus, combining current interventions and identifying new evidence-based approaches to preventing drug use and unsafe injection practices in young adults are needed to control and prevent HCV infections,” the researchers wrote.

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