Cottler LB, Meeks C, Abdallah AB; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. WePeD6430.

Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States

Background- Public health efforts to reduce STDs are especially important in areas at high risk for HIV. However, less attention has been focused on HCV. These analyses determine risk factors for HCV in a population of 18 to 45 year old, out of treatment substance abusing women at moderately high risk for HIV in inner city St. Louis, Missouri. Methods- As part of two US NIH randomized behavioral prevention studies to reduce HIV risk behaviors among drug abusing (NIDA) and heavy drinking (NIAAA) women, STD/HIV/HCV testing and counseling are conducted after face to face interviews. Street outreach is used to recruit vulnerable women. Results- To date, we have enrolled and tested 302 women into the study. Drug using women were more likely than heavy drinking women to test positive for HIV (5% vs. 0%) and STDs (such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis) (83% vs. 72%, p=.04). HCV was diagnosed in 16% of the women, with 24% of the drug using and 7% of heavy drinking women testing positive. HCV+ women compared to HCV- women were more likely to test postive for HIV, to report binge drinking, to use sedatives, cocaine, heroin and hallucinogens. Additionally, more HCV+ than HCV- women often used drugs or alcohol within one hour of having sex (37% vs. 29%) and traded sex for drugs, alcohol or something else of value (65% vs. 39%, p=.007). Although HCV+ women were more likely than HCV- women to report lifetime injection drug use, 43% of HCV + women had never injected drugs. Finally, non-injecting HVC+ women were similar to HCV+ injecting drug users on nearly all socio-demographic factors, and sexual risk factors such as the number of sex partners and condom use. Conclusions- Due to health departments and research studies substituting oral HIV tests for blood tests, few studies are evaluating risk factors for HCV. Evidence for non-injection HCV is provided and the need for immediate and increased attention to this vulnerable group is discussed.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• AIDS Vaccines
• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Biomedical Research
• Female
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Hepacivirus
• Hepatitis C
• Hepatitis C Antibodies
• Humans
• Missouri
• Risk Factors
• Sexual Partners
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Substance-Related Disorders
• Syphilis

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0017636

UI: 102255134

From Meeting Abstracts