9261 HEPATITIS C REPORT GALLEY - North West Public Health ...

• A previous positive result for hepatitis C did not appear to result in a change in
sharing behaviour (Section 4.4). However, those who had presented for previous
tests were more likely to be reformed sharers (i.e. not currently sharing). This may
be because counselling received at the time of the test was successful in reducing
subsequent risk behaviour regardless of the actual results of the test. However, it
may relate to those asking for a test already having decided to protect their health.
Further work should examine in more detail the links between hepatitis C testing
and the identified reduction in sharing behaviour.
• Sharing injecting equipment is more likely to occur in smaller groups of fellow
users (Figure 4), possibly because the user feels safe among friends or with a
partner. The high prevalence of hepatitis C in drug users in the North West means
sharing with anyone carries a high risk of hepatitis C infection.
Information about the risks of sharing should stress this includes close friends and
sexual partners. Health information should also help users address the problems
around refusing to share with a partner.
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to thank staff at each drug unit for recruiting subjects and
administering questionnaires and the drug unit clients for taking part in the survey. We
thank Rod Thomson and the North West health authorities for supporting this study,
Gerry Hale for his help in co-ordinating the project, and Nick Beeching (Infectious
Disease Unit, University Hospital Aintree) and Diana Leighton (Public Health Sector,
Liverpool John Moores University) for comments on the manuscript. Andrew Weild
(PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre) and David Hillier (Prison Health
Policy Unit) provided helpful information on current policy on hepatitis C education for
prisoners. Finally, we thank Colin Heron for assistance with the production of this report.
H EPATITIS C IN INJECTING DRUG USERS IN THE N ORTH W EST
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