| Autor: |
George Kamkamidze, Veronique Miollany, L Gulbiani, Irina Tskhomelidze, Tamar Kikvidze, Muazzam Nasrullah, Maia Tsereteli, Tinatin Abzianidze, Francisco Averhoff, Shaun Shadaker, Maia Butsashvili, Lia Gvinjilia, Maka Gogia, Tinatin Kuchuloria |
| Rok vydání: |
2021 |
| Předmět: |
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| DOI: |
10.21203/rs.3.rs-151914/v2 |
| Popis: |
Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) in Georgia have a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV). Access to care among PWID could be prioritized to meet the country’s hepatitis C elimination goals. This study assesses barriers of linkage to hepatitis C care among PWID in Georgia.Methods: Study participants were enrolled from 13 harm reduction centers throughout Georgia. Anti-HCV positive PWID who were tested for viremia (linked to care [LC]), were compared to those not tested for viremia within 90 days of screening anti-HCV positive (not linked to care [NLC]). Participants were interviewed about potential barriers to seeking care.Results: A total of 500 PWID were enrolled, 245 LC and 255 NLC. LC and NLC were similar with respect to gender, age, employment status, education, knowledge of anti-HCV status, and confidence/trust in the elimination program (p>0.05). More NLC (13.0%) than LC (7.4%) stated they were not sufficiently informed what to do after screening anti-HCV positive (pConclusions: Post testing counselling and making hepatitis C services affordable could help increase linkage to care among PWID in Georgia. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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