http://www.wakegastro.com/hepatitis-c/
We hear and see so much about the HIV virus, how serious it is and how to protect ourselves. There is a virus that was of great concern before the media blew up the air waves about HIV/AIDS. It was HCV-Hepititis C Virus and it is still very dangerous and can cause serious damage to the liver which can become life threatening!
HCV is on the rise, especially among IV drug users ages 15-30 years old. It is also considered 10 times more infectious than the virus that cause AIDS! In a 2007 report, it was responsible for more deaths that HIV.
Here are 6 ways to reduce the chances of contracting HCV
1. Reducing risk from shared ancillary drug preparation equipment, such as containers, rinse water, and filters. The researchers estimate that paying attention to the ancillaries as well as shared syringes could prevent at least 25% of seroconversions. The availability of single-use supplies could lower risk.
2. Using a new rapid test at point of care that offers results in 20 minutes can detect infection before seroconversion and, combined with counseling, can help to stem transmission.
3. Addressing social and relational contexts of injecting can encourage uninfected individuals to take precautions when injecting drugs with infected sex partners.
4. Encouraging "taking a break" from injecting drugs because HCV cannot be transmitted without this behavior. In past studies, the investigators discovered that the more often drug abusers attempted to quit, the more likely they were to eventually succeed.
5. Developing models to guide delivery of new prevention strategies, including already-available approaches such as increasing syringe availability and future strategies such as direct-acting antivirals that can be used prophylactically, as well as vaccines.
6. Combining interventions in synergistic ways, such as needle exchange and methadone maintenance programs.
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/suppl_2/S32.abstract
We hear and see so much about the HIV virus, how serious it is and how to protect ourselves. There is a virus that was of great concern before the media blew up the air waves about HIV/AIDS. It was HCV-Hepititis C Virus and it is still very dangerous and can cause serious damage to the liver which can become life threatening!
HCV is on the rise, especially among IV drug users ages 15-30 years old. It is also considered 10 times more infectious than the virus that cause AIDS! In a 2007 report, it was responsible for more deaths that HIV.
Here are 6 ways to reduce the chances of contracting HCV
1. Reducing risk from shared ancillary drug preparation equipment, such as containers, rinse water, and filters. The researchers estimate that paying attention to the ancillaries as well as shared syringes could prevent at least 25% of seroconversions. The availability of single-use supplies could lower risk.
2. Using a new rapid test at point of care that offers results in 20 minutes can detect infection before seroconversion and, combined with counseling, can help to stem transmission.
3. Addressing social and relational contexts of injecting can encourage uninfected individuals to take precautions when injecting drugs with infected sex partners.
4. Encouraging "taking a break" from injecting drugs because HCV cannot be transmitted without this behavior. In past studies, the investigators discovered that the more often drug abusers attempted to quit, the more likely they were to eventually succeed.
5. Developing models to guide delivery of new prevention strategies, including already-available approaches such as increasing syringe availability and future strategies such as direct-acting antivirals that can be used prophylactically, as well as vaccines.
6. Combining interventions in synergistic ways, such as needle exchange and methadone maintenance programs.
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/suppl_2/S32.abstract
