Why is Viral Hepatitis an Important Issue for Substance Abuse and People in Recovery?

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection occurs when blood from an infected person enters the body of an uninfected person. Other body fluids such as semen or vaginal fluid also pose transmission risks, but to a lesser extent. In 2000, about 30,000 new infections occurred among young adults 20-39 years old. These numbers underestimate the actual impact because they do not include infections in prisoners and the homeless (www.cdc.gov/idu fact sheet).

Public health and substance abuse providers must collaborate, plan, and integrate prevention and treatment efforts addressing viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis C. In the United States, they have a major impact on injection drug users (IDUs), substance abusers in general, and the recovering community. We need to efficiently integrate viral hepatitis prevention and treatment messages into existing HIV/STD, substance abuse, mental health, and criminal justice initiatives. When you stop and think about it, we are all working to help resolve the same co-occurring public health concerns. Yet staff working within these systems often have limited training and expertise to respond to the needs of these clients.