Concordance between self-reported and actual hepatitis C virus infection status in a cohort of people who inject drugs

Abstract

AbstractIntroduction and Aims. Accurate knowledge of individual hepatitis C virus (HCV) status is an important component ofcomprehensive health services for people who inject drugs (PWID). In this paper we compare the perceived HCV status ofPWID in a longitudinal cohort study with their actual status, as verified by HCV-RNA testing. Methods. Participants whoconsented to blood testing at first follow up (352/688) were included. Self-reported HCV status (positive/negative/don’t know),was compared with serology test results for participants. Results. In comparing self-report with HCV-RNA results, 274 of 352participants had valid serology and self-report results; of these, 220 (80%) accurately reported their HCV status. Discussionand Conclusions. The findings of this study suggest that large proportions of PWID know their true HCV infection status,but the discordant participants represent potential HCV infection risks. Despite the majority of participants displayingconcordance, this study reinforces the need for regular blood testing and the giving of accurate, practical and comprehensiveHCV result information. [O’Keefe D, Aitken C, Higgs P, Dietze P. Concordance between self-reported and actualhepatitis C virus infection status in a cohort of people who inject drugs.