Barriers to Hepatitis C Screening in a Minority Population: A Comparison of Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening Rates at a Community STD Clinic in Miami, Florida

Abstract

Methods 357 patients at a free STD clinic in Miami, FL were screened for HCV. Surveys were administered assessing risk factors for infectious disease transmission, and HCV and HIV screening history. Results 15.1% of participants had been screened for HCV before whereas 83.8% had been screened for HIV (n = 356). Of the patients previously screened for HCV (n = 54), 98.2% of these patients had previously been screened for HIV as well. Conclusion This data shows the low prevalence of prior HCV screenings in a high-risk population in Miami, FL. Participants who had previously received an HIV screening test were more likely to report receiving a prior HCV screening. Despite the high prevalence of HCV, most HCV infections are undiagnosed. Mortality from HIV has been declining in the United States while mortality from HCV is increasing. To decrease HCV related mortality, we recommend offering HCV screening in conjunction with HIV screening.

Factors predicting first-time hepatitis C virus testing uptake among men who have sex with men in China: an observational prospective cohort study

“…Utilisation of HIV testing at baseline significantly predicted higher HCV testing uptake during the follow-up period. Similar findings have been observed in previous studies targeting MSM 14–17. Since HCV and HIV share similar risk factors among MSM, HIV testing providers in Hong Kong often invite MSM clients to participate in HCV testing.…”

“…Despite this recommendation, existing literatures suggest that HCV testing among MSM remains low across the globe. For instance, lifetime HCV testing uptake among MSM was 15.1%–54.0% in the USA,14–16 41.0% in mainland China17 and 58.4% in the UK 18. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no study investigating HCV testing among MSM in Hong Kong.…”

“…At least four cross-sectional studies have previously investigated factors associated with HCV testing uptake among MSM. These studies have found a number of factors to be associated with uptake of HCV testing among MSM, including ethnicity, being HIV positive, uptake of HIV and hepatitis B virus testing and having a primary care physician 14–17. These studies were limited by their cross-sectional nature, as well as a lack of inclusion of potentially relevant cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial factors.…”

Barriers to and facilitators of hepatitis C virus screening and testing: A scoping review

“…Health care providers included general practitioners, clinical representatives from hospitals, newly qualified doctors, medical students, resident physicians and nurses (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14). Patient groups included adults born between 1945 and 1965; patients attending sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinics, outpatient clinics or primary care facilities; youth and adults working in HIV/HCV prevention; immigrant and migrant populations; and sex workers (10,12,13,(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23).…”

Obstacles to successful treatment of hepatitis C in uninsured patients from a minority population

“…Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant global health problem [ 1 , 2 ]. An estimated 130–180 million individuals are currently infected [ 3 ], with 3–4 million new infections each year [ 3 ]. An estimated 2.7–3.9 million people in the United States currently live with HCV and 15,000 die each year due to HCV disease and resultant hepatic complications [ 4 ].…”