Hepatitis C and HIV Prevalence Using Oral Mucosal Transudate, and Reported Drug Use and Sexual Behaviours of Youth in Custody in British Columbia

Abstract

outh in custody report high-risk drug use and sexual behaviours. 1 The prevalence of HIV in British Columbia youth in custody was assessed in 1994; 2 hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence has never been measured. A recent Ontario study found 1/298 (0.4%) of youth in custody had been HCV-infected and no persons identified with HIV. 3 The prevalence of HCV in BC is twice that of Canada. 4 Therefore we sought to determine HCV and HIV prevalence, and factors associated with intravenous drug use (IDU) and sex for trade among youth in BC custody centres. To increase acceptability of testing, a non-invasive sampling method was utilized. Oral fluid testing using OraSure ® had been previously validated for HIV antibody testing, but less evidence was available for HCV. Therefore we assessed the performance of OraSure ® for the detection of HCV and HIV antibodies for prevalence estimations. BC youth in custody are aged 12-19 years with the majority being 16 or 17. The Youth Criminal Justice Act (2003) encourages moderate sentences and alternatives to imprisonment for less serious crimes. Therefore youth have high rates of short-term confinement; the average stay is <30 days for youth in remand and <60 days for those sentenced. BC has the lowest rate of youth custody admissions in Canada, and youth beds in BC declined from 400 in 1996/7 to 135 in 2004/05. METHODS Validation of the OraSure ® Collection Device OraSure ® (Orasure Technologies Inc, Bethlehem, PA) is a non-invasive device for oral mucosal transudate (OMT) specimen collection, preservation and transportation. The device, a cotton-fibre pad treated with hypertonic salt solution to enhance OMT, is placed between the lower gum and cheek for 2 minutes. Two OMT samples (one from each side of the mouth) and a blood sample, to confirm serostatus, were collected from 110 adults (24 HCV mono-infected, 27 HIV mono-infected, 29 HCV/HIV co-infected and 30 non-infected). The OMT was collected and extracted according to the manufacturers instructions. Serum and OMT aliquots were stored at-70°C. HIV tests for serum and OMT were performed using the ADVIA Cen-taur™ HIV 1/O/2 test (Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics, Tarrytown, NY). HIV EIA-reactive OMT were confirmed by Genetic Systems™ HIV-1 Western blot (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Montreal, QC). HCV tests for serum and initial OMT were performed using the

Providing comprehensive health services for young key populations: needs, barriers and gaps

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Social, health and drug use characteristics of primary crack users in three mid-sized communities in British Columbia, Canada

“…Laboratory testing for HIV and HCV antibody status was conducted at the BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver. Previous validation of the OraSure Õ device confirmed high sensitivity for both the HIV (96.4%) and HCV (94.6%) antibody testing methods (Buxton et al, 2009;Judd et al, 2003).…”

Physician prescribing of opioid agonist treatments in provincial correctional facilities in Ontario, Canada: A survey

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