Reduced risk of hepatitis B and hepatitis C among injection drug users in the Tacoma syringe exchange program

H. Hagan, D.C. Des Jarlais, S.R. Friedman, D. Purchase and M.J. Alter

American Journal of Public Health, 1995, vol. 85, issue 11, 1531-1537

Abstract: Objectives. This case-control study examined the association between syringe exchange use and hepatitis B and C in injection drug users. Methods. Case patients included 28 injection drug users with acute hepatitis B and 20 with acute hepatitis C reported to the health department in a sentinel hepatitis surveillance county; control subjects were injection drug users with no markers of exposure to hepatitis B or C (n = 38 and 26, respectively) attending health department services during the same period. Data were abstracted from clinic records. Results. Seventy-five percent of case patients with hepatitis B and 26% of control subjects had never used the exchange; similar proportions were found for the hepatitis C case and control groups. After adjustment for demographic characteristics and duration of injecting drugs, nonuse of the exchange was associated with a sixfold greater risk of hepatitis B (odds ratio [OR] = 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5, 20.4) and a sevenfold greater risk of hepatitis C (OR = 7.3; 95% CI = 1.6, 32.8). Conclusions. The results suggest that use of the exchange led to a significant reduction in hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the county and may have also prevented a substantial proportion of human immunodeficiency virus infections in injection drug users.

Date: 1995
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1995:85:11:1531-1537_7

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