The eliminate hepatitis C (EC) experience study: baseline characteristics of a cohort of people who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Direct-acting antivirals provide an opportunity to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health threat in Australia, yet barriers to care remain. In this study, we use baseline data from a longitudinal cohort of people who inject drugs to understand differences in participant characteristics and explore experiences of stigma, health service utilisation and health literacy between three care cascade groups.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Community and private primary healthcare services in Melbourne, Australia.

Participants

Participants completed baseline surveys between 19 September 2018 and 15 December 2020. We recruited 288 participants; the median age was 42 years (IQR: 37-49 years) and 198 (69%) were male. At baseline, 103 (36%) self-rep

SUBMITTER: Gunn J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10335404 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature