A review of the evidence for the effectiveness of primary prevention interventions for hepatitis C among injecting drug users.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hepatitis C (HCV) prevalence is most common amongst injecting drug users where up to 98% of the population can be infected despite a low prevalence of HIV. This review considers the evidence for the effectiveness of primary prevention interventions to reduce incidence or prevalence of hepatitis C.

Methods

Systematic review of the major electronic medical databases: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library (Evidence Based Health). Either intervention or observational studies were included if they described an intervention targeting injecting drug using populations with the outcome to reduce either the prevalence or incidence of hepatitis C infection.

Results

18 papers were included in the final review from 1007 abstracts. Needle exchange pr

SUBMITTER: Wright NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1569828 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature