Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV in a Substance Abuse Treatment Center.

INTRODUCTION

Alcohol and substance use disorders are important public health problems with an increased risk for bloodborne and sexually transmitted infections.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the frequency and risk factors of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in individuals with drug and alcohol addiction.

METHODOLOGY: This prospective study was conducted in the outpatient clinic of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment and Education Center (ASATEC), Izmir, Turkey. Detailed anamneses were taken from alcohol and/or drug addicts who applied to the outpatient clinic; HBV, HCV, HIV serology results in the last 6 months were examined.

RESULTS

The study group consisted of 478 persons, including 112 (23.4%) alcohol addicts, 322 (67.4%) substance addicts, and 44 (9.2%) combined alcohol and substance addicts. The mean age of the cases was 32 ± 11 years and 432 (90.4%) were male. Drug injection and needle sharing was recorded in 16.5% and 9.8% of participants, respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity was found in 2.7%, anti-HCV positivity in 9.6% and HIV Ag/Ab positivity in 1.9% of the cases. Among patients using intravenous drugs, HBsAg positivity was found in 2%, anti-HCV positivity in 55%, while HIV Ag/Ab positivity was not detected. A history of sexually transmitted disease was a risk factor for HBsAg, HIV Ag/Ab positivity. Intravenous drug use, needle sharing and ecstasy use were determined as risk factors for anti-HCV positivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Risky behaviors for HBV, HCV and HIV transmission are high in alcohol and substance addicts. The use of ecstasy is a novel risk factor for HCV transmission.