Hiv / Aids And Hepatitis C

Some of the health concerns that we deal with as a society are also linked to substance abuse. The Center for Disease Control (Center for Disease Control, 2011) had estimated that about 1.1 million Americans were living with HIV, and approximately 21% did not know they were infected. In correlation to

Several studies have shown that injection drug users lower their risk of transmitting infectious diseases when there is a needle exchange program available. There has not been a valid study of whether or not the amounts of time needles are returned to the exchange programs are harmful to communities. The Journal of Public Health, conducted surveys, evidence from needle exchange sites, jails, and institutions that needle exchange programs are effective in reducing illnesses such as HIV and AIDS (Burt & Theide, 2016). Furthermore, Reepalu, Blome, Bjork, Widell, & Bjorkman (2012), researched the same individuals for 20 years, with no breaks. Their studies concluded that injection drug use, not only heightens the risk for HIV and AID’s, there is also an increase in Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. However, there studies showed that there is not an increase rate of cancer diagnoses due to injection drug use. In a study conducted by Bonar and Rosenberg (2014), they wanted to see if self-initiated harm strategies, such as: proper needle sterilization techniques, proper disposal of needles, and cleaning of the pre injected skin, could help improve the health of those that use drugs intravenously. Their study was conducted over an eight-month period, results showed that their

This research paper is going to review today’s silent killer, the Hepatitis C virus. This paper will talk about the description of the disease, the signs and symptoms, the etiology and risk factors, diagnostic studies, treatments and prognosis of this disease. I had lived with this disease for over ten years before diagnosed so it is important to understand the signs and symptoms so the disease can be identified and a treatment plan can be identified as the sooner it is treated the more likely it will eradicate the disease.

An increase in drug use, specifically opiates, has overwhelmed the United States. This behavior has led to a rise in the transmission of HIV/Hepatitis C which would be otherwise preventable. The needle exchange programs in Moorhead, Milwaukee, and Scott County are working to lower the transmission rate and increase participation in treatment programs.

As the number of intravenous drug users continues to rise, so does the risk of dangerous and potentially fatal complications that are associated with illicit drug use. In this population, death rates are higher due to overdose, AIDs-related mortality, and other blood-borne viruses (Mathers et al., 2013). Mortality rates remain high even though precautions have been taken to reduce them. According to Lavender & McCarron (2013), “Mortality in injecting drug users is up to 22 times higher than for the age-adjusted population, despite increased provision of needle and syringe programs, reduced needle and syringe sharing, and higher uptake of hepatitis B vaccination” (p. 511).

Intravenous drug users are some of the individuals most susceptible for contracting and transmitting blood-borne diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and hepatitis C. In Canada, there was an estimated 71,300 cases of HIV at the end of 2011 with an incidence of approximately 2,250 to 4,100 cases. IDUs account for 13.7% of Canadians living with HIV. Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HVC) is currently

Given the alarming rise in rates of prescription-opioid abuse and the relationship to heroin abuse, many communities are beginning to explore various ways to mitigate their effects. Various proactive approaches, such as needle exchanges have proven effective in reducing the incidences of HCV and

About 4.1 million people in Americans have the positive antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV), and about 75 percent have permeant infection. Additionally, most of the infections happened 20 to 40 years ago, before the finding of HCV. Hepatitis C increased from 7,000 to 13,000 deaths in 2005. Furthermore, HCV develops slowly which increases the risk of severe complications in the infected people. Identification, death, and treatment are predicted to affect 35,000 by 2030. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) used antiviral therapy with PEGylated in clinical trials (Kalichman, Washington, Kegler, Grebler, Kalichman, Cherry, & Eaton, 2015). The CDC recommends a HCV one time test for people born between 1945 and 1965. The objective of this study was to thoroughly evaluate the amount of substance abusers infected with hepatitis C in the United States. Additionally, to observe the treatment of HCV. Currently Medicaid and Medicare repayment standards for sofosbuvir were calculated in all states, including the District of Columbia. Medicaid and Medicare covered the drug based on the following conditions; liver disease stage, HIV, and drug use. Approximately 42 states reimbursed the following criteria up to 74 percent for the drug sofobuvir. About two-thirds of the United States restricted the treatment centered on prescriber type. About 88 percent included drug abuse in their sofosbuvir admissibility measures. Finally, 50 percent required a date of abstinence and 64 percent required

Not only does substance abuse receive a lot of attention from the media and government, but also there is a response medically to this ongoing social problem. More often times than not, substance abuse will cause one to receive medical treatment. With the numerous of overdoses and close calls that have been mentioned through the media, it is also important to recognize that substance abuse can lead to infectious diseases. With desperate addicts sharing needles that could lead to HIV/AIDS or other blood infectious diseases, health care along with federal funding came up with five year pilot program for California where it

Could treating prisoners for Hepatitis C (HCV) reduce the spread of this disease? The growing number of citizens that are testing positive for HCV is shocking, and the epidemic is just getting worse. One out of every one hundred people in the general population has Hepatitis C, but the ratio is higher in prisons. One out of every three inmates has Hepatitis C (CDC 2013). Among that ratio 50%-90% are injection drug users (CDC 2015). Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood disease that is caused by a virus that affects the liver. Unfortunately there is no vaccine to prevent this disease. HCV causes chronic liver disease more rapidly than HIV (CDC 2015). HCV just like HIV, is a blood disease that is spread through contact with an infected person’s blood, and there are many ways to contract this disease. Injection drug users, physical altercations, sexual contact, tattooing, sharing razors or toothbrushes and mother to infant infection are just some of the ways this disease can be spread. Individuals who are incarcerated are more likely to take part in these high-risk behaviors (Wegner et al, 2014). Part of the problem is that prison officials have not been educated enough about the seriousness of this disease; therefore they don’t feel the same way. To reduce the spread of this disease testing inmates is very important. Since prison is where HCV is spread most frequently, we need to enforce proven strategies while inmates are contained in one place in order to reduce the spread of this

Drug abuse is an illness of the brain, and it has a negative impact on the body system. It weakens the immune system making is difficult for the body to fight diseases. Drug use also affect other organs of the body which includes the heart, liver kidney and the brain. This illness can cause paranoid, aggression, impaired judgment, hallucination and suicidal ideations. The statistics available shows that annual number of people with substances dependency in 2013 is 21.6 million. The figure has been fluctuating between 20.6million to 22.7 million from 2002 to 2012(National Survey on Drug use and Health 2013) Adolescent who use drugs are more likely to engage in unprotected sex and have unwanted pregnancies. The Affordable Care Act made health care accessible for substance abuse patient, sometimes all the coat is not covered. People without insurance will not seek for help because of healthcare cost.

Today, people face with many risks, including drug abuse, violence, and HIV/ AIDS. The risks associates with heroin dependence, such as HIV and viral hepatitis, and the social costs due to associated crime and poverty exceed those of most other drugs of abuse (Brown, 2004). Drug addiction is a complex illness, which characterized by intense, and at time, uncontrollable drug craving, along with compulsive drug seeking and use that persist even in the face of devastating consequences. As of any aspect of life that is difficult to approach, recovery from drug addiction can be extremely challenging. This daunting task, which may sometime

The social dimensions in a prison setting impact the biomedical aspect of HCV by dramatically increasing an inmate’s risk of HCV transmission. Prisons socially determine the transmission of HCV infection among prison inmates in several ways. First and foremost, the use of unsterile drug needles and associated paraphernalia for illicit drugs leads to transmission of HCV among prison inmates (1). A high proportion of inmates are injection drug-users and addicted to various drugs. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CSSA), at least 7 of 10 offenders in the federal correctional system have engaged in drug use within the one-year period to their incarceration (2). Although the prison inmates do not have access to sterile needle equipment, they continue their habit during incarceration. This is due to the lack of health services for addiction management in most prisons, where the resources provided – if any – do not provide the adequate support required to cope with addictions treatment (1). Studies show that inmates are far less likely to benefit from health-education activities, such as drug abstinence counselling, without parallel medicine-based treatment (1). Drug addiction management treatment may include methadone or buprenorphine maintenance treatment (1).

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. There are currently five known viruses that cause can hepatitis (Microbiology, 10e). The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted through contact with the blood of an infected person; however, it is now more commonly spread among IV drug users that share needles. Healthcare workers are also at risk for contracting HCV, but with standard precautions, the risk is low. “Prior to 1992, some people acquired the HCV infection from transfusions of blood or blood products. Since 1992, all blood products have been screened for HCV, and cases of HCV due to blood transfusion now are extremely rare. HCV can be passed from mother to unborn child. Approximately 4 out of every 100 infants born to HCV-positive mothers

Hepatitis C has been referred to as a "Silent Epidemic," since it usually progresses slowly over many years. Most people who are infected with hepatitis C are not aware of any noticeable symptoms for as long as one to two decades after they are infected. In fact, by the time symptoms appear, the virus has probably already begun to damage the liver. If the liver is injured and stops functioning, death will always be the outcome (Lieber). Liver failure from chronic hepatitis C is one of the most common causes of liver transplants in the United States.