Substance Use Disorders and Hepatitis C: A Public Health Issue

Objective: Substance use is a gradually increasing public health problem. Viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV can be transmitted with intravenous substance use and cause significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, and syphilis test results of patients followed at the Şanlıurfa Alcohol and Drug Addiction Research Treatment and Training Center (AMATEM) clinic. Methods: The age, gender, background, information about type of substance addiction of the patients and HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, and venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test results were evaluated. Results: A total of 427 patients over 18 who were followed at the AMATEM clinic between 2021 and 2022 were included in the study. Of these, 408 (95.6%) were male, and 19 (4.4%) were female. The mean age of the participants was 27.03±5.5 years. Three hundred fifteen (73.8%) patients had intravenous substance use, and all these patients (100%) used opioids. HBsAg positivity was detected in 3 (0.71%), and Anti-HCV positivity was detected in 52 (12%) patients. While only 20 (38.46%) of these patients had applied to the relevant clinics for further testing and treatment, HCV-RNA positivity was detected in 12 (60%) of the patients. In addition, the frequency of genotype 3 was higher in HCV RNA-positive patients (66.67%). Conclusion: Opioid use was at the forefront both in the whole patient population and in patients with anti-HCV positivity. Although anti-HCV positivity was detected at a high rate compared to the general population, only one out of every three patients had applied to the relevant clinics for further testing and treatment. Thanks to the new treatment options Hepatitis C is a curable disease. Screening programs are extremely important to ensure both personal and community viral eradication by providing patients with suitable treatments.