The Important Role of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers in Ending the HCV and HIV Epidemics

Our nation’s substance use crisis is closely linked to a steep rise in infectious diseases associated with injection drug use, especially hepatitis C and HIV. Approximately 70 percent of new hepatitis C infections occur among people who inject drugs and nine percent of new HIV infections in the United States are related to injection drug use.

Addressing the syndemic of drug misuse and infectious diseases requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. The National Alliance for HIV Education and Workforce Development (NAHEWD) created a customizable slide set to help educate substance use disorder treatment providers on how important tier role is in supporting HIV and hepatitis C testing, prevention, and treatment for their patients. The resource was developed as part of NAHEWD’s role in the SAMHSA- supported Opioid Response Network.

This technical assistance resource emphasizes that the guiding principles of substance use care—harm reduction, screening and other prevention interventions, treatment initiation, and linkage to ongoing medical care—are similar to those of viral hepatitis and HIV care. All models focus on patient safety and wellness, with effective medication being critical for the individual’s health and for related public health benefits.

While hepatitis C testing rates remain sub-optimal across opioid treatment programs, substance use providers have opportunities to test individuals who inject drugs for hepatitis C and HIV during both intake and follow-up visits, and to facilitate care or linkage to care and treatment when indicated. Identifying people who are early in their infection is critical because with timely diagnosis and curative treatment, people with hepatitis C can prevent potential severe outcomes such as liver disease, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death.

Today’s highly effective curative treatment is the most powerful tool we have to achieve the goal of hepatitis C elimination. But to fully realize its potential, we need to increase hepatitis C efforts with people who use drugs who are most likely to transmit the virus to others. Increasing hepatitis C cure is possible through leveraging existing infrastructure and providing much-needed viral hepatitis and HIV services in the substance use disorder treatment programs that people who use drugs already access and trust. This slide set is ready-to-use to help call attention to and provide support for opportunities to cure hepatitis C.

Related blog posts:

• SAMHSA Urges Focus on Synergistic Epidemics of Substance Use Disorder, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis
• Substance Misuse, Infectious Disease, and the Powerful Potential of Syringe Service Programs
• Three Medical Societies Identify Specific Infections of Concern in Relation to the Opioid Crisis