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Abstract Details
Will peer-based interventions improve hepatitis C virus treatment uptake among young people who inject drugs?
Can J Public Health. 2020 Sep 16. doi: 10.17269/s41997-020-00413-3. Online ahead of print.
Jessica Jacob12, Lianping Ti12, Rod Knight34
Author information
1British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada.
2Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
3British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada. bccsu-rk@bccsu.ubc.ca.
4Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. bccsu-rk@bccsu.ubc.ca.
Abstract
People who inject drugs (PWID) are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and have low rates of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment uptake, despite universal coverage of the medication in most Canadian settings. Investigation into peer-based interventions as a means of improving treatment uptake has yielded promising results in adult PWID populations. In this commentary, we discuss the benefits and considerations of integrating peer-based interventions into HCV care for adolescent and young adult PWID living with HCV. Given that young PWID experience high transmission rates and account for most new infections, improving strategies for youth engagement with DAA treatment is critical. We describe how peer-based interventions can feature the unique importance of peer relationships in this period of life and provide a low-barrier way of delivering health promotion messages. In particular, we discuss the ability of peer-based interventions to reshape the narrative of HCV care in young PWID peer networks by empowering youth to share experiences and knowledge with others. We conclude by addressing knowledge gaps in the literature which must be filled in order to strengthen the impact of peer-based interventions on treatment uptake rates among young PWID.