Hepatitis C in an isolated UK community
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Hepatitis C within a network of people with a history of intravenous drug use living in an isolated UK community
IRAS ID
177753
Contact name
Ryan/RM Buchanan
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Liver disease is the fastest growing cause of death in under 65s, predominantly due to alcohol, fatty liver disease and the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis is becoming increasingly easy to treat with effective therapy, shorter courses of treatment and fewer side effects. However, the major barrier to a fall in the prevalence of the disease is the burden of undiagnosed infections. The major risk factor for HCV is a history of injecting drug use but these individuals are particularly difficult to find because the are hidden by the illegality and the stigma associated with their practice.
Using recorded interviews, this study will explore the social network of people with a history of injecting drug use on the Isle of Wight (IOW). This will lead to a greater understanding of how current and ex injecting are connected to other people who inject drugs and directly facilitate a respondent driven sampling survey.
This survey will use peer led recruitment, questionnaires and Interview based surveys to establish the true epidemiology of HCV on the Island, the effectiveness of existing HCV public health interventions and other potential opportunities for HCV case identification.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1076
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion