Gaps in the Hepatitis C Continuum of Care among Sex Workers in Vancouver, British Columbia: Implications for Voluntary Hepatitis C Virus Testing, Treatment and Care

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication leads to reduced morbidity, mortality and transmission. Despite the disproportionate burden of HCV among sex workers, data regarding the HCV care continuum in this population remain negligible. METHODS: Using baseline data from an ongoing cohort of women sex workers in Vancouver (An Evaluation of Sex Workers’ Health Access, January 2010 to August 2013), the authors assessed HCV prevalence and engagement in the HCV care continuum within the past year. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate associations with recent (ie, in the past year) HCV testing. RESULTS: Among 705 sex workers, 302 (42.8%) were HCV seropositive. Of these, 22.5% were previously unaware of their HCV status, 41.7% had accessed HCV-related care, 13.9% were offered treatment and only 1.0% received treatment. Among 552 HCV-seronegative sex workers, only one-half (52.9%) reported a recent HCV test. In multivariable analysis, women who self-identified as a sexual/gender minority (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.89 [95% CI 1.11 to 3.24]), resided in the inner city drug use epicentre (aOR 3.19 [95%CI 1.78 to 5.73]) and used injection (aOR 2.00 [95% CI 1.19 to 3.34]) or noninjection drugs (aOR 1.95 [95% CI 1.00 to 3.78]) had increased odds of undergoing a recent HCV test, while immigrant participants (aOR 0.24 [95% CI 0.12 to 0.48]) had decreased odds. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high burden of HCV among sex workers, large gaps in the HCV care continuum remain. Particularly concerning are the low access to HCV testing, with one-fifth of women living with HCV being previously unaware of their status, and the exceptionally low prevalence of HCV treatment. There is a critical need for further research to better understand and address barriers to engage in the HCV continuum for sex workers

Prevalence and predictors of facing a legal obligation to disclose HIV serostatus to sexual partners among people living with HIV who inject drugs in a Canadian setting:a cross-sectional analysis

Background: In October 2012, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that people living with HIV must disclose their HIV status before sex that poses a "realistic possibility" of HIV transmission, clarifying that in circumstances where condom-protected penile-vaginal intercourse occurred with a low viral load ( 1) (adjusted OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.24-5.78) and self-reporting a stable relationship (adjusted OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.03-3.91). Interpretation: Almost half the participants in our analytic sample would face a legal obligation to disclose to sexual partners under these circumstances (with an increased burden among women), adding further risk of criminalization within this marginalized and vulnerable community

Awareness and understanding of HIV non-disclosure case law among people living with HIV who use illicit drugs in a Canadian setting

Background—In 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that people living with HIV (PLWH) could face criminal charges if they did not disclose their serostatus before sex posing a “realistic possibility” of HIV transmission. Condom-protected vaginal sex with a low (i.e., <1500 copies/mL) HIV viral load (VL) incurs no duty to disclose. Awareness and understanding of this ruling remain uncharacterized, particularly among marginalized PLWH. Methods—We used data from ACCESS, a community-recruited cohort of PLWH who use illicit drugs in Vancouver. The primary outcome was self-reported awareness of the 2012 SCC ruling, drawn from cross-sectional survey data. Participants aware of the ruling were asked how similar their understanding was to a provided definition. Sources of information from which participants learned about the ruling were determined. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors independently associated with ruling awareness. Results—Among 249 participants (39% female), median age was 50 (IQR: 44–55) and 80% had a suppressed HIV VL (<50 copies/mL). A minority (112, 45%) of participants reported ruling awareness, and 44 (18%) had a complete understanding of the legal obligation to disclose. Among those aware (n = 112), newspapers/media (46%) was the most frequent source from which participants learned about the ruling, with 51% of participants reporting that no healthcare providers had talked to them about the ruling. Ruling awareness was negatively associated with VL suppression (AOR:0.51, 95% CI:0.27,0.97) and positively associated with recent condomless sex vs. no sex (AOR:2.00, 95% CI:1.03,3.92).Conclusion—Most participants were not aware of the 2012 SCC ruling, which may place them at risk of prosecution. Discussions about disclosure and the law were lacking in healthcare settings. Advancing education about HIV disclosure and the law is a key priority. The role of healthcare providers in delivering information and support to PLWH in this legal climate should be further explored.Medicine, Faculty ofOther UBCNon UBCReviewedFacultyResearcherGraduat

The population impact of eliminating homelessness on HIV viral suppression among people who use drugs

Objective: We sought to estimate the change in viral suppression prevalence if homelessness were eliminated from a population of HIV-infected people who use drugs (PWUD). Design: Community-recruited prospective cohort of HIV-infected PWUD in Vancouver, Canada. Behavioral information was collected at baseline and linked to a province-wide HIV/AIDS treatment database. The primary outcome was viral suppression (<50 copies/mL) measured during subsequent routine clinical care. Methods: We employed an imputation-based marginal modelling approach. First, we used modified Poisson regression to obtain effect estimates (adjusting for sociodemographics, substance use, addiction treatment, and other confounders). Then, we imputed an outcome probability for each individual while manipulating the exposure (homelessness). Population viral suppression prevalence under realized and “housed” scenarios were obtained by averaging these probabilities across the population. Bootstrapping was conducted to calculate 95% confidence limits. Results: Of 706 individuals interviewed between January 2005 and December 2015, the majority was male (66.0%), of Caucasian race/ethnicity (55.1%), and had a history of injection (93.6%). At first study visit, 223 (31.6%) reported recent homelessness, and 37.8% were subsequently identified as virally suppressed. Adjusted marginal models estimated a 15.1% relative increase (95%CI: 9.0%, 21.7%) in viral suppression in the entire population—to 43.5% (95%CI: 39.4%, 48.2%)—if all homeless individuals were housed. Among those homeless, eliminating this exposure would increase viral suppression from 22.0% to 40.1% (95%CI: 35.1%, 46.1%), an 82.3% relative increase. Conclusions: Interventions to house homeless, HIV-positive individuals who use drugs could significantly increase population viral suppression. Such interventions should be implemented as a part of renewed HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts.Medicine, Faculty ofOther UBCNon UBCMedicine, Department ofReviewedFacultyResearcherPostdoctora

Phylogenetic clustering of hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs in Vancouver, Canada

Little is known about factors associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). Phylogenetic clustering and associated factors were evaluated among PWID in Vancouver, Canada. Data were derived from the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study. Participants who were HCV antibody-positive at enrolment and those with HCV antibody seroconversion during follow-up (1996 to 2012) were tested for HCV RNA and sequenced (Core-E2 region). Phylogenetic trees were inferred using maximum likelihood analysis and clusters were identified using ClusterPicker (90% bootstrap threshold, 0.05 genetic distance threshold). Factors associated with clustering were assessed using logistic regression. Among 655 eligible participants, HCV genotype prevalence was: G1a: 48% (n=313), G1b: 6% (n=41), G2a: 3% (n=20), G2b: 7% (n=46), G3a: 33% (n=213), G4a: <1% (n=4), G6a: 1% (n=8), G6e: <1% (n=1), and unclassifiable: 1% (n=9). The mean age was 36 years, 162 (25%) were female, and 164 (25%) were HIV+. Among 501 participants with HCV G1a and G3a, 31% (n=156) were in a pair/cluster. Factors independently associated with phylogenetic clustering included: age <40 (versus age≥40, adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03, 2.63), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (AOR=1.82; 95% CI 1.18, 2.81), HCV seroconversion (AOR=3.05; 95% CI 1.40, 6.66), and recent syringe borrowing (AOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.07, 2.36). Conclusion: In this sample of PWID, one-third demonstrated phylogenetic clustering. Factors independently associated with phylogenetic clustering included younger age, recent HCV seroconversion, prevalent HIV infection, and recent syringe borrowing. Strategies to enhance the delivery of prevention and/or treatment strategies to those with HIV and recent HCV seroconversion should be explored, given an increased likelihood of HCV transmission in these sub-populations.Medicine, Faculty ofOther UBCNon UBCMedicine, Department ofReviewedFacultyResearche