Integrating Viral Hepatitis Screening and Prevention Services into an Urban Chemical Dependency Treatment Facility for American Indians and Alaska Natives

Authors

Shelly Huffman, Urban Indian Health Institute
Rachel Brucker, Urban Indian Health Institute
John T. Redd, Division of Viral Hepatitis, CDCFollow
Maile Taualii, Native Hawaiian Epidemiology CenterFollow
Cecile M. Town, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDCFollow
Mei L. Castor, US Indian Health Service
Crystal C. Tetrick, Urban Indian Health InstituteFollow
Ralph Forquera, Urban Indian Health Institute
Joanna Buffington, Global Immunization Division, CDC

Keywords

American Indian/Alaska Native; Chemical dependency treatment programs; Drug abuse—Treatment; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C infections; Hepatitis; Viral; Indians of North America; Injection drug use; Vaccinations; Viral vaccines

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Public Health | Public Health Education and Promotion | Substance Abuse and Addiction

Abstract

American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) patients at an urban residential chemical dependency treatment center participated in a viral hepatitis prevention project. Project activities integrated into patients’ treatment programs included viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk factor screening, education and counseling, laboratory testing, and hepatitis A and B vaccination. Of 928 AI/AN admissions, 585 (63%) completed risk factor screening assessment. Of these, 436 (75%) received at least one vaccination, viral hepatitis testing, or both. Of 322 patients tested, 91 (28%) were hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody positive. Lack of pre-existing immunity to vaccine-preventable viral hepatitis infection was common: 132 (45%) were susceptible to hepatitis A and 224 (70%) were susceptible to hepatitis B infection. Chemical dependency treatment centers serving urban AI/AN provide important opportunities for implementing viral hepatitis prevention programs for high-risk populations and for improving ongoing efforts to reduce the disparate impact of chronic liver disease in AI/ AN people.

Recommended Citation

Huffman, Shelly; Brucker, Rachel; Redd, John T.; Taualii, Maile; Town, Cecile M.; Castor, Mei L.; Tetrick, Crystal C.; Forquera, Ralph; and Buffington, Joanna (2012) "Integrating Viral Hepatitis Screening and Prevention Services into an Urban Chemical Dependency Treatment Facility for American Indians and Alaska Natives," Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol5/iss1/3