[Perception of hepatitis C infection and its management in women infected by HIV following intravenous use of drugs].
OBJECTIVE
To describe perception and knowledge of hepatitis C infection, related care and treatment, among women included in the Manif 2000 cohort, a study that enrolled patients HIV-infected through intravenous drug use (IVDU).


METHODS
A qualitative survey among women who had been pregnant, conducted in the form of semi-direct interviews, between October 2000 and March 2001, in the PACA area (South Eastern) of France. Twenty-two out of the 32 eligible women agreed to participate.


RESULTS
21/22 women were HCV co-infected. In 13 cases, HCV screening was done during HIV infection follow-up. Although, for interviewed women, hepatitis C infection was of minor importance compared with HIV infection, the majority of them considered that they were well informed on HCV infection and its risks. Nevertheless, four women declared regular alcohol consumption and 8 women did not know how HCV was transmitted. None of them mentioned the risk of vertical transmission of the virus. For these women, their physician in charge of HIV was the master piece in the care of HCV infection and the main provider of information about this disease. Liver biopsy was offered to 11 women (9 agreed). Three women had already been treated for their HCV infection and 5 others were about to start treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
With the improvement in life span of HIV-infected persons, the protection of liver functions has become an important medical challenge. It is of particular importance that the physicians in charge of HIV should provide more counselling to IVDU or ex-IVDU patients, in order to increase their awareness on the risks related to co-infections, the use of drugs and consumption of alcohol.
Coulon
Myriam
M
Observatoire régional de la santé, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Marseille.
Rey
Dominique
D
Loubiere
Sandrine
S
Fuzibet
Jean-Gabriel
JG
Gastaut
Jean-Albert
JA
Obadia
Yolande
Y
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010297:Paris; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous