title: Barriers to Hepatitis C Screening in a Minority Population: A Comparison of Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening Rates at a Community STD Clinic in Miami, Florida.
abstract: METHODS
  357 patients at a free STD clinic in Miami, FL were screened for HCV. Surveys were administered assessing risk factors for infectious disease transmission, and HCV and HIV screening history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  15.1% of participants had been screened for HCV before whereas 83.8% had been screened for HIV (n = 356). Of the patients previously screened for HCV (n = 54), 98.2% of these patients had previously been screened for HIV as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This data shows the low prevalence of prior HCV screenings in a high-risk population in Miami, FL. Participants who had previously received an HIV screening test were more likely to report receiving a prior HCV screening. Despite the high prevalence of HCV, most HCV infections are undiagnosed. Mortality from HIV has been declining in the United States while mortality from HCV is increasing. To decrease HCV related mortality, we recommend offering HCV screening in conjunction with HIV screening.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Erica B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.affiliation: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balise
authors.affiliation: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schiff
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.affiliation: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. ethomas1@med.miami.edu.|Schiff Center for Liver Disease, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1550 NW 10th Ave, Papanicolaou Bldg. Rm. PAP 514, Miami, FL, 33136, USA. ethomas1@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HCV; HIV; Infectious disease; Miami; Screening