Using Injectable Illicit Drugs Increases The Risk Of Hepatitis C

Though no one is suggesting that using illegal injectable drugs, like heroin, is a good idea, if you are going use them then there may be certain things you must think about beyond the drug use itself. There are more dangers to the injection drug user than the worries of getting arrested for drug possession or dying from an overdose. People who use injectable drugs are at high risk for contracting the Hepatitis C virus. This is because Hepatitis C is an infection that passes from blood to blood. As a matter of fact it is the most common infection passing blood to blood among people in the United States. Over four million Americans are infected with the Hepatitis C virus, and that number is growing every year.

The reason that drug users, the ones who inject their favorite illicit drug, can contract the Hepatitis C infection so easily is because many of them share needles or other drug taking equipment with their fellow drug abusers. As needles are slipped under the skin, into the blood, sharing needles heightens the risk that the person you are about to get stoned with is themselves infected, maybe not even knowing it, and so the blood to blood connection is established and the drug user becomes infected without realizing that there was even a risk.

Drug programs may be the answer to controlling this method of infection. There are two main types of programs that may have some success. Both are practiced in different parts of the world, at least one, the rehabilitation program, is readily available to Americans. The other, needle swapping, is slowing filtering through the United States with good results.

The rehabilitation program is just what it sounds like. It's a method that attempts to wean addicts from the illicit drugs they use, including those drug users who inject the illegal drugs, and at the same time as provide consistent medical care. Sadly it's often during this time, when the drug user is trying to stop their unfortunate habit, that the Hepatitis C virus is discovered. This does not mean that the program should be discontinued. Getting someone to stop a drug habit is an important step to giving them back their lives. The discovery of the virus means that the patient will need to learn to what should be done to keep their health good.

The second program, commonly known in many places as SEPs, syringe exchange programs, is having some definite success. Those against such programs felt it would only increase the number of users by encouraging injection drug users because of the assumed acceptance of their habit. But this has proven to be wrong. The programs do not support or promote drug use. Instead they allow drug addicts to bring in their dirty or used needles to exchange for sterile needles. Studies have shown that this is a program with a positive outcome not only in working to control the spread of Hepatitis C but also HIV.

• All About Interferon
• As Hepatitis Worsens Liver Biopsy Can Be The Next Step
• Breaking The News That You Have Hepatitis C
• Coping With Interferons Mental Side Effects
• Coping With Interferons Physical Side Effects Part 2
• Coping With Interferons Physical Side Effects Part 3
• Coping With Interferons Physical Side Effects
• Coping With Ribavirins Side Effects
• Decreasing Your Risk Of Hepatitis C
• Frequently Asked Questions About Hepatitis C
• Ginseng And Licorice Root Help The Fight Against Hepatitis C
• Hepatitis C And Alcohol Abuse
• Hepatitis C And American War Veterans
• Hepatitis C Causes Severe Itching
• Hepatitis C, Groups Of Sufferers
• Hepatitis C Sufferers Can Develop Cirrhosis
• Hepatitis C Treatment Outcomes
• Hepatitis C Treatment Side Effects
• Herbs That Help The Side Effects
• Is Alternative Hepatitis C Treatment Wise?
• Lets Dispel Some Hepatitis C Myths
• Liver Biopsies - What You Should Know
• Living With Hepatitis C
• Memory Problems Can Be Related To Hepatitis C
• Milk Thistle In Hepatitis Treatments
• New Test For Hepatitis C
• Nutrition Info For Hepatitis C Sufferers
• Other Medical Worries With Hepatitis C
• Some Common Hepatitis C Questions And Answers
• Supplements As Hepatitis C Treatments
• Tattoos, Piercings And Hepatitis C
• The Basics Of Hepatitis C
• The Differences Between Hepatitis Strains
• When Should Treatment For Hepatitis C Begin?
• The Stigma Of Having Hepatitis C
• Tips To Handle Hepatitis C Treatment Side Effects
• Transplants Are One Outcome Of Hepatitis C
• Treating Acute Hepatitis C
• Using Injectable Illicit Drugs Increases The Risk Of Hepatitis C
• We Do African American React Worse To Hepatitis C Treatment?