Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun 26;21(1):609.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-06332-z.

Values and preferences for hepatitis C self-testing among people who inject drugs in Kyrgyzstan

Guillermo Z Martínez-Pérez  1 , Danil S Nikitin  2 , Alla Bessonova  3 , Emmanuel Fajardo  4 , Sergei Bessonov  3 , Sonjelle Shilton  5
Affiliations

Values and preferences for hepatitis C self-testing among people who inject drugs in Kyrgyzstan

Guillermo Z Martínez-Pérez et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among people who inject drugs (PWID) continues to be a major public-health burden in this highly stigmatised population. To halt transmission of HCV, rapid HCV self-testing kits represent an innovative approach that could enable PWID to know their HCV status and seek treatment. As no HCV test has yet been licenced for self-administration, it is crucial to obtain knowledge around the factors that may deter or foster delivery of HCV self-testing among PWID in resource-constrained countries.

Methods: A qualitative study to assess values and preferences relating to HCV self-testing was conducted in mid-2020 among PWID in the Bishkek and Chui regions of Kyrgyzstan. Forty-seven PWID participated in 15 individual interviews, two group interviews (n = 12) and one participatory action-research session (n = 20). Responses were analysed using a thematic analysis approach with 4 predefined themes: awareness of HCV and current HCV testing experiences, and acceptability and service delivery preferences for HCV self-testing. Informants' insights were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. This research received local ethics approval.

Results: Awareness of HCV is low and currently PWID prefer community-based HCV testing due to stigma encountered in other healthcare settings. HCV self-testing would be accepted and appreciated by PWID. Acceptability may increase if HCV self-testing: was delivered in pharmacies or by harm reduction associations; was free of charge; was oral rather than blood-based; included instructions with images and clear information on the test's accuracy; and was distributed alongside pre- and post-testing counselling with linkage to confirmatory testing support.

Conclusions: HCV self-testing could increase awareness of and more frequent testing for HCV infection among PWID in Kyrgyzstan. It is recommended that peer-driven associations are involved in the delivery of any HCV self-testing. Furthermore, efforts should be maximised to end discrimination against PWID at the healthcare institutions responsible for confirmatory HCV testing and treatment provision.

Keywords: Diagnostics; Formative research; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C self-testing; Values and preferences.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicting or competing interests to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A description of the participatory action research (PAR) exercises
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. WHO . Global hepatitis report, 2017. Geneva: WHO; 2017.
    1. Hutin YJ, Bulterys M, Hirnschall GO. How far are we from viral hepatitis elimination service coverage targets? J Int AIDS Soc. 2018;21(Suppl 2(Suppl Suppl 2)):e25050. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25050. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. WHO . Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis 2016-2021. Geneva: WHO; 2016.
    1. Oru E, Trickey A, Shirali R, Kanters S, Easterbrook P. Decentralisation, integration, and task-shifting in hepatitis C virus infection testing and treatment: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2021;9(4):e431–ee45. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30505-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. WHO . Progress report on access to hepatitis C treatment; Focus on overcoming barriers in low- and middle-income countries. Geneva: WHO; 2018.

MeSH terms