Definitions of SUD/OUD/HCV

Drug and alcohol use places people at particular risk for contracting viral hepatitis. People who inject drugs (PWID)are at risk for contracting HBV (hepatitis B virus) and HCV (hepatitis C virus) from shared needles and bodily fluids from infected people. Drug and alcohol use can also directly damage the liver, increasing a person’s risk for chronic liver disease and cancer among those infected with hepatitis. Early detection and treatment of hepatitis infections in PWID is key to protecting both the health of the person and the community. (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Receiving treatment for viral hepatitis and substance use disorder are effective strategies to decrease the risk of both diseases. 

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation, sometimes leading to serious liver damage. It is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is transmitted through contact with infected blood. This can happen through sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs, accidental needle sticks in healthcare settings, and less commonly through sexual contact or from mother to baby during childbirth.

Many people with hepatitis C do not have any symptoms for years, so they may not know they are infected. When symptoms do occur, they can include fever, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).

Chronic hepatitis C can lead to complications like liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. Treatment for hepatitis C has improved significantly in recent years with the development of direct-acting antiviral medications, which can cure the infection in most cases. However, prevention through avoiding risky behaviors and practices like needle sharing remains crucial, as there is currently no vaccine for Hepatitis C.

Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs.  (Mayo Clinic) 

 Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a complex illness characterized by compulsive use of opioid drugs even when the person wants to stop, or when using the drugs negatively affects the person’s physical and emotional well-being.  (Johns Hopkins Medicine) 

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry. Addiction is an inability to consistently abstain, lack of behavioral control, craving, reduced recognition of significant problems with one's behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. (American Society for Addiction Medicine)