Effects of a hepatitis C virus educational intervention or a motivational intervention on alcohol use, injection drug use, and sexual risk behaviors among injection drug users.

Objectives: We compared the effects of 2 interventions on alcohol use, use of a new syringe at last injection, and condom use at last sexual encounter in a community sample of injection drug users.

Methods: Between 2003 and 2006, 851 out-of-treatment injection drug users were recruited in Raleigh, NC, and Durham, NC, through street outreach and were randomly assigned to either a 6-session educational intervention or a 6-session motivational intervention. Intervention effects were examined at 6 and 12 months after enrollment.

Results: In multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for baseline alcohol use and HCV status, participants assigned to the motivational intervention were significantly less likely than were participants in the educational intervention to be drinking at the 6-month follow-up (odds ratio = 0.67; 95% confidence interval = 0.46, 0.97). There were no significant between-group differences in use of a new syringe at last injection or condom use at last sexual encounter at either follow-up.

Conclusions: Reducing alcohol use among persons with HCV may slow disease progression and provide important health benefits. Additional strategies are needed for slowing HCV disease progression until more effective HCV treatments are available.