HIV and Hepatitis C Co-Infection

HIV and Hepatitis C Coinfection
3 OASAS credits (not approved for initial CPS credentialing); ‡ 4 CNE hours

This half-day training is for health and human service providers who work with people living with HIV and who need updated information about HIV/HCV coinfection in order to provide effective services to their clients. More than 25% of people living with HIV in the United States are coinfected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Among people who acquired HIV as a result of injection drug use, the rates of HIV/HCV coinfection may be as high as 90%. HCV screening is recommended for all persons living with HIV.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

• Recall basic information about the liver and hepatitis C, including transmission, prevention, course of illness, screening and treatment;
• Counsel their HIV positive client about the importance of knowing their HCV status;
• Describe how coinfection with HIV and HCV affects the progression of each disease;
• Recall current trends and improvements in treatment for people who are coinfected with HIV and HCV; and
• List at least three additional service needs of people with HIV who are also coinfected with HCV.

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this training, it is strongly recommended that participants have previous training in HIV/AIDS.
Audience: All health and human service providers.