Integrated Prevention Services for HIV Infection, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Tuberculosis for Persons Who Use Drugs Illicitly: Summary Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Recommendations and Reports
November 9, 2012 / 61(rr05);1-40

Prepared by

Hrishikesh Belani, MPH1

Terence Chorba, MD, DSc2,3

Franklin Fletcher4

Karen Hennessey, PhD5

Karen Kroeger, PhD4

Amy Lansky, PhD6

Jami Leichliter, PhD4

Dan Lentine, MPH2

Sasha Mital, MPH1

Richard Needle, PhD1

Kevin O'Connor, MA4

John Oeltmann, PhD3

Eric Pevzner, PhD3

David Purcell, JD, PhD6

Miriam Sabin, PhD5

Salaam Semaan, DrPH2

Umid Sharapov, MD5

Bryce Smith, PhD5

Tara Vogt, PhD5

Bridget A Wynn4

1Divison of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health

2Office of the Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

3Division of TB Elimination, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

4Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

5Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

6Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

This report originated in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Kevin Fenton, MD, PhD, Director.

Corresponding preparer: Salaam Semaan, DrPH, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E-07, Atlanta, GA 30333; Telephone: 404-639-8870; Fax: 404-639-3125; E-mail:SSemaan@cdc.gov.

Summary

This report summarizes current (as of 2011) guidelines or recommendations published by multiple agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for prevention and control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and tuberculosis (TB) for persons who use drugs illicitly. It also summarizes existing evidence of effectiveness for practices to support delivery of integrated prevention services. Implementing integrated services for prevention of HIV infection, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB is intended to provide persons who use drugs illicitly with increased access to services, to improve timeliness of service delivery, and to increase effectiveness of efforts to prevent infectious diseases that share common risk factors, behaviors, and social determinants. This guidance is intended for use by decision makers (e.g., local and federal agencies and leaders and managers of prevention and treatment services), health-care providers, social service providers, and prevention and treatment support groups. Consolidated guidance can strengthen efforts of health-care providers and public health providers to prevent and treat infectious diseases and substance use and mental disorders, use resources efficiently, and improve health-care services and outcomes in persons who use drugs illicitly.
An integrated approach to service delivery for persons who use drugs incorporates recommended science-based public health strategies, including 1) prevention and treatment of substance use and mental disorders; 2) outreach programs; 3) risk assessment for illicit use of drugs; 4) risk assessment for infectious diseases; 5) screening, diagnosis, and counseling for infectious diseases; 6) vaccination; 7) prevention of mother-to-child transmission of infectious diseases; 8) interventions for reduction of risk behaviors; 9) partner services and contact follow-up; 10) referrals and linkage to care; 11) medical treatment for infectious diseases; and 12) delivery of integrated prevention services. These strategies are science-based, public health strategies to prevent and treat infectious diseases, substance use disorders, and mental disorders. Treatment of infectious diseases and treatment of substance use and mental disorders contribute to prevention of transmission of infectious diseases. Integrating prevention services can increase access to and timeliness of prevention and treatment.

Introduction

This report summarizes current (as of 2011) public health recommendations and guidelines from multiple agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for science-based public health strategies for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and tuberculosis (TB) (referred to collectively as infectious diseases) among persons who use drugs illicitly and their contacts (sex and drug-using partners) in the United States. In addition, the report recommends integrated delivery of the public health strategies and includes a review of recent programmatic efforts to integrate prevention services for persons who use drugs illicitly. Integrated prevention services provide multiple prevention services at a single venue, coordinate referrals, and provide linkage to services delivered at multiple venues to improve access to high-quality and comprehensive prevention services. Such integration can offer providers and programs the opportunity to address multiple infectious diseases and related health conditions (e.g., substance use and mental disorders) at one time or at a single facility, thereby increasing the likelihood that clients will receive needed services (1). Without access to integrated prevention services, persons who use drugs illicitly would need to go to different facilities to access prevention and treatment services for HIV infection, viral hepatitis, STDs, or TB and for substance use or mental disorders. Implementing integrated services is intended to increase access to services, improve the timeliness of service delivery, and increase the effectiveness of efforts to prevent infectious diseases and disorders that share common risk factors, behaviors, and social determinants. The guidance does not review the topic of physical integration of all medical treatment services for such diseases, especially as different regulatory, accreditation, and licensing policies govern the delivery of treatment services for these diseases. However, the guidance emphasizes the importance of treatment for infectious diseases as a major strategy in preventing their further transmission. The guidance also emphasizes treatment of substance use and mental disorders, comorbidities that must be treated effectively to optimize prevention outcomes for infectious diseases.
This report is divided into seven sections: 1) an introduction to the scope and purpose of the guidance; 2) a summary of the methods, including steps and procedures followed in development of the guidance; 3) a brief outline of the epidemiology of illicit drug use and of HIV infection, viral hepatitis, STDs, TB, and their sequelae among persons who use drugs illicitly in the United States; 4) a description of science-based public health strategies for prevention of HIV infection, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB among persons who use drugs illicitly; 5) a brief summary of special considerations that affect the prevention and control of infectious diseases among persons who use drugs illicitly; 6) a section discussing practical aspects of delivery of integrated prevention services; and 7) a short conclusion stating the rationale and importance of integrated prevention services for infectious diseases among persons who use drugs illicitly.