Table 2 Self-Reported Hepatitis C Risk Factors Among Newly Reported Hepatitis C Cases 15–29 Years of Age in Eight Local Health Jurisdictions in California (Imperial, Lake, Monterey, Orange, Placer, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Cruz counties), Stratified by Injection Drug Use Status, June–December, 2018

Responses to open-ended “How do you think you got HCV?”^a

n = 41

n = 73

N = 114

 Injection drug use

40

(97.6)

0

(0.0)

40

(35.1)

< 0.001

 Sexual transmission

4

(9.8)

15

(20.5)

19

(16.7)

0.217

 Transfusion/dialysis

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

–

 Nonprofessional tattoo/piercing

2

(4.9)

8

(11.0)

10

(8.8)

0.459

 Needlestick/other occupational exposure

0

(0.0)

7

(9.6)

7

(6.1)

0.079

 Maternal transmission

0

(0.0)

2

(2.7)

2

(1.8)

0.816

 Other household contact

1

(2.4)

5

(6.8)

6

(5.3)

0.590

 Other

1

(2.4)

1

(1.4)

2

(1.8)

> 0.999

 Don’t know

0

(0)

44

(60.3)

44

(38.6)

< 0.001

 Prior to diagnosis, thought they were at risk for HCV

31

(75.6)

6

(8.2)

37

(32.5)

< 0.001

 Non-professional tattoo or piercing

18

(43.9)

15

(20.5)

33

(28.9)

0.008

 Ever exchanged sex for drugs, money, or housing

4

(9.8)

0

(0.0)

4

(3.5)

0.030

 Ever been incarcerated > 24 h

28

(68.3)

3

(4.1)

31

(27.2)

< 0.001

 Received tattoo or piercing while incarcerated

8 / 28

(28.6)

1 / 3

(33.3)

9 / 31

(29.0)

> 0.999

 Injected drugs while incarcerated

12 / 28

(42.9)

–

–

12 / 31

(38.7)

–

 Shared injection equipment while incarcerated

12 / 12

(100.0)

–

–

12 / 12

(100.0)

–

 Ever used any drug to get high

41

–

20

(27.4)

61

(53.5)

< 0.001

Among Those Who Ever Used Any Drug to Get High

n = 41

n = 20

n = 61

 Used drugs in the past year

32

(78.0)

12

(60.0)

44

(72.1)

0.140

 Snorted drugs in the past year

25

(61.0)

5

(25.0)

30

(49.2)

0.008

 Shared snorting device in past year

21 / 25

(84.0)

3 / 5

(60.0)

24/30

(80.0)

0.509

 Smoked drugs (besides tobacco/marijuana) in past year

26

(63.4)

6

(30.0)

31

(52.5)

0.014

 Shared smoking device in past year

24 / 26

(92.3)

3 / 6

(50.0)

27/31

(84.4)

0.068

 Injected drugs in the past year

34

(82.9)

–

–

–

–

–

 Shared injection equipment in the past year

28

(68.3)

–

–

–

–

–

 Knowledge of accessible needle exchange

15

(36.6)

–

–

–

–

–

 Ever used a needle exchange to get injection supplies

15

(36.6)

–

–

–

–

–

 In county of residence?

13 / 15

(86.7)

–

–

–

–

–

 Ever had access to naloxone while injecting

26

(63.4)

–

–

–

–

–

 Ever needed naloxone but did not have access

18

(43.9)

–

–

–

–

–

 Ever witnessed an overdose

34

(82.9)

–

–

–

–

–

 Been prescribed methadone or buprenorphine for >21d

20

(48.8)

–

–

–

–

–