PROJECT ABSTRACT
Globally, more than 3.5 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the United States, due to the
opioid epidemic, HCV cases have increased, especially among adults under 30. However, few young people
who inject drugs (PWID =30 years old) – who are at the center of the HCV epidemic in the US – are benefiting
from curative HCV therapy. A potentially promising, yet untapped avenue for increasing HCV treatment among
PWID is the leveraging of their injecting partners to successfully navigate the multiple obstacles between
diagnosis and treatment. Our team’s extensive research with dyads identified a potential action-point within
injecting partnerships that can be harnessed through behavioral intervention. Quantitative findings identified
specific injecting related interpersonal factors (i.e., trust, intimacy, cooperation) associated with increased
health and safety for injecting partnerships. Followed by qualitative results that in combination with
interpersonal factors, partner involvement (i.e., emotional, tangible, affectionate, and positive social support)
enhances a partnership’s ability to coordinate behavior (dyadic capacity). Interpersonal factors with partner
involvement was found to overcome barriers to HCV treatment.
Building on our extensive foundation of dyadic research and dyadic behavior change theories, we developed
the Partner Navigation Intervention a two-session injecting partnership intervention to enhance dyadic
capacity for HCV treatment initiation for young adult PWID. The proposed study is a randomized controlled
study (RCT) to assess the efficacy and mechanism of action of the first behavioral intervention to increase
HCV treatment initiation among young adult PWID. In partnership with our community-based HCV testing
organizations (CBOs), we will randomize young adult PWID with recently diagnosed HCV infection (250
partnerships, n=500) and their primary injecting partner to intervention or standard of care. Scalability was core
to the design of the two-session intervention. Session 1 expands on standard-of-care HCV infection diagnosis
counseling with counselor-led discussion with the HCV positive PWID to identify situational and personal
barriers to HCV treatment and identify an injecting partner to aid in their HCV treatment navigation. Session 2
is a dyad session with both the young adult PWID and their injecting partner. A counselor facilitated discussion
will develop strategies to respond to the identified HCV treatment initiation barriers and partnerships practice
strategies and concretize a plan involving both partners for addressing barriers, including a timeline and
potential alternative strategies in treatment navigation. During both sessions the counselor records key
information discussed onto a paper handout (Partner Navigation Map) serving as the intervention tool. A
community advisory board young adult PWID will guide implementation and dissemination. The proposed
study will improve the cure rate in this highly impacted population. Our strategy of enhancing dyadic capacity
may be adapted for targeted change of other health behaviors (e.g., HCV prevention) affecting young PWID.
