Americans diagnosed with opioid abuse disorder are 9.1 times more likely to be infected with hepatitis C and 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV, according to a report from the health technology company Amino.
For the report, researchers analyzed insurance claims of more than 300 million Americans from 2014 to 2016. Researchers compared the diagnoses of patients with opioid use disorder with the diagnoses of patients without the disorder.
Analysis revealed patients with opioid use disorder were 9.1 times more likely to have hepatitis C, 5.8 times more likely to suffer from chronic pain, 3 times more likely to experience chronic regional pain syndrome and 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV.
As rates of heroin and opioid use continue to climb in the U.S., some communities are experiencing flare-ups of HIV and hepatitis C outbreaks. These viruses can be passed from user to user via contaminated needles.
To read the full Amino report, click here.
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