Published July 18, 2024 | Originally published on MedicalXpress Breaking News-and-Events A new study has identified the top reasons why some physicians may be reluctant to intervene in addiction. The comprehensive review, pulling 283 studies published on this topic within the last 61 years, showed that "institutional environment" was the reason most frequently reported in these studies. "Institutional environment" refers to factors like lack of support from a physician's institution or employer; insufficient resources, such as staff and training; challenges in organization ..read more

By Sara Lorenz Taki and Lipi Roy July 16, 2024 Hepatitis C and opioid use disorder are both chronic but treatable conditions. Yet many Americans living with this deadly combination aren’t offered treatment. Imagine going to your doctor with strep throat and instead of being prescribed an antibiotic you are told it isn’t urgent and you can wait to treat it. A solution is within reach: It starts with recognizing the power of integrating hepatitis C treatment with addiction care. People with hepatitis C (HCV) and substance use disorders are often marginalized in traditional ..read more

New York aims for a 90% reduction in people living with HCV and an 80% increase in people being treated and cured by 2030. July 8, 2024 • By Laura Schmidt  hep ​New York state is ramping up efforts to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030 by increasing screening, treatment and more, according to Spectrum News. Hepatitis C (HCV) is a contagious but curable disease caused by a virus that infects the liver. HCV is a blood-borne virus that can cause lifelong infection, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death. About 2.4 million Americans&n ..read more

Published July 9, 2024 | Originally published on ScienceAlert Latest, MD Linx More needs to be done to ensure that tattoo inks and other permanent makeup products are bacteria-free, according to the authors of a new study that found worryingly high numbers of commercial samples with bacteria in them. Testing found bacteria in about 35 percent of the tattoo inks and permanent makeup sampled in the US. That includes both aerobic bacteria that need oxygen to live, and anaerobic bacteria that don't – meaning they could survive in the dermal layer under the ..read more

By Claire Wolters | Fact-checked by Davi Sherman | Published July 12, 2024 Key Takeaways A new study found that tattoo inks can carry aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, posing infection risks of infection under the skin. The study is the first to evaluate anaerobic bacteria risks in commercial tattoo inks. Going forward, study authors will work to streamline their research process and investigate how bacterial contamination in tattoo ink occurs. A new study has revealed that commercial tattoo ink can harbor both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, posing ris ..read more

Test Enables Single-Visit Testing and Treatment for Hepatitis C For immediate Release:  June 27, 2024 Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorization to Cepheid for the Xpert HCV test and GeneXpert Xpress System, the first hepatitis C virus (HCV) test that can be used to bring diagnosis to appropriately certified point-of-care settings for individuals at risk for hepatitis C. The test may be performed in settings operating under a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) Certificate of Waiver, such as certain substance use disorder treatment fac ..read more

Published May 23, 2024 | Originally published on MedicalXpress Breaking News-and-Events Now that smoking has replaced injecting as the most common way to consume fentanyl, UCSF researchers have uncovered an increased risk of fatal overdose from the residue that accumulates in smoking equipment. The researchers found that people both shared fentanyl resin and consumed it accidentally. This may be increasing the risk of overdose, especially among those who use the equipment to smoke other drugs, like methamphetamine, and have not developed tolerance to opi ..read more

Published May 14, 2024 | Originally published on NIH News News Release Monday, May 13, 2024 Over 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl seized by law enforcement in 2023NIH-supported study highlights increasingly dangerous illicit drug supply, risk of pills not coming from a pharmacy. Law enforcement seizures of illicit fentanyl increased dramatically in number and size between 2017 to 2023 in the U.S., especially in pill form, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Th ..read more

​The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics), in covered health programs or activities. 42 U.S.C. 18116. Where can I find more information? OCR has issued a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) advancing protections against discrimination in health care. Read the final rule Section 1557 Fact Sheet (available in 17 languages) S ..read more

​Nearly Nearly one-quarter of LGBTQ adults who reported having negative health care experiences said tNearly one-quarter of LGBTQ adults who reported having negative health care experiences said those experiences caused their health to get worse, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ adults. ​April 3, 2024, 6:53 PM EDT By Jo YurcabaLesbian, NBC News Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer adults are twice as likely as their non-LGBTQ counterparts to report having had negative health care experiences over the last three years, according to a new report. One-third (33%) of LGBTQ adults s ..read more