Hepatitis C and initiates into injecting drug use among young people [Series of two parts]: Part 1: The first shot. Part 2: Educating young initiates about hepatitis C prevention

Hepatitis C is one of the most significant public health issues in Australia. Concerning rates of hepatitis C infection among young people are related to injecting drug use. To inform the development of appropriate and timely hepatitis C prevention strategies specifically targeting young people new to injecting, QuIVAA, a community-based organisation in Brisbane, undertook a research project exploring how young people first come to inject drugs, and how they learn about hepatitis Cand sterile injecting drug use. Part I reports some of the findings of the research and highlights the urgent need to develop specific hepatitis C education activities that take into account the social context of drug use