” Respondents who reported having seen a doctor or other healthcare professional about their first positive HCV test result were more likely to respond

correctly to the first two of those three questions plus the question regarding transmission by injection drug use than those who had not. Respondents who knew they were HCV positive before the ROF letter were significantly less likely than those who were unaware they were HCV positive to have responded correctly to the question regarding vertical (i.e., mother-child) transmission. Based on the sample of individuals who responded to the Hepatitis C Follow-Up Survey after having tested positive for past or current HCV infection during NHANES 2001-2008, we found that 49.7% were not aware they were infected with HCV before receiving notification from NHANES; more than 80% 3-deazaneplanocin A saw a doctor or other healthcare professional about their first positive HCV test or had an appointment to do so, and for most of the 11 knowledge selleck screening library questions, approximately 75% of respondents provided a correct answer about hepatitis C and its transmission. Of those who were aware of their positive HCV infection status before being notified by NHANES, only 3.7% reported that they had first

been tested for HCV because they or their doctor thought they Rho were at risk for this infection. Overall, 85.4% of those who were infected had heard of hepatitis C before

receiving the ROF letter; correct responses to specific questions about hepatitis C were higher among persons 40-59 years of age, white non-Hispanics, and those who saw a physician regarding their first positive HCV test. Approximately one half of the respondents had not been aware of their HCV status before receiving the ROF letter. We found that those 40-59 years of age were more likely to be aware of their HCV status than were those who were either younger or older. This is encouraging, because the burden of HCV disease is highest among those 40-59 years of age. Respondents who were not previously aware of their infection were more likely to lack health insurance coverage and a usual source of medical care. This suggests that screening efforts for HCV that work through the healthcare system may not be successful in reaching many HCV-infected individuals because of lack of health insurance coverage and/or lack of a usual source of medical care. Only 3.7% of those who were previously aware of their HCV status reported that they had first been tested because they or their doctor thought that they were at risk for hepatitis C.