A Qualitative Study Trialling the Acceptability of New Hepatitis C Prevention Messages for People Who Inject Drugs: Symbiotic Messages, Pleasure & Conditional Interpretations
AIM:
Prevention
of hepatitis C (HCV) remains a public health challenge. A new body of work is
emerging seeking to explore and exploit "symbiotic goals" of people
who inject drugs (PWID). That is, strategies used by PWID to achieve other
goals may be doubly useful in facilitating the same behaviours (use of sterile injecting
equipment) required to prevent HCV. This project developed and trialled new HCV
prevention messages based on the notion of symbiotic messages.
METHOD:
New HCV
prevention messages were developed in a series of 12 posters after consultation
with staff from needle and syringe programs (NSPs) and a drug user
organisation. Two posters were displayed each week for a 6-week period within
one NSP. NSP staff and clients were invited to focus groups to discuss their
responses to the posters.
RESULTS:
A total
of four focus groups were conducted; one group of seven staff members and three
groups of clients with a total of 21 participants. Responses to each of the
posters were mixed. Staff and clients interpreted messages in literal ways
rather than as dependent on context, with staff concerned that not all HCV
prevention information was included in any one message; while clients felt that
some messages were misleading in relation to the expectations of pleasure.
Clients appreciated the efforts to use bright imagery and messages that
included acknowledgement of pleasure. Clients were not aware of some harm
reduction information contained in the messages (such as "shoot to the
heart"), and this generated potential for misunderstanding of the intended
message. Clients felt that any message provided by the NSP could be trusted and
did not require visible endorsement by health departments.
CONCLUSIONS:
While
the logic of symbiotic messages is appealing, it is challenging to produce
eye-catching, brief messages that provide sufficient information to cover the
breadth of HCV prevention. Incorporation of symbiotic messages in conversations
or activities between staff and clients may provide opportunities for these
messages to be related to the clients' needs and priorities and for staff to
provide HCV prevention information in accord with their professional ethos.
- 1Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia. c.treloar@unsw.edu.au.
- 2Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia. j.newland@unsw.edu.au.
- 3Population Health Services, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Penrith, NSW, Australia. Louise.Maher1@health.nsw.gov.au.
- Harm Reduct J. 2015 Mar 4;12:5. doi: 10.1186/s12954-015-0042-5.
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