Text Size
Smaller
Bigger
Methadone

Methadone Protects Opiate Addicts from Hepatitis C

posted 12:06 AM EST, Tue April 27, 2010
-- filed under: |

Israeli researchers say that methadone treatment drastically reduces hepatitis C transmission.

Methadone treatment is currently considered the gold standard treatment for heroin addiction. Israeli researcher who studied methadone’s effectiveness say that not only does the medication keep people from using heroin, it also keeps them safe from infectious diseases like Hepatitis C.

The Study

The researchers studied a group of 207 Hep C negative patients who used a Tel Aviv methadone clinic between 1993 and 2008. Over that period, 25% of these patients became infected with Hep C – which is dramatically lower than the estimated 60% to 90% Hep C infection rates seen in active chronic injection drug users.

Lead researcher Einat Peles, Ph.D presented her research findings at the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Scientific Conference this month.

The Chair of this year’s ASAM conference, Gavin Bart, M.D., commented on the significance of the findings, saying, "This is a very important study because it shows that not only does treatment work for the addiction itself but is a preventive measure for hepatitis C."

Subscribe Subscribe to this topic category
Story Highlights
  • Methadone: Treatment saves opiate addicts from Hep C transmission.
Creative Commons License
Copyright Notice
We welcome republishing of our content on condition that you credit Choose Help and the respective authors. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Helpful Information
8 Lies about Methadone Exposed
8 Methadone Falsehoods – Forget the Fiction, Learn the Facts © Hkoppdelaney
Think you know methadone? Be careful, because a lot of what’s passed as common knowledge about this controversial medication has little basis in fact. Here are 8 common methadone myths exposed and debunked. Read Article
Suboxone & Methadone September 06, 2011 (94)
Cocaine and Suboxone or Methadone Treatment
The Dangers of Cocaine Use while on Suboxone or Methadone © Paris
Here are 4 excellent reasons to avoid cocaine use while on Suboxone/methadone: cocaine reduces the effectiveness of Suboxone or methadone (which means more opiate withdrawals), increased risk of overdose, poly-drug addiction and resumption of a drug seeking lifestyle. Read Article
Suboxone & Methadone January 06, 2014 (20)

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.

Find Treatment
Browse by region »
Scan to call us
using your phone camera app