Table 2.

Primary Themes from Qualitative HCV Interviews

Themes	Summary description
Diagnosis	IV drug users were often not surprised at their diagnosis and sometimes felt they deserved it. Non-IV drug users were surprised by the diagnosis and very worried about the future effects until they became more educated
Contraction of HCV	Beliefs about how they contracted HCV may impact participant mood and contribute to an understanding of coping mechanisms
Information/Education needs	Most participants eventually received appropriate HCV education from trained professionals but some still reported misconceptions and would appear to benefit from additional education
Quality of life (symptoms, functioning, relationships)	Participants had difficulty with social and sometimes occupational functioning, but some received valued support from others for their condition. Fatigue was frequently reported but its link to HCV was unclear. Living with chronic HCV often had a psychological impact
Substance use/Recovery	Having HCV was often tied to drug /alcohol use and getting medical care for HCV and self-managing their HCV was also tied to staying clean & sober/being abstinent
Psychiatric and other medical co-morbidity	Psychological problems were prevalent and were a potential barrier to getting treatment. Most participants had other medical co-morbidity that could influence their course of treatment and could benefit from lifestyle changes via HCV self-management
Interferon treatment	Most participants who had been treated tolerated it well. Some had misconceptions about side effects, efficacy, etc., and most wanted to learn more about getting treated
Self-management	Almost all participants expressed interest in learning more about HCV and learning ways in which they can improve their own health and prevent transmission to others