The BBV (Blood Borne Virus) teams aim to provide a high quality, flexible and evidence-based service to meet the needs of individuals at risk of and infected with blood borne viruses in Edinburgh and Lothian.

What are BBV’s?

The three major blood-borne viruses, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV), are members of different virus families but have one thing in common. Their major mode of transmission is via blood or bodily fluids. In practice the most common ways of passing on these viruses are through sharing injecting equipment and unprotected sexual intercourse.

There is evidence that all three infections are under diagnosed (estimated one-third of people with HIV and 1/2 of people with HCV are unaware of their infection) and that this is increasing both illness and death rates in these patients. Late diagnosis can result in a poorer outcome for people with any of the BBVs. Testing for BBV’s is simple and can be done with a dried blood spot test or a venous sample. Successful treatment exists for all these infections.

People can often live for many years without experiencing any symptoms, therefore not knowing they are infected. Unfortunately this can mean that by the time the virus is diagnosed, the impact on an individual’s health are far more serious.

The risk of transmission will depend on a number of factors for example:
• whether or not the person is receiving treatment eg. for HIV
• route of transmission
• infectiousness of the virus

Treatment for BBV’s

Hepatitis C Treatment – Treatment is daily tablets for 8 to 12 weeks and usually cures the virus. This treatment doesn’t make you immune to hepatitis C and you should take steps to reduce your risk of becoming infected again. See hepatitis C button above.

If the infection is diagnosed early (acute hepatitis), you may not need treatment straight away. Instead, you may have another blood test after a few months to see if your body fights off the virus itself.

If the infection continues for several months (chronic hepatitis), treatment will usually be recommended.

Hepatitis B Treatment – Treatment for hepatitis B depends on how long you’ve been infected for. There are updated guidelines that the team follow to give you the best treatment suited for your individual needs.

HIV Treatment – Antiretroviral medicines are used to treat HIV. They work by stopping the virus multiplying in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself and prevent further damage.

The medication comes in tablet form and must be taken every day, and most people with HIV take a combination of medicines.

The goal of HIV treatment is to have an undetectable viral load. This means the level of HIV virus in your body is low enough to not be detected by a test.

People who take HIV treatment and whose virus level is undetectable can’t pass HIV on to others. Although there is no cure for HIV yet, people living with HIV who take their treatment should have a normal lifespan and good health.

Without treatment, people with HIV will eventually become unwell. HIV can be fatal if it’s not detected and treated in time to allow the immune system to repair. It’s extremely important to test for HIV if you think you’ve been exposed.

BBV Outreach Clinics
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Spittal Street Centre, Edinburgh 12.30-4pm  (weekly)	No11, Dalkeith  Tuesday 10-4pm  (weekly)	Esk Centre, Musselburgh 9-4.30pm (weekly)	Turning Point, Leith, Edinburgh  9-4pm (fortnightly)
	Spittal Street Centre, Edinburgh  12.30-4pm  (weekly)	CGL, Bathgate, West Lothian  9-11.45am (fortnightly)	Leith Treatment Centre, Edinburgh  10-3.30pm (fortnightly)
		Howden Health Centre, Livingston, West Lothian 1-4pm (fortnightly)	Craigroyston  Health Centre, Edinburgh   1-3.30pm  (fortnightly)
		Strathbrock Partnership Centre, Broxburn 12.30-4pm (fortnightly) starting August
		Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre, Edinburgh 9.30-3.30pm (weekly)

Dried Blood Spot Testing

Dried Blood Spot (DBS) testing is a simple, minimally invasive way to screen for infections like Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and HIV using just a finger-prick sample.

How the test works;

• A small pinprick is made on the finger (like a glucose test).
• Drops of blood are placed onto a special DBS card (filter paper).
• The card dries and is sent to a lab for analysis.

Test for all three BBVs at the same time

People testing positive for one blood borne virus have an elevated risk of being co-infected with other BBVs because of the common routes of transmission. Testing for a single virus may lead to missed diagnoses and false reassurance for people who believe they are being tested for all. It is therefore advisable to test for all major 3 BBVs at the same time.

Advantages of BBV Testing

• A known infected person can receive treatment and care.
• Early diagnosis and treatment is associated with better outcomes.
• People receiving treatment are more likely to remain well and live longer than those not in treatment.
• Known HIV positive or Hepatitis B infected pregnant women can be given treatment and interventions that greatly reduce the risk of vertical transmission (mother to child).
• Testing can encourage patients to change behaviours which put them at risk of infection or further illness such as not drinking alcohol with HCV or using condoms for penetrative sex.
• Testing can allay anxiety even if the result is positive.
• Diagnosed people are more likely to take action that will reduce the risk of them infecting others such as practicing safer sex and using safer injection techniques.
• A diagnosed person can inform their sexual partners and other at-risk contacts so they may seek BBV testing as well.

If you or someone you know would like more information about BBV’s or Dried Blood Spot testing, contact the team today.

Self-Testing sample kits

If you feel that you may have been at risk, you can request a self-testing kit  via the ‘order DBS self-test kit’ button or using the QR code below.