Most injection drug users, including those who succeed in kicking the habit, are left with a worrisome legacy: infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). But for a variety of reasons, some former addicts who develop HCV-related liver disease -- notably those receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) -- are confronted with barriers to getting much-needed treatment for their illness, barriers that sometimes force them to choose between dying of liver disease and risking relapse and a return to abusing drugs.

The problem is not a trivial one. More than any other group of individuals in the United States, injection drug users are likely to acquire the infection. According to the National Center for Infectious Diseases, half or more of all HCV infections are associated with illegal drug use and injection drug users typically become infected with stunning swiftness.

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