Hepatitis B in homosexual men: prevalence of infection and factors related to transmission.
Of 3,816 homosexual men examined in five sexually transmitted disease clinics in the United States, 6.1% had hepatitis B surface antigen, 52.4% had antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, and 3.0% of the men who had no other indicator of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) had antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. The rate of seropositivity for HBV indicated by the presence of one or more of these serologic markers was 61.5%; seropositivity was significantly related to the duration of regular homosexual activity and to the number of nonsteady male sexual contacts in the four months before the patients were interviewed. Anal-genital intercourse, oral-anal intercourse, and rectal douching were significantly related to evidence of HBV infection, but oral-oral contact and oral-genital contact were not. Trauma to the rectal mucosa is a feature common to the practices that were significantly related to seropositivity for HBV.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009092:Mucous Membrane; D012007:Rectum / Q000293:injuries; D012306:Risk; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000009:adverse effects; D014481:United States
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens