Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus among patients attending sexually transmitted diseases clinics in Baltimore--an analysis of 309 sex partnerships.
The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), the behavioral and laboratory-derived risk factors for anti-HCV, and the quantity and homology of HCV RNA were assessed among 1039 non-injection drug-using sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients representing 309 sex partnerships. Thirty-seven (7%) of 555 males and 19 (4%) of 484 females had anti-HCV. In logistic regression analyses, factors associated with anti-HCV included age (P < .001), greater numbers of lifetime sex partners (P = .023), human immunodeficiency virus infection (P < .001), Trichomonas infection (P < .001), cigarette smoking (P < .001), and male homosexual exposure (P = .012). Among couples, females whose sex partners were anti-HCV positive were 3.7 times more likely to have anti-HCV than females whose sex partners were anti-HCV negative (P = .039). The proportion of RNA homology between anti-HCV positive females and their male partners (94%) was higher than among randomly selected patients (82%). Sexual transmission of HCV may contribute to the high prevalence of anti-HCV reported in urban settings.
Thomas
D L
DL
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Zenilman
J M
JM
Alter
H J
HJ
Shih
J W
JW
Galai
N
N
Carella
A V
AV
Quinn
T C
TC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015229:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral / Q000635:transmission*
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral