title: Hepatitis C virus infection in a sexually active inner city population. The potential for heterosexual transmission.
abstract: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and associated risk factors in an inner city sexually active heterosexual population participating in a prospective study for the evaluation of heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) were examined. Individuals with prior history of injection drug use or receipt of blood products were excluded from the study. Of 571 participants, 25 (4.4%) were seropositive for HCV, 39 (7%) for HIV, and 125 (22%) for hepatitis B virus (HBV). Multivariate analysis revealed that those with more than ten heterosexual partners in the past 5 years (OR = 3.7; 95% CI = 1.3, 10.2; P = 0.01), engaging in sexual practices more than once per week (OR = 3.3; 95% CI = 1.1, 10.1; P = 0.04), with antibody to hepatitis B core (HBc) antigen (OR = 2.9; 95% CI = 1.1, 7.4; P = 0.03), and antibody to HIV-1 (OR = 5.8; 95% CI = 1.9; 17.6; P = 0.002) were independently associated with HCV infection. These findings suggest that heterosexual transmission of HCV may occur in an inner city sexually active heterosexual population.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33101.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Daikos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fischl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014505:Urban Population