title: Hepatitis C virus infection in young, low-income women: the role of sexually transmitted infection as a potential cofactor for HCV infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in women residing in low-income neighborhoods of northern California.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based sample of 1707 women, aged 18 to 29, were surveyed and screened for sexually transmitted infections and HCV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women infected with HCV (2.5%) were more likely to have a history of injection and noninjection drug use, to exchange sex for money or drugs, and to have sexually transmitted infections. HCV was independently associated with history of injection drug use, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, and heroin and cocaine use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Injection drug use is the highest risk exposure for HCV, but HSV-2 and noninjection drug use contribute significantly to increased risk. HCV prevention programs in impoverished areas should integrate drug treatment and sexually transmitted infection control.
authors.affiliation: Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 74 New Montgomery Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. kshafer@psg.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Page-Shafer
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cahoon-Young
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Klausner
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molitor
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Willi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McFarland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D016387:Women's Health