title: Association of hepatitis C virus infection with sexual exposure in southern India.
abstract: To determine the association between sexual exposure and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in urban Chennai, India, a random sample of adults who live in a slum community completed interviews and provided samples to test for HCV, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). All analyses excluded recent and current injection drug users. HCV infection was not associated with the reported number of sex partners for men or women. Women were more likely to be HCV infected if they reported previous genital ulcer disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.88; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.94-16.0; marginally statistically significant). Men were more likely to be HCV infected if they were HSV-2 infected (AOR, 3.85; 95% CI, 1.18-12.6) or reported having had sex with men (AOR, 3.61; 95% CI, 1.00-13.1). Sexual transmission of HCV infection may be facilitated by ulcerative STIs and male-male sexual practices, but it appears to occur infrequently in this population.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. mmarx@health.nyc.gov
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Murugavel
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Tarwater
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: SriKrishnan
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Suniti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Celentano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000150:complications; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications*