title: Low incidence and prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among sexually active non-intravenous drug-using adults, San Francisco, 1997-2000.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rate of sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is debated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal was to measure the risk of sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a sexually active population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sexual behaviors and HCV antibody status were measured in persons seeking repeat HIV testing in San Francisco from October 1997 through March 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 981 repeat testers, the prevalence of HCV antibody was 2.5%. Among men who have sex with men who denied intravenous drug use (n=746), factors associated with HCV antibody positivity include age greater than 50 years (odds ratio [OR], 8.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6-27.7), HIV infection (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 1.6-20.6), and being nonwhite (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.1-10.0). HCV antibody positivity was not associated with sexual risk behaviors. In 576.6 person-years of observation, no new HCV seroconversions occurred (incidence=0 per 100 person-year; 95% CI, 0-.6), whereas 6 new herpes simplex virus-2 infections (2.8 per 100 person-years) and 10 new HIV infections (1.8 per 100 person-years) occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of new HCV infections in this sample supports the hypothesis that the risk of sexual transmission of HCV is low.
authors.affiliation: San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California. ghammer@epi-center.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Gwendolyn P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kellogg
authors.forename: Willi C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Louie
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dilley
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Page-Shafer
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Klausner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D035041:Anonymous Testing; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies