title: Hepatitis C virus among self declared non-injecting sexual partners of injecting drug users.
abstract: While much is known about hepatitis C virus (HCV) among injecting drug users (IDUs), there is scant information about the risk of HCV infection to non-injecting sexual partners of injecting drug users; it is possible that such individuals may have a greater risk of acquiring HCV than any other group barring injecting drug users. This study examines the prevalence of HCV among a population of non-injecting sexual partners of injecting drug users. Unlinked anonymous testing for anti-HCV of residual sera stored following the named HIV testing of specimens originally from persons who had indicated to their attending clinicians that they were non-injecting sexual partners of injecting drug users. The prevalence of anti-HCV among the sexual partners was 4.1% (25/611) overall, 6.4% (13/202) among heterosexual male and 3.0% (12/397) among the heterosexual female partners. None of the homosexual/bisexual partners were HCV antibody positive (0/12). Although we cannot be sure how non-injecting partners of injecting drug users acquire their HCV infection, having a relationship with someone who injects drugs may place an individual at appreciable risk of being infected; such individuals should consider being tested for HCV.
authors.affiliation: Blood-borne Virus Section, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, Glasgow, United Kingdom. Kirsty.Roy@scieh.csa.scot.nhs.uk
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D035041:Anonymous Testing; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies