title: HIV/HCV Coinfection in Taiwan.
abstract: Both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are important global public health problems with shared transmission routes. Although HIV/HCV coinfection is not uncommon, the prevalence rates vary significantly across different studies and regions. In Taiwan, injection drug users have become the major contributors to the HIV/AIDS epidemic since 2005. Because the prevalence of HCV infection is high in injection drug users, this HIV epidemic is also associated with a significant increase of HIV/HCV coinfection in Taiwan. To control Taiwan's HIV epidemic, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched a harm-reduction program in 2006. The HIV epidemic, the percentage attributed to injection drug users, and the prevalence of HIV/HCV coinfection gradually declined thereafter. In this article, we aimed to thoroughly examine the current literatures of HIV/HCV coinfection in Taiwan and hope to provide a better understanding of the needs for the management of this coinfection. We conducted a narrative review and searched for literature from PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library database untill August 2015. Studies relevant to the epidemiology and associated risk factors of HIV/HCV coinfection in Taiwan were examined and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine and School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine; Department of Medical Research; Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jia-Horng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D060085:Coinfection; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents