Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus among Patients Attending Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinics in Baltimore--An Analysis of 309 Sex Partnerships

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Abstract
The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), the behavioral and laboratory derived risk factors for anti-HCY, and the quantity and homology of HCY RNA were assessed among 1039 non-injection drug-using sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients representing 309 sex partnerships. Thirty-seven (7%) of 555 males and 19 (4%) of 484 females had anti-HCY. In logistic regression analyses, factors associated with anti-HCY included age (P < .001), greater numbers of lifetime sex partners (PP = .023), human immunodeficiency virus infection (P < .001), Trichomonas infection (P < .001), cigarette smoking (P < .001), and male homosexual exposure (P = .012). Among couples, females whose sex partners were anti-HCY positive were 3.7 times more likely to have anti-HCY than females whose sex partners were anti-HCY negative (P = .039). The proportion of RNA homology between anti-HCY positive females and their male partners (94%) was higher than among randomly selected patients (82%). Sexual transmission of HCY may contribute to the high prevalence of anti-HCY reported in urban settings.

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