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Heterosexual activity as a risk factor for the transmission of hepatitis C virus
Author(s) -
Utsumi Takeshi,
Hashimoto Etsuo,
Okumura Yusuke,
Takayanagi Makiko,
Nishikawa Hiroaki,
Kigawa Mika,
Kumakura Nobuhiro,
Toyokawa Hiroyuki
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890460207
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatitis c virus , odds ratio , sexual transmission , risk factor , transmission (telecommunications) , hepatitis c , univariate analysis , logistic regression , intravenous drug , immunology , virology , volunteer , sexual partner , virus , viral disease , multivariate analysis , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , biology , gonorrhea , agronomy , microbicide , electrical engineering , engineering
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), the major causative agent of non‐A, non‐B hepatitis, is transmitted by parenteral exposure. Transmission by sexual activity, however, is controversial. Possible behavioral risk factors for HCV infection were studied retrospectively among imprisoned men (n = 201, mean age: 45 years [S.D. 13]) who visited a health service center at a Japanese correctional facility for medical examination. Seropositivity of anti‐HCV antibody was disproportionately high (49.8%) in comparison with volunteer blood donors. Among possible risk factors significant on univariate analysis, intravenous drug abuse and Tama‐Ire, a Japanese custom of sexual behavior that suggests frequent, aggressive or promiscuous heterosexual activity, proved to be independent risk factors for HCV infection (odds ratio = 7.39, 95% CI = 3.41 ‐ 16.05, P < 0.0001; odds ratio = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.16 ‐ 8.64, P = 0.026, respectively) as shown by logistic regression analysis. The data suggest that HCV may be transmitted by sexual activity. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.