Open AccessPrevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C in HIV‐negative homosexual men in Sydney, Australia
Author(s) -
Jin Fengyi,
Prestage Garrett P.,
Kippax Susan C.,
Kaldor John M.,
Dore Greg J.,
Grulich Andrew E.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-842x.2005.tb00246.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatitis c , cohort , sexual transmission , population , demography , cohort study , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , risk factor , transmission (telecommunications) , intravenous drug , viral disease , immunology , environmental health , engineering , microbicide , sociology , electrical engineering
Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C (HCV) in HIV‐negative homosexual men in Sydney. Methods: A cohort study was conducted in a sample of community‐based, HIV‐negative, homosexual men in Sydney. Participants underwent a face‐to‐face interview regarding sexual behaviour, sexually transmissible infections, and injecting drug use (IDU). Results: Eight hundred and twenty‐four men consented to HCV testing, and the prevalence was 0.85% (95% Cl 0.34‐1.74). HCV seropositivity was strongly associated with a history of IDU (OR=60.43, 95% Cl 6.70–544.79). All HCV seropositive individuals reported a history of either IDU or other means by which they may have had parenteral exposure to HCV. There was no evidence of an independent association between sexual behaviour and HCV infection. Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV in this cohort was about the same as in the general population in Australia, and there was no evidence for sexual transmission in this population.