Document 0024
 DOCN  M94A0024
 TI    Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in clients of sexually transmitted
       disease clinics in North Carolina.
 DT    9412
 AU    Fiscus SA; Kelly WF; Battigelli DA; Weber DJ; Schoenbach VJ; Landis SE;
       Wilber JC; Van der Horst CM; Department of Laboratory Medicine,
       University of North Carolina; at Chapel Hill 27599.
 SO    Sex Transm Dis. 1994 May-Jun;21(3):155-60. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94353301
 AB    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The major routes of transmission for
       hepatitis C virus (HCV) appear to be blood transfusion and injecting
       drug use (IDU). There is still some controversy concerning the role of
       sexual transmission in HCV infection. GOAL OF THIS STUDY: To use a well
       characterized, high-risk population of STD clinic patients to
       investigate the role of sexual transmission of HCV and to determine any
       association between HCV, HBV, and HIV. STUDY DESIGN: We tested stored
       sera obtained anonymously from clients attending three STD clinics in
       North Carolina in 1988 for antibodies to HCV and hepatitis B virus
       (HBV). An anonymous, self-administered client questionnaire provided
       patient history and demographic information. RESULTS: The most important
       risk factor for either HCV or HBV seropositivity was IDU. The only risk
       factor associated with HCV seropositivity after the removal of IDUs was
       age older than 30 years. In contrast, risk factors associated with HBV
       seropositivity after the removal of IDUs included male gender, age older
       than 30 years, HIV seropositivity, homosexuality/bisexuality, syphilis
       seropositivity, and a history of syphilis. CONCLUSION: Our study of STD
       clients confirms the important role that IDU plays in infection with
       HCV, but suggests that sexual transmission plays only a minor role in
       HCV epidemiology.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Age Factors  Ambulatory Care Facilities  Female
       Hepatitis Antibodies/*BLOOD  Hepatitis B Antibodies/*BLOOD  Hepatitis
       C/COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY/*TRANSMISSION  Human  HIV
       Seroprevalence  Male  North Carolina/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Risk Factors
       Sexually Transmitted Diseases/BLOOD/COMPLICATIONS/*IMMUNOLOGY  Substance
       Abuse, Intravenous/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  JOURNAL
       ARTICLE

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