CONTAGION LIVE – Over nearly two decades, a study conducted in New York City has revealed high rates of Hepatitis C virus reinfection among men who have sex with men and have HIV.
Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, research by Daniel S Fierer, MD, Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai underscores that sexual transmission of Hepatitis C is far from uncommon or inefficient in this population.
Despite the availability of direct-acting antiviral treatments, the study found these alone are insufficient to eliminate Hepatitis C among [New York homosexuals].
Between 2000 and 2018, a cohort of 304 MSM with HIV, who had previously cleared Hepatitis C, experienced 42 reinfections across 898 person-years, resulting in an incidence rate of 4.7 per 100 person-years.
Analysis of 1245 post-clearance visits revealed that only rectal receipt of semen was significantly associated with reinfection.
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“In 2022, approximately 242,000 people died from hepatitis C.” – WORLD HEALTH ORG. estimate
In his exclusive interview with Contagion Fierer explains, “The population we studied differs significantly from the general MSM with HIV population in terms of Hepatitis C prevalence within their sexual networks.”
This suggests certain sexual networks within NYC may harbor much higher rates of Hepatitis C than previously understood.
According to Fierer, “Condom use, the most effective currently available intervention to prevent semen ejaculation into the rectum, has not been successful as an Hepatitis C prevention strategy. Our results therefore suggest the need for novel interventions to prevent sexual transmission of HCV among MSM.”
[This is of course not true; a zipper kept in its upright and locked position is far more effective. – HEADLINE HEALTH]
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