Hep C Reinfection Observed in HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The incidence rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection was 4.7 per 100 person-years among men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV who cleared HCV, according to a study published online July 18 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Daniel S. Fierer, M.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study involving MSM with HIV who cleared HCV to examine the incidence of and risk factors for HCV reinfection. The risk behaviors for primary HCV were assessed in New York City, including receipt of semen into the rectum and sexualized methamphetamine use, along with route of use.

The researchers found that 42 reinfections occurred over 898 person-years among 304 MSM with HIV who cleared HCV from 2000 through 2018, for an incidence rate of 4.7 per 100 person-years. Assessing 1,245 postclearance visits, there was only an association for receipt of semen into the rectum with reinfection (hazard ratio, 9.7), but no association was seen for methamphetamine use.

“We found the HCV reinfection rate to be an order of magnitude higher than the primary infection rate, similar to the findings from other cohorts in other countries,” the authors write. “Condom use, the most effective currently available intervention to prevent semen ejaculation into the rectum, has not been successful as an HCV prevention strategy. Our results therefore suggest the need for novel interventions to prevent sexual transmission of HCV among MSM.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text