Hepatitis C Virus: No Evidence of Sexual Transmission of HCV Among Monogamous Couples

[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

ITALY:

" Hepatitis C Virus: No Evidence of Sexual Transmission of HCV Among

Monogamous Couples "

Women's Health Weekly (07.22.04)

Carmen Vandelli and colleagues evaluated the risk of sexual

transmission of hepatitis C (HCV) infection among monogamous heterosexual

couples. The long-term prospective study, which provided a follow-up period

of 8,060 person-years, followed 895 monogamous heterosexual partners of HCV

chronically infected individuals.

" Seven hundred and seventy-six (86.7%) spouses were followed for 10

years, corresponding to 7,760 person-years of observation, " the researchers

said. " One hundred and nineteen (13.3%) spouses (69 whose infected partners

cleared the virus following treatment and 50 who ended their relationship or

were lost at follow-up) contributed to an additional 300 person-years, " they

added. All of the study couples denied practicing condom use, anal

intercourse or sex during menstruation, and their average weekly rate of

intercourse was 1.8.

According to the researchers, " Three HCV infections were observed

during follow-up corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.37 per 1,000

person-years. However, the infecting HCV genotype in one spouse (2a) was

different from that of the partner (1b), clearly excluding sexual

transmission. The remaining two couples had concordant genotypes, but

sequence analysis of the NS5b region of the HCV genome, coupled with

phylogenetic analysis showed that the corresponding partners carried

different viral isolates, again excluding the possibility of intraspousal

transmission of HCV. "

Vandelli and colleagues concluded that the collected data indicate an

" extremely low or even null " risk of sexual transmission of HCV within

heterosexual monogamous couples. Therefore, " no general recommendations for

condom use seem required for individuals in monogamous partnerships with HCV

infected partners. "

The full report, " Lack of Evidence of Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis

C Among Monogamous Couples: Results of a 10-Year Prospective Follow-Up

Study, " was published in American Journal of Gastroenterology

(2004;99(5):855-859).

[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

ITALY:

" Hepatitis C Virus: No Evidence of Sexual Transmission of HCV Among

Monogamous Couples "

Women's Health Weekly (07.22.04)

Carmen Vandelli and colleagues evaluated the risk of sexual

transmission of hepatitis C (HCV) infection among monogamous heterosexual

couples. The long-term prospective study, which provided a follow-up period

of 8,060 person-years, followed 895 monogamous heterosexual partners of HCV

chronically infected individuals.

" Seven hundred and seventy-six (86.7%) spouses were followed for 10

years, corresponding to 7,760 person-years of observation, " the researchers

said. " One hundred and nineteen (13.3%) spouses (69 whose infected partners

cleared the virus following treatment and 50 who ended their relationship or

were lost at follow-up) contributed to an additional 300 person-years, " they

added. All of the study couples denied practicing condom use, anal

intercourse or sex during menstruation, and their average weekly rate of

intercourse was 1.8.

According to the researchers, " Three HCV infections were observed

during follow-up corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.37 per 1,000

person-years. However, the infecting HCV genotype in one spouse (2a) was

different from that of the partner (1b), clearly excluding sexual

transmission. The remaining two couples had concordant genotypes, but

sequence analysis of the NS5b region of the HCV genome, coupled with

phylogenetic analysis showed that the corresponding partners carried

different viral isolates, again excluding the possibility of intraspousal

transmission of HCV. "

Vandelli and colleagues concluded that the collected data indicate an

" extremely low or even null " risk of sexual transmission of HCV within

heterosexual monogamous couples. Therefore, " no general recommendations for

condom use seem required for individuals in monogamous partnerships with HCV

infected partners. "

The full report, " Lack of Evidence of Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis

C Among Monogamous Couples: Results of a 10-Year Prospective Follow-Up

Study, " was published in American Journal of Gastroenterology

(2004;99(5):855-859).

[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

ITALY:

" Hepatitis C Virus: No Evidence of Sexual Transmission of HCV Among

Monogamous Couples "

Women's Health Weekly (07.22.04)

Carmen Vandelli and colleagues evaluated the risk of sexual

transmission of hepatitis C (HCV) infection among monogamous heterosexual

couples. The long-term prospective study, which provided a follow-up period

of 8,060 person-years, followed 895 monogamous heterosexual partners of HCV

chronically infected individuals.

" Seven hundred and seventy-six (86.7%) spouses were followed for 10

years, corresponding to 7,760 person-years of observation, " the researchers

said. " One hundred and nineteen (13.3%) spouses (69 whose infected partners

cleared the virus following treatment and 50 who ended their relationship or

were lost at follow-up) contributed to an additional 300 person-years, " they

added. All of the study couples denied practicing condom use, anal

intercourse or sex during menstruation, and their average weekly rate of

intercourse was 1.8.

According to the researchers, " Three HCV infections were observed

during follow-up corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.37 per 1,000

person-years. However, the infecting HCV genotype in one spouse (2a) was

different from that of the partner (1b), clearly excluding sexual

transmission. The remaining two couples had concordant genotypes, but

sequence analysis of the NS5b region of the HCV genome, coupled with

phylogenetic analysis showed that the corresponding partners carried

different viral isolates, again excluding the possibility of intraspousal

transmission of HCV. "

Vandelli and colleagues concluded that the collected data indicate an

" extremely low or even null " risk of sexual transmission of HCV within

heterosexual monogamous couples. Therefore, " no general recommendations for

condom use seem required for individuals in monogamous partnerships with HCV

infected partners. "

The full report, " Lack of Evidence of Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis

C Among Monogamous Couples: Results of a 10-Year Prospective Follow-Up

Study, " was published in American Journal of Gastroenterology

(2004;99(5):855-859).

[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

ITALY:

" Hepatitis C Virus: No Evidence of Sexual Transmission of HCV Among

Monogamous Couples "

Women's Health Weekly (07.22.04)

Carmen Vandelli and colleagues evaluated the risk of sexual

transmission of hepatitis C (HCV) infection among monogamous heterosexual

couples. The long-term prospective study, which provided a follow-up period

of 8,060 person-years, followed 895 monogamous heterosexual partners of HCV

chronically infected individuals.

" Seven hundred and seventy-six (86.7%) spouses were followed for 10

years, corresponding to 7,760 person-years of observation, " the researchers

said. " One hundred and nineteen (13.3%) spouses (69 whose infected partners

cleared the virus following treatment and 50 who ended their relationship or

were lost at follow-up) contributed to an additional 300 person-years, " they

added. All of the study couples denied practicing condom use, anal

intercourse or sex during menstruation, and their average weekly rate of

intercourse was 1.8.

According to the researchers, " Three HCV infections were observed

during follow-up corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.37 per 1,000

person-years. However, the infecting HCV genotype in one spouse (2a) was

different from that of the partner (1b), clearly excluding sexual

transmission. The remaining two couples had concordant genotypes, but

sequence analysis of the NS5b region of the HCV genome, coupled with

phylogenetic analysis showed that the corresponding partners carried

different viral isolates, again excluding the possibility of intraspousal

transmission of HCV. "

Vandelli and colleagues concluded that the collected data indicate an

" extremely low or even null " risk of sexual transmission of HCV within

heterosexual monogamous couples. Therefore, " no general recommendations for

condom use seem required for individuals in monogamous partnerships with HCV

infected partners. "

The full report, " Lack of Evidence of Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis

C Among Monogamous Couples: Results of a 10-Year Prospective Follow-Up

Study, " was published in American Journal of Gastroenterology

(2004;99(5):855-859).