Sexual transmission of hepatitis C Transmissão sexual da hepatite C

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Author: Norma de Paula Cavalheiro
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2007
• Subjects: Hepatitis C; Transmission; Sexual; Intrafamilial; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic; Casais
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652007000500001; https://doaj.org/article/2b507f7beb23431c9fb8d96493549405

It is generally agreed that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be efficiently transmitted parenterally, although data on viral transmission by sexual or non-sexual intrafamilial contact are conflicting. Since data collection began in 1989, the first study dealt with the risk of sexual transmission among multiple sex partners. Other investigations followed, emphasizing that risk increases in specific groups such as patients co-infected with HIV and HBV, sex workers, homosexuals, illicit drug users and patients attended at sexually transmittable disease clinics. The question arises as to what might be the risk for monogamous heterosexuals in the general population, in which one of the partners has HCV? The literature provides overall rates that vary from zero to 27%; however, most studies affirm that the chances of sexual transmission are low or almost null, with rates for this mode fluctuating from zero to 3%. Intrafamilial transmission is strongly considered but inconclusive, since when mentioning transmission between sex partners within the same household, specific situations also should be considered, such as the sharing of personal hygiene items, like razorblades, toothbrushes, nail clippers and manicure pliers, which are important risk factors in HCV transmission. In this review, we discuss the hypotheses of sexual and/or intrafamilial transmission. A eficiência da transmissão parenteral da hepatite C é consenso, porém dados na literatura sobre transmissão sexual e intrafamiliar são conflitantes. Data de 1989 o primeiro trabalho que relaciona o risco de transmissão sexual a múltiplos parceiros sexuais, na seqüência, outros estudos também reforçam que os riscos aumentam em populações específicas como co-infectados HIV, HBV, profissionais do sexo, homossexuais, usuários de drogas ilícitas e populações de clínicas de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis. Agora, na população geral qual seria o risco para casais monog��micos heterossexuais onde um dos cônjuges apresenta a infecção pelo HCV? A literatura apresenta ...