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Presence and Predictors of Hepatitis C Virus RNA in the Semen of Homeless Men

School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, Room 2-250, Factor Building, Box 951702, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1702; phone: (310) 825-8405; fax: (310) 206-7433anyamath{at}sonnet.ucla.edu

Wendie A. Robbins, PhD, RN

University of California, Los Angeles.

John L. Fahey, MD, MS

Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Immunology and Diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dorothy Wiley, PhD, RN

University of California, Los Angeles.

Vyacheslav A. Pekler, BS

Douglas Longshore, PhD

RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California.

Terry A. Robins, PhD

Specialty Labs, Santa Monica, California.

Jan Singh, MD

John Wesley Community Health Medical Clinic, Los Angeles, California.

Sammy Saab, MD

Division of Digestive Diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Although the possibility of sexual transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains controversial, little is known of the associations of positive semen specimens with potential demographic and behavioral risk factors. Knowledge of these predictors may suggest factors that increase risk of HCV RNA in the semen. Semen and blood from 80 HCV-infected homeless men were evaluated for the presence ofHCVRNA by means of branch DNA and transcription-mediated amplification analyses. Associations of selected demographic and behavioral characteristics of the participants with presence or absence of HCV in their semen were also assessed. HCV RNA was detected in the semen of 36% of the sample. Associations were found with HCV RNA in semen and older age, higher viral loads of HCV in blood, current alcohol and lifetime methamphetamine use, and having been vaccinated for the hepatitis B virus. Findings suggest that sexual transmission of HCV is plausible and shed light on the need to conduct more in-depth investigations.

Key Words: hepatitis C • homeless men • semen

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