Hepatitis C and HIV

Having both HIV and hepatitis C is referred to as co-infection. Higher levels of HCV are found more frequently in the semen of men who are co-infected with HIV than in men who are only infected with hepatitis C. Studies have failed to find any evidence of sexual transmission of hepatitis C in gay men not infected with HIV. The investigators also observe that hepatitis C viral load was higher in the blood of co-infected men than in HIV-negative men and they believe that “this may partly explain why the co-infected men had a higher prevalence of hepatitis C in their semen.” The study found that the HCV C virus in semen originated in the blood with no evidence of hepatitis C replication in the genitals.

An outbreak of hepatitis C infection among mainly HIV positive gay men in South East England in recent years is thought to be caused by a variety of factors related to sexual activity and drug use. The first reports of this new sexually transmitted hepatitis C virus epidemic were in 2002 and more than 400 cases have since been diagnosed in mainly HIV positive gay men.

Effects of HIV on Hepatitis C

• While disease progression among those infected with hepatitis C alone is generally quite slow, giving patients time to consider their treatment options, it is more serious for those also infected with HIV because the body’s ability to control hepatitis C may be reduced by HIV infection.
  
• Having HIV as well as hepatitis C may lead to faster progression to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.
  
• Having hepatitis C can mean that HIV treatment may not be as effective as it should be and your treatment options are reduced.
  
• The damage hepatitis C does to the liver can also mean there is a greater risk of side effects from HIV drugs.
  
• It is wise to consider treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis as treating during the acute phase is more likely to be successful in eradicating the virus.
  
• The treatment for hepatitis C is less effective for co-infected patients than for those with hepatitis C alone.
  
• If you remain untreated, you continue to pose a risk of infecting others through sexual contact. (see Risk Factors)
  

As part of our Gay men’s hepatitis C project, The Hepatitis C Trust is running a support group for gay men with hepatitis C, on the THIRD WEDNESDAY of every month, commencing 19 March 2008. The group is run by gay men for gay men in response to increasing demand from those who are: