STUDIES ON SEXUAL TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS

Objective: To identify the possibility of the sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus(HCV). Methods: The samples of seminal fluid and of vagina secretion from patients with HCV infections were detected for HCV RNA by nested polymerase chain rection (NT?PCR) and their spouse were detected for anti?HCV by means of ELISA. healthy individuals together with their spouses were designed as acontraol. Results: ①33 samples of seminal fluid from patients with HCV infections, 6 (18 18%) were HCV RNA positives; 25 samples of vagina secretion from patients with HCV infection 9 ones(36 0%) were HCV RNA positives; ②anti?HCV was found in 1 spouse(16 6%) among 6, butin 6 ones HCV RNA positives were found from their samples of seminal fluid. Anti?HCV was found in 7 spouses(77 78%) among 9 ones, butin 9 ones HCV RNA positives were found from their samples of vagina secretion; ③4 (5 5%) out of 72 samples of secretion from patients with sexually transmitted diseases were HCV RNA positives. (4)No one had the markers of HCV in the control group. Conclusions: ①The study indicates that the possibility of the sexual trasmission of hepatitis C virus may occur, and that HCV RNA were found in seminal fluid and vagina secretion from patients with HCV infection; ②The possibility of HCV sexual transimission by women patients with HCV infections is more than man patients with HCV infections; ③The higher prevalence of HCV among sexually promiscuous groups was found.