HCV Transmission: Sex, Violence, Alcohol & Drug Use
Principal Investigator : Marcia Russell, Ph.D.

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The Hepatitis C virus is responsible for the largest number of blood-borne infections in the United States, and liver disease mortality caused by Hepatitis C is expected to double or triple during the next decade. Although 60 percent of new Hepatitis C infections are attributed to IV drug use, the probable route of transmission is poorly understood in a substantial number of the remaining cases.

The prevalence of Hepatitis C is higher than expected among heavy drinkers and drug users, even when they do not have a history of IV drug use. We postulate that alcohol and drug use are associated with accidental and intentional injuries that result in bleeding, and that these blushing episodes increase risk of Hepatitis C transmission. We are studying this question among clients of an STD clinic.

Preliminary data indicate that IV drug use accounts for 52 percent of the Hepatitis C cases in this population; taking TWEAK scores into consideration accounts for additional 19 percent of the cases.

Although the magnitude of the association between alcohol abuse and Hepatitis C is smaller than that between HCV and IV drug use, alcohol abuse is far more prevalent in the population than IV drug use.

Also, liver disease associated with Hepatitis C infection progresses significantly faster if a person drinks heavily, greatly increasing the likelihood of cirrhosis or liver cancer.


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