High prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among adolescents and young adults attending HIV and sexual health clinics

Background The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among Thai adults is 0.5%–1.0%. This study aims to determine the prevalence of HCV infection among adolescents and young adults (AYA) accessing HIV/sexual health clinics. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among AYA aged 15–24 years attending HIV/sexual health clinics in Bangkok, Thailand. The HCV infection prevalence, defined by anti-HCV antibody positivity using rapid diagnostic tests (SD BIOSENSOR, Korea), were reported with proportions and a 95% confidence interval (CI). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with HCV infection. Results From March to August 2023, 300 AYAs with a median age of 21 (interquartile range 20–23) years were enrolled into the study. One-third (29.7%) were people living with HIV (PLHIV). The overall prevalence of HCV infection was 2.7% (95%CI 1.2–5.2). Prevalence was higher among PLHIV (5.6%) compared to AYA without HIV (1.4%) ( p-value 0.053). The factor most significantly associated with HCV infection was people who used drugs (adjusted odds ratio 15.3, 95% CI 2.9–82.0, p-value 0.001). Conclusions History of drug use was associated with the highest HCV infection prevalence. PLHIV had a trend of higher prevalence. HCV screening in HIV/sexual health clinics is recommended for early detection, treatment, and transmission reduction.