The prevalence of HCV infection among adolescents and young adults attending HIV/sexual health clinics in Bangkok was 2.7%, with drug use being the most significantly associated factor and PLHIV showing a trend toward higher prevalence.
Key Findings
Results
The overall prevalence of HCV infection among adolescents and young adults (AYA) attending HIV/sexual health clinics in Bangkok was 2.7%.
Prevalence was defined by anti-HCV antibody positivity using rapid diagnostic tests (SD BIOSENSOR, Korea)
95% confidence interval was 1.2–5.2%
300 AYAs were enrolled from March to August 2023
This prevalence is higher than the general Thai adult population prevalence of 0.5%–1.0%
Participants had a median age of 21 years (interquartile range 20–23)
Results
HCV infection prevalence was higher among people living with HIV (PLHIV) compared to AYA without HIV.
Prevalence among PLHIV was 5.6%
Prevalence among AYA without HIV was 1.4%
The difference trended toward but did not reach statistical significance (p-value 0.053)
One-third of enrolled participants (29.7%) were PLHIV
The authors described this as 'a trend of higher prevalence' among PLHIV
Results
People who used drugs had a significantly higher odds of HCV infection compared to non-drug users.
Adjusted odds ratio for drug use was 15.3 (95% CI 2.9–82.0, p-value 0.001)
Drug use was identified as the factor 'most significantly associated with HCV infection'
This association was identified through multivariate logistic regression
History of drug use was described as associated with 'the highest HCV infection prevalence'
Methods
The study enrolled 300 AYAs aged 15–24 years attending HIV/sexual health clinics in Bangkok, Thailand.
Study design was cross-sectional
Enrollment took place from March to August 2023
Median age was 21 years (IQR 20–23)
29.7% (approximately 89 participants) were people living with HIV
Clinics were HIV and sexual health clinics in Bangkok
Conclusions
The authors recommend HCV screening in HIV/sexual health clinics for early detection, treatment, and transmission reduction.
Recommendation is based on the finding of elevated HCV prevalence in this clinic-attending population
The stated goals of screening are 'early detection, treatment, and transmission reduction'
The recommendation targets AYA populations specifically attending HIV/sexual health clinic settings
What This Means
This research suggests that young people aged 15–24 who visit HIV and sexual health clinics in Bangkok, Thailand have a notably higher rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (2.7%) compared to the general Thai adult population (0.5%–1.0%). The study enrolled 300 young people between March and August 2023 and tested them for HCV using rapid antibody tests. About one-third of participants were living with HIV, and those individuals appeared to have an even higher HCV infection rate (5.6%) compared to those without HIV (1.4%), though this difference just missed conventional statistical significance.
The strongest risk factor identified was drug use — young people who reported using drugs were about 15 times more likely to have HCV infection than those who did not. This finding aligns with what is known about HCV transmission through shared drug equipment. The study did not find statistically significant associations beyond drug use in the multivariate analysis, though HIV status showed a notable trend.
This research suggests that routine HCV testing should be offered at HIV and sexual health clinics serving young people, since these settings reach a population at elevated risk. Early identification of HCV infection is important because effective treatments exist that can cure the infection and prevent its spread to others. The findings highlight the need to integrate HCV screening into existing HIV and sexual health services targeting adolescents and young adults.
Pansue K, Promsena P, Songtaweesin W, Moonwong J, Ryan J, Kawichai S, et al.. (2025). High prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among adolescents and young adults attending HIV and sexual health clinics.. International journal of STD & AIDS. https://doi.org/10.1177/09564624241302231