Prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection at an urban Veterans Administration Medical Center

This study was designed to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors fo r hepatitis C virus (HCV)) infection in veterans. Anti-HCV testing was perf ormed in 1,032 patients and a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic char acteristics and potential risk factors was administered. Adjusted prevalenc e of unique HCV-positive patients using outpatient services was 17.7% (95% confidence interval [CII 17.2%, 18.2%). The following risk factors were ass ociated with HCV infection: a history of injection drug use (IDU), receipt of blood transfusion prior to 1992, history of tattoo (odds ratio [OR], 2.9 3; 95% CI, 1.70-5.08), combat job as a medical worker (OR, 2.68 95% CI, 1.2 5-5.60), history of incarceration over 48 hours (OR, 2.56 95% CI, 1.52-4.32 ), greater than 15 lifetime sexual partners (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 0.94-2.76) a nd sexual relations with a prostitute (OR, 0.46 95% Cl, 0.25-0.82). We conc luded that HCV is common in veterans. Risk factors independently associated with infection arc IDU, prior transfusion, prior tattoo, combat medical wo rk, incarceration, and multiple opposite sex partners. Infection with HCV a mong veterans is strongly associated with traditional risk factors for infe ction and less strongly associated with combat-related risk.