Seroprevalence of and risk factors for hepatitis A infection among young homosexual and bisexual men.

Abstract

To evaluate hepatitis A infection among young homosexual and bisexual men, 411 men aged 17-22 years were surveyed at 26 public venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. Seroprevalence of hepatitis A infection was 28.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.7%-32.6%). Recent infection was evident in 3.3% of susceptible men (95% CI, 1.6%-5.9%). Independent predictors of hepatitis A infection were Latino ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] = 5.3; 95% CI, 3.1-8.9), having > or = 50 lifetime male sex partners (OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0), less than high school education (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.1), and being a high school graduate (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9). Independent predictors of recent infection were less than high school graduate (OR = 7.6; 95% CI, 1.9-30.5), insertive anal intercourse (OR = 5.6; 95% CI, 1.0-32.8), and sharing needles without cleaning them (OR = 32.1; 95% CI, 3.0-346). Hepatitis A is a common infection in young homosexual men and is associated with sexual and drug-using behaviors.