Since 2000 outbreaks of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) among HIV-positive men who have
sex with men (MSM) who denied injecting drug use have been reported from Europe, the
United States, Canada and Australia. Given the burden of liver disease, in particular HCV,
on the morbidity and mortality in HIV patients in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy,
the rapid and significant rise in the incidence of HCV in the HIV-infected MSM population in
high-income countries is alarming. This relates to a significant change in the epidemiology …

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually transmitted via the parenteral route, but there
are widely discrepant findings on its possible sexual transmission. Thus there are no
recommendations concerning protected sex for couples in which only one partner is HCV‐
infected. Whether HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases could favour HCV transmission
remains unclear, but recent data suggesting an increasing incidence of acute HCV in HIV‐
infected men underline the major public health implications of this issue. Case reports …