Hepatitis C prevalence among men who have sex with men attending a gay bathhouse

ABSTRACT

Background and AimRelated research has found that men who visit public sex environments such as a gay bathhouse engage in unprotected anal intercourse and tend to have multiple sexual partners during their visit. We aimed to assess the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among men attending a gay bathhouse.MethodsA prospective study of the prevalence of HCV among men attending a gay bathhouse was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 2019 to March 2020. HCV risks and risk perceptions were evaluated using a self‐administered questionnaire. HCV testing with result notification was provided on site.ResultsOf the 40 participants (median age 30 years), one subject (2.5%) was positive for HCV antibody. Bathhouse patrons reported engaging in high‐risk sexual behavior, including sexually transmitted infection history and Chemsex experience. The subject tested positive for HCV antibody reported a frequency of attending gay bathhouse of around 2–4 times monthly and had multiple partners while attending a gay bathhouse. Only 15% of subjects realized that hepatitis C can be transmitted through sexual intercourse.ConclusionOur findings support HCV transmission‐reducing guidelines recommending providing selective HCV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM). Bathhouse patrons reported low literacy levels on HCV transmission. Nevertheless, HCV screening should cover a population exhibiting high‐risk sexual behaviors such as attending a gay bathhouse.