High frequency of HIV-1 and hepatitis C co-infection among young Thai men: Evidence for a changing pattern of HIV transmission in Thailand

To assess whether patterns of HIV transmission have changed in Thailand, we tested for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a marker for parenterally acquired infection among HIV- infected and uninfected young Thai men. Antibody to HCV was present in 49.5% of HIV-infected men and 2.2% among uninfected men. These data suggest that a significant number of HIV infections among young men in Thailand may be associated with injection drug use.