Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38902028›Full record

ArticleSexually transmitted infections2024

Annual hepatitis C testing and positive tests among gay and bisexual men in Australia from 2016 to 2022: a serial cross-sectional analysis of sentinel surveillance data.

Brendan L Harney, Rachel Sacks-Davis, Michael Traeger, Daniela K van Santen, Anna L Wilkinson, Jason Asselin, Christopher K Fairley, Norm Roth, Mark Bloch, Gail Matthews and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Brendan L HarneyBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia brendan.harney@burnet.edu.au.ORCID 0009-0002-4925-4725
Rachel Sacks-DavisBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Michael TraegerBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Daniela K van SantenBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Anna L WilkinsonBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jason AsselinBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Christopher K FairleyCentral Cllinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9081-1664
Norm RothPrahran Market Clinic, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Mark BlochHoldsworth House Medical Clinic, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Gail MatthewsThe Kirby Institute, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
Basil DonovanThe Kirby Institute, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
Rebecca GuyThe Kirby Institute, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
Margaret E HellardBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Joseph S DoyleBurnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveGuidelines recommend annual hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing for gay and bisexual men (GBM) with HIV and GBM prescribed HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, there is a limited understanding of HCV testing among GBM. We aimed to examine trends in HCV testing and positivity from 2016 to 2022.

methodsUsing sentinel surveillance data, we examined the proportion of GBM with at least one test and the proportion with a positive test in each year for HCV antibody testing among GBM with no previous HCV positive test, HCV RNA testing among GBM with a positive antibody test but no previous positive RNA test (naïve RNA testing), and HCV RNA testing among people who had a previous RNA positive test and a subsequent negative test (RNA follow-up testing). Trends were examined using logistic regression from 2016 to 2019 and 2020 to 2022.

resultsAmong GBM with HIV, from 2016 to 2019 antibody testing was stable averaging 55% tested annually. Declines were observed for both naïve HCV RNA testing (75.4%-41.4%: p<0.001) and follow-up HCV RNA testing (70.1%-44.5%: p<0.001). Test positivity declined for HCV antibody tests (2.0%-1.3%: p=0.001), HCV RNA naïve tests (75.4%-41.4%: p<0.001) and HCV RNA follow-up tests (11.3%-3.3%: p=0.001). There were minimal or no significant trends from 2020 to 2022.Among GBM prescribed PrEP, antibody testing declined from 2016 to 2019 (79.4%-69.4%: p<0.001) and was stable from 2020 to 2022. Naïve and follow-up HCV RNA testing was stable with an average of 55% and 60% tested each year, respectively. From 2016-2019, the proportion positive from HCV RNA naïve tests declined (44.1%-27.5%: p<0.046) with no significant change thereafter. Positive follow-up HCV RNA tests fluctuated with no or one new positive test among this group in most years.

conclusionThe proportion of GBM with positive HCV tests has declined, however a substantial proportion are not tested annually. A renewed focus on HCV testing, and treatment where required, is warranted to achieve HCV elimination among GBM in Australia.

Indexed as

Hepatitis CHIV InfectionsHomosexuality, MaleSentinel SurveillanceAdultAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesHepacivirusHepatitis C AntibodiesHumansMaleMass ScreeningMiddle AgedPre-Exposure ProphylaxisRNA, ViralSexual and Gender MinoritiesHepatitis C AntibodiesRNA, ViralHEPATITIS CHIVPopulation SurveillancePre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Identifiers

PMID38902028
PMCPMC11287637

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.