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Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus co-infection is a multi-faceted, chronic condition that significantly impacts public health. According to the World Health Organization , 2 to 15% of those infected with HIV are also affected by HCV, increasing their risk of morbidity and mortality due to accelerated liver disease. The burden of co-infection is especially high in certain high-risk groups, such as intravenous drug users and men who have sex with men. These individuals who are HIV-positive are commonly co-infected with HCV due to shared routes of transmission including, but not limited to, exposure to HIV-positive blood, sexual intercourse, and passage of the Hepatitis C virus from mother to infant during childbirth.
Infection with HCV can be asymptomatic, resolve itself without treatment, or can lead to cirrhosis or cancer.