{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,8]],"date-time":"2025-12-08T22:40:49Z","timestamp":1765233649381,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,25]],"date-time":"2023-11-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1700870400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Gilead sciences","award":["IN-NL-987-4652"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IN-NL-987-4652"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence is high among men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV in the Netherlands. Large reductions in HCV incidence among MSM with HIV, however, have occurred since treatment with direct-acting antivirals. Over the years, a broader understanding of the HCV epidemic has shown that HCV infections are not solely restricted to MSM with HIV, but they also occur among HIV-negative MSM. Currently, HCV testing among HIV-negative MSM is only provided for PrEP users and is not part of routine sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening among HIV-negative MSM who are not using PrEP. In this study, we screened 1885 HIV-negative MSM who did not participate in a PrEP program, with over 1966 STI screening visits at four different public health clinic sites. Among the 1885 MSM, only one person had a new HCV infection, resulting in a 0.05% (95% confidence interval 0.0\u20130.3) incidence. Based on our findings, we can conclude that systematic HCV testing at STI clinics may not yield significant benefits for this particular population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v15122317","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,27]],"date-time":"2023-11-27T03:33:56Z","timestamp":1701056036000},"page":"2317","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Low Hepatitis C Virus Prevalence among Men Who Have Sex with Men Attending Public Health Services in The Netherlands"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8959-4671","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephanie","family":"Popping","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands"},{"name":"Centre for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centres\u2014Location AMC, P.O. Box 22660, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sabine","family":"Haspels","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hannelore M.","family":"Gotz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sexual Health, Public Health Service Rotterdam, 3011 EN Rotterdam, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"W. C. J. P. M.","family":"van der Meijden","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sexual Health, Public Health Service Gelderland-South, 4003 BW Tiel, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mark","family":"van den Elshout","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sexual Health, Public Health Service of the Utrecht Region, 3521 AZ Utrecht, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bart J.","family":"Rijnders","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"354","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1702417","article-title":"Glecaprevir-Pibrentasvir for 8 or 12 Weeks in HCV Genotype 1 or 3 Infection","volume":"378","author":"Zeuzem","year":"2018","journal-title":"N. 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Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e96","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-3018(20)30301-5","article-title":"HCV micro-elimination in individuals with HIV in the Netherlands 4 years after universal access to direct-acting antivirals: A retrospective cohort study","volume":"8","author":"Smit","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet HIV"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209.e1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmi.2015.10.012","article-title":"Acute hepatitis C in the Netherlands: Characteristics of the epidemic in 2014","volume":"22","author":"Hullegie","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e147","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268819000359","article-title":"Chronic hepatitis B and C infections in the Netherlands: Estimated prevalence in risk groups and the general population","volume":"147","author":"Koopsen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1310","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268812001884","article-title":"Hepatitis C virus prevalence in The Netherlands: Migrants account for most infections","volume":"141","author":"Vriend","year":"2013","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0038-1666841","article-title":"The Micro-Elimination Approach to Eliminating Hepatitis C: Strategic and Operational Considerations","volume":"38","author":"Lazarus","year":"2018","journal-title":"Semin. Liver Dis."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2164","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciaa1500","article-title":"Microelimination of Hepatitis C Among People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection: Declining Incidence and Prevalence Accompanying a Multicenter Treatment Scale-up Trial","volume":"73","author":"Doyle","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciaa021","article-title":"Decline in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Incidence in Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Progress to HCV Microelimination in the United Kingdom?","volume":"72","author":"Garvey","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1360","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/cix1007","article-title":"Declining Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Incidence in Dutch Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men After Unrestricted Access to HCV Therapy","volume":"66","author":"Boerekamps","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1883","DOI":"10.1097\/QAD.0000000000003651","article-title":"Reinfection incidence and risk among people treated for recent hepatitis C virus infection","volume":"37","author":"Martinello","year":"2023","journal-title":"AIDS"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1603","DOI":"10.1097\/QAD.0000000000001522","article-title":"MSM starting preexposure prophylaxis are at risk of hepatitis C virus infection","volume":"31","author":"Hoornenborg","year":"2017","journal-title":"AIDS"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Popping, S., Cuypers, L., Claassen, M.A.A., van den Berk, G.E., De Weggheleire, A., Arends, J.E., Boerekamps, A., Molenkamp, R., Koopmans, M.P.G., and Verbon, A. (2022). Persistent Transmission of HCV among Men Who Have Sex with Men despite Widespread Screening and Treatment with Direct-Acting Antivirals. 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AIDS Soc."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1016\/S2055-6640(20)30031-5","article-title":"Targeted HCV core antigen monitoring among HIV-positive men who have sex with men is cost-saving","volume":"5","author":"Popping","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Virus Erad."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e372","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-3018(22)00128-X","article-title":"Engaging with HCV reinfection to advance microelimination","volume":"9","author":"Garvey","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet HIV"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1056","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciaa1830","article-title":"Hepatitis C Virus Transmission Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Amsterdam: External Introductions May Complicate Microelimination Efforts","volume":"72","author":"Koopsen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e215","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciaa145","article-title":"Transmission of NS5A-Inhibitor Resistance-Associated Substitutions Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Recently Infected with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1a","volume":"71","author":"Popping","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e622","DOI":"10.1016\/S2666-5247(23)00108-8","article-title":"Hepatitis C virus transmission between eight high-income countries among men who have sex with men: A whole-genome analysis","volume":"4","author":"Koopsen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet Microbe"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e701","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-2667(23)00149-4","article-title":"Hepatitis B and C in Europe: An update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019","volume":"8","author":"Cortesi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet Public Health"}],"container-title":["Viruses"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-4915\/15\/12\/2317\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T21:30:22Z","timestamp":1760131822000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-4915\/15\/12\/2317"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,25]]},"references-count":24,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12]]}},"alternative-id":["v15122317"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/v15122317","relation":{},"ISSN":["1999-4915"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1999-4915"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,25]]}}}