Seroepidemiology of human herpesvirus 8 among young men who have sex with men

Background: The modes of transmission of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) remain unclear. Goal: To study HHV-8 seroprevalence and risk factors among young men. Study Design: The Young Men's Survey was a multisite cross-sectional HIV seroprevalence and behavioral risk survey of men aged 15 to 22 years who attended public venues frequented by young men who hale sex with men (MSM). Blood specimens were tested for HIV-8 by using an immunofluorescence assay at a 1:40 dilution among 488 participants in Seattle-King County, WA. Results: Total HHV-8 seroprevalence was 6% among MSM and 5% among men who have sex only with women (MSW). In multivariate analysis, unprotected receptive anal sex during the past 6 months, injection drug use, and cytomegalovirus infection were associated with HHV-8 seropositivity in MSM. Conclusion: The HHV-8 seroprevalence among these young MSM was similar to the HHV-8 seroprevalence among young MSW, but lower than seroprevalence estimates in earlier studies of older MSM. The association of MSM between HHV-8 infection and unprotected receptive anal sex supports previous findings that HHV-8 is sexually transmitted. Although CMV infection and injection drug use may be markers for unsafe sexual practices, it is also possible that these are independent risk factors for acquiring HHV-8.