Sexual, vertical and household transmission of hepatitis C

Hepatitis C infection is one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease. This increasingly recognized infection often presents in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic individuals who are otherwise functional. Although sexual, vertical (mother to infant) and household routes of transmission are of perhaps minor concern in an epidemiologic sense, these potential problems are of considerable concern to most patients. Appropriate counseling in this setting depends on fully informing these patients of the low but possible risk of transmission through these routes. In this article, we have reviewed the current literature regarding these sources of hepatitis C infection.