Management of HIV/HCV Coinfection: An Update

according to dr. ray chung, hepatitis c virus (hcv) and hiv coinfection is a tale of two viruses that can viewed through two different prisms. To hepatologists, including Dr. Chung, the scope of the problem is typically viewed through the hcv prism, in which hiv infection is a reality for roughly one-tenth of all hcv cases in the United States. For clinicians involved in primary care, the view through the hiv prism casts a more startling picture. Among all hiv-positive individuals in this country, hcv coinfection can be documented in approximately onethird of them. “No matter which prism you’re looking through, we’re talking about 300,000 people coinfected with hiv and hcv in the United States,” Dr. Chung said. “Indeed, this is a substantial problem and we are all aware that hcv is a growing source of morbidity and mortality among those who are also infected with hiv.”