- With Mayo Clinic internist
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
James Steckelberg, M.D.
Dr. James Steckelberg is chairman of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Mayo Clinic, a consultant and a professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School.
A native of Fremont, Neb., Dr. Steckelberg was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine as a resident in internal medicine and a fellow in infectious diseases, and is board certified in both. He is the former director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Steckelberg belongs to numerous professional organizations. He is a founding member of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society of America and a fellow with the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He has served on many Mayo Clinic committees and is a member of the Department of Medicine Leadership Committee and the executive committee of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He also served on the editorial boards of "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" and "Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy" and has been an editorial reviewer for more than a dozen publications.
Dr. Steckelberg's research interests include experimental models of infection, epidemiology of infection, and antimicrobial resistance and therapy of bacterial infections.
Complications (1)
- Hepatitis C: What happens in end-stage liver disease?
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Question
Hepatitis C: How common is sexual transmission?
How common is sexual transmission of hepatitis C?
Answer
from James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
Hepatitis C is transmitted primarily by exposure to blood containing the hepatitis C virus. Transmission rarely occurs from exposure to other infected body fluids, such as semen.
If you're in a long-term, monogamous relationship with a partner who has hepatitis C, your risk of sexual transmission is low — 0 percent to 0.6 percent a year. For monogamous couples, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn't recommend routine condom use to prevent transmission. But couples should avoid sharing razors, toothbrushes and nail clippers.
The risk of transmission is slightly higher — about 1 percent a year — if you have multiple short-term sexual relationships with partners who have hepatitis C. This risk increases if a partner is also infected with HIV. Under these circumstances, the CDC recommends routine condom use to reduce your risk of transmission.
If you're concerned about hepatitis C, talk to your doctor. Hepatitis C can be diagnosed by a blood test. Treatment may include medications to help clear the virus from the bloodstream.
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