Universal Screening of Pregnant Women for Hepatitis C: The Time Is Now

Overview

Journal Clin Infect Dis

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2018 Sep 15

PMID 30215670

Citations 26

Authors

Ravi Jhaveri

Tina Broder

Debika Bhattacharya

Marion G Peters

Arthur Y Kim

Maureen M Jonas

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has changed significantly over the last decade. Once most prevalent among older adults, the current burden has disproportionately affected young adults including women of childbearing age (WOCA). The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recently issued guidelines that made no change in the recommendation to screen pregnant women based on risk factors. The current burden in young adults including WOCA supports a change in strategy away from risk-based screening to universal HCV screening in pregnancy. Universal screening offers several advantages that position us for a future where HCV treatment in pregnancy can happen and offers us progress toward the elimination of HCV.

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