Hepatitis infection poses a global threat to women of reproductive age

The incidence of cirrhosis associated with acute hepatitis C (AHC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has increased significantly globally from 1990 to 2019 in women of reproductive age.

Yanqing Zhou, from the School of Public Health at Nanjing Medical University in China, and colleagues used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study to examine global incidence rates and time trends from 1990 to 2019 for liver cirrhosis associated with acute hepatitis C (AHC) and HCV ( HCV) among women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years).

The researchers found that during the study period, the incidence of cirrhosis associated with acute hepatitis C and HCV increased by 46.45% and 72.74%, respectively.

In areas with a low socio-demographic index, the incidence rates of cirrhosis associated with acute hepatitis C were highest, but showed a decreasing trend, while rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection showed negative trends in areas with a low, medium and high socio-demographic index.

High incidence rates or increasing trends of AHC and HCV-associated liver fibrosis are seen in sub-Saharan Africa, high-income North America, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

“Menstrual effects suggest a resurgence in the risk of HCV and HCV-associated liver fibrosis in recent years, posing further challenges to HCV elimination,” the researchers wrote.