Prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among pregnant Brazilian women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and the risk factors associated with HCV infection among women at childbirth, and to assess potential for infectivity of anti-HCV-positive women.


METHODS
A total of 6995 women were interviewed and screened for HCV antibodies. Association and logistic regression analyses were conducted.


RESULTS
The anti-HCV prevalence was 1.5% by EIA-3 and 0.8% by RIBA-3; HCV-RNA (RT-PCR) was detected in 74% of the RIBA-positive samples. Blood transfusion, race (blacks), alcohol abuse, a history of STD and anti-HBc positivity were independent risk factors for HCV positivity. Except for parenteral exposure, independent predictors of anti-HCV were a history of STD, anti-HBc positivity, a sex partner with multiple sex partners and a sex partner with a history of hepatitis.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of anti-HCV is higher in pregnant women than in blood donors. Sexual exposure may facilitate the spread of HCV and there is a high potential for mother-to-infant transmission.
Lima
M P
MP
Division of Infectious Diseases, Catholic University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. patell@correionet.com.br
Pedro
R J
RJ
Rocha
M D
MD
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors
D012367:RNA, Viral