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https://hdl.handle.net/2440/4224
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Type: | Journal article |
Title: | Prevalence of hepatitis C infection in pregnant women in South Australia |
Author: | Gaughwin, M. Dodding, J. Willson, K. Garner, J. |
Citation: | Medical Journal of Australia, 1997; 167(9):470-472 |
Publisher: | Australasian Medical Pub. Co. |
Issue Date: | 1997 |
ISSN: | 0025-729X 1326-5377 |
Abstract: | OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositivity and known risk factors for HCV infection in a group of pregnant women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Lyell McEwin Health Service, Elizabeth, South Australia (a general public hospital with an annual average of about 2000 deliveries). SUBJECTS: 1537 consecutive women who delivered at the Lyell McEwin Health Service from February 1995 to December 1995. OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of HCV antibodies; and associations between HCV-antibody status and known risk factors. RESULTS: 17 women (1.1%) were HCV-seropositive. Risk factors significantly more prevalent among HCV-seropositive patients were: a history of injecting drug use, a past or present sexual partner who had injected drugs, having a tattoo and having been incarcerated. The proportions who had received a blood transfusion, had acquired a sexually transmitted disease or were positive for hepatitis B virus surface antigen were not significantly different between seropositive and seronegative women. Multivariate analysis showed that only injecting drug use remained a strong independent predictor of HCV-seropositivity (odds ratio [OR], 50.1; P < 0.001), while having a tattoo approached significance (OR, 3.5; P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: As only 1.1% of this sample of women were HCV-seropositive, screening of all pregnant women does not seem warranted. Testing on the basis of a history of risk factors, such as injecting drug use and having a tattoo, would detect undiagnosed HCV infections more efficiently. |
Keywords: | Humans Pregnancy Complications, Infectious Hepatitis C Hepatitis C Antibodies Prevalence Multivariate Analysis Risk Factors Cross-Sectional Studies Seroepidemiologic Studies Pregnancy Adult Hospitals, General Hospitals, Public South Australia Female Surveys and Questionnaires |
DOI: | 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1997.tb126673.x |
Published version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1997.tb126673.x |
Appears in Collections: | Aurora harvest 6 Public Health publications |
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