Objectives: From 2006 through 2012, the number of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections increased 364% among persons aged ≤30, including reproductive-aged women, in Central Appalachian states. Outreach to reproductive-aged women with newly diagnosed HCV infection affords a unique opportunity to provide counseling, further testing, and linkage to treatment. We modeled a centrally located statewide effort to reach this population and their health care providers to ascertain pregnancy status, HCV risk factors, and opportunities for linkage to additional services.
Methods: Using the Tennessee Department of Health's surveillance database, we identified women aged 18-45 residing in Tennessee with newly reported chronic HCV infection from May through October 2017. We contacted health care providers and patients to request information on pregnancy status and HCV risk factors as well as to provide linkage to treatment services.
Results: Of 1548 women included in this study, health care provider or patient contact information was available for 1316 (85.0%) women. Of the 1316 women, 806 (61.2%) women had a health care provider or patient response, of whom 242 (30.0%) were pregnant. Of 296 patients contacted, 194 (65.5%) reported intranasal drug use, 193 (65.2%) reported having been incarcerated for more than 24 hours, and 180 (60.8%) reported injection drug use. Ninety-eight (33.1%) patients were referred for confirmatory testing, and 174 (58.8%) were referred to treatment.
Conclusion: A high proportion of reproductive-aged women with newly diagnosed HCV infection were pregnant. Surveillance-informed outreach to this population was feasible and provided opportunities for counseling and linkage to confirmatory testing and treatment. Future studies should evaluate whether a similar model would enhance testing and linkage to care of HCV-exposed infants.
Keywords: hepatitis C; pregnancy; reproductive-aged women; risk factors; surveillance.