Hepatitis C Virus Testing During Pregnancy After Universal Screening Recommendations Comment

The study evaluates the effect of the 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening among pregnant persons nationally and by health insurance type. The study included 5,048,428 pregnant persons aged 15-44 years with either Medicaid or commercial health insurance who had obstetric panel testing performed by Quest Diagnostics, January 2011-June 2021. Antibody screening for HCV infection increased before and accelerated after the updated recommendations in early 2020. Disparities in HCV testing by health insurance status were substantial over the entire study period. Despite substantial progress in the proportion of pregnant persons screened for HCV infection, current testing rates fall short of universal recommendations.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the impact of the 2020 CDC and USPSTF recommendations on HCV screening among pregnant individuals in the US. The findings showed an increase in HCV antibody screening, but disparities in testing rates based on health insurance status remained significant. Although progress has been made, current testing rates fall short of universal recommendations.