Hepatitis C virus infections among people aged 15–44, United States, 2009–2018

OBJECTIVES To estimate the prevalence, characteristics, and gender differences among people aged 15-44 years who are living with current HCV infections in the United States. DESIGN AND SAMPLE We conducted a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis using data from people who participated in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles in 2009-2018. MEASUREMENTS Sociodemographic, social behavior, and clinical factors that had been identified as related to having HCV, barriers to receiving HCV screening, care, or treatment, and health conditions that increase the risks of developing HCV-related complications were studied. A weighted-data analysis approach was used to generate descriptive statistics. RESULTS The estimated, weighted prevalence of current HCV infections was 0.3% (95% CI, 0.2-0.4), representing approximately 363,161 people (95% CI, 301,402-424, 920). Females were more likely than males to have an unknown risk factor and reported worse overall health. Males were more likely to have comorbidities such as obesity or diabetes that put them at risk for developing life-threatening complications. CONCLUSIONS Increased public health attention with gender-specific actions are needed to address the health needs of the thousands of people aged 15-44 years who are living with current HCV infections across the United States.