HEPATITIS C SCREENING AND GENDER DISPARITIES IN POSITIVITY RATES IN ARGENTINA

Introduction and Objectives

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health issue in Argentina. Despite effective antiviral therapies, many cases remain undiagnosed. Gender-based differences in healthcare access may influence screening practices and positivity rates.

To estimate overall HCV seropositivity, assess differences in testing and positivity rates by gender, and evaluate the association between HCV infection and mortality.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 108,276 anti-HCV tests performed on 74,503 adults between 2015–2023. Samples were collected from 64 low- and intermediate-complexity public health centers and one tertiary hospital. Variables included age, sex, testing site, and HCV result. We used t-tests and chi-square tests for group comparisons. Mortality was compared with a matched HCV-negative control group.

Results

Of the 74,503 individuals tested, 1,101 (1.48%) were HCV-positive. Women comprised 80% of those tested but had a positivity rate of only 0.76% (451/59,602), while men (20% of the tested population) had a positivity rate of 4.29% (639/14,901), representing 58% of all positive cases. Positivity was higher in the tertiary hospital (5.1%) than in peripheral centers (0.5%). At the time of analysis, 25% of HCV-positive individuals were deceased. Mortality risk was significantly higher in HCV-positive patients versus matched controls (OR: 4.9, 95% CI: 3.7–6.4; p<0.001).

Conclusions

Men are less frequently tested but show a markedly higher HCV positivity rate. These findings highlight gender gaps in detection and support implementing targeted screening and linkage-to-care strategies to improve outcomes in underdiagnosed populations.

Conflict of interest: None