Risk-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening in pregnancy is less reliable than universal screening, a recent study found. The retrospective secondary data analysis used electronic medical records (EMR) of pregnant women presenting for antenatal care from January 1 to December 31, 2016. Among women tested for HCV, additional information was gathered on their HCV status, whether they were diagnosed during their pregnancy, and whether they previously had a diagnosed HCV infection. Associations between HCV testing and risk factors were then calculated. Medical records from 1,426 pregnancies were reviewed. Researchers found:

• On average, women had 6.6 prenatal visits.
• Of the 1,426 pregnancies, 7.0% were tested for HCV and 5% had risk factors for HCV.
• However, among women with known HCV risk factors, nearly two-thirds were not screened for HCV.
• 10% of HCV-positive pregnancies occurred in women with no reported risk factor.