This article will go over the symptoms of hepatitis C in women who are biologically female.
For some people, however, the infection can persist and becomechronic, causing progressive injury to the liver.
For many, the disease will only become apparent in the advanced stages of infection.
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The symptoms of hepatitis C are the same for women and men.
Where the disease differs is in the rates of infection and disease progression in women versus men.
Death rates are not only lower in women with chronic hepatitis C but are significantly so.
It is believed that 20% of all hepatitis C infections clear spontaneously without treatment.
The rates of clearance, however, differ dramatically between sexes.
Without the means to replicate aggressively, the virus is more likely to be eradicated by the immune system.
Men generally have estrogen levels of 1050 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).
Most studies have shown that heavy alcohol use is linked to the rapid development of cirrhosis of the liver.
Research has shown a direct correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed daily and thedegree of liver fibrosis.
In women, however, it takes far less alcohol to render the same harm.
This suggests that heavy alcohol use in women with chronic HCV may undercut the protective benefits of estrogen.
By contrast, these rates are closer to 11% and 1%, respectively, for women.
Death is a common consequence.
Moreover, older recipients tend to get organs from older donors, another risk factor for organ rejection.
Studies suggest that around 5% of adults with hepatitis C in the United States are coinfected with HIV.
Among injecting drug users, coinfection rates hover closer to 90%.
If positive,HIV therapycan be started to completely suppress the virus.
A decrease in HIV activity is typically associated with a drop in the HCV viral load.
It’s also contraindicated if a person has HIV.
Studies have shown that HCV-associated fibrosis can lead to the failure ofhormonal birth control.
Most studies suggest that the risk of birth control failure is low.
More importantly, work with yourhepatologist or gastroenterologistto monitor the status of your liver until HCV treatment is approved.
It can occur all over your body and might be itchy.
Any form of hepatitis and its treatments may affect menstruation.
Some people with hepatitis may have shorter or lighter periods, and others might stop getting their period.
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