Impact of Direct Acting Antiviral Agents on Psychiatric and Sexual Health of Patients with Hepatitis C Virus

Objectives: Data about the psychosocial side effects of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) used for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is scarce. In this study, it is aimed to assess the psychiatric and sexual effects of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (L/S) combination and paritaprevir-ritonavir-ombitasvir-dasabuvir (PROD) combination in patients with HCV infection. Materials and Methods: The sample of this retrospective study consisted of patients who were diagnosed with HCV infection and received PROD or L/S treatment. The patients were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale and Arizona Sexual Experiences (ASEX) scale at baseline and first-, third- and sixth-month visits. Besides these, demographic data and data about the liver disease were collected. Results: During the studied period, 42 patients were started DAA treatment. The average age of the sample was 56.64 +/- 12.04 years. Thirty-five (83.3%) patients achieved sustained viral response. Data of the patients who filled HAD or ASEX at baseline and at least in one of the following visits within six months were used. Anxiety, depression and sexual measures did not differ between baseline and following assessments. Conclusion: L/S and PROD do not seem to have a significant effect on anxiety and depression levels and sexual experiences of the patients while they made an improvement in viral load.