[Female tuberculosis morbidity and mortality in the Sverdlovsk Region]

In 2000 to 2006, the female proportion increased in the structure of tuberculosis morbidity from 21.4 to 30.1% and in that tuberculosis mortality from 13.1 to 21.4% in the Sverdlovsk Region. Female tuberculosis morbidity increased mainly at the age of 25-34 years (by 50.9%) and 35-44 years (by 66.0%) and tuberculosis mortality by 2.7 times and 42.1%, respectively. The increase was due to the proportion of socially poor unemployed women. Pregnancy and lactation worsened the course of tuberculosis resulting in death in 1.3% of young women. Of the greatest importance was a patient's poor social status: only 6% of the women with tuberculosis leading to death were employed; 2.8% were dying. A portion of those who died from tuberculosis were drug addicts (5.4%) and HIV infected (12.3%).