Discreetly Test for Hepatitis C

Risk Factors for Hepatitis C

You are at a greater risk of having the hepatitis C virus (HCV) if you:

• Use or have used intravenous drugs
• Received a blood transfusion or organ donation before 1992, or clotting factor replacement therapy before 1987 (clotting factor replacement is used to treat hemophilia)
• Are on dialysis for kidney failure
• Are HIV positive
• Have a mother with hepatitis C
• Have undergone body modification (like tattooing) without the use of sterile instruments
• Were born between 1945 and 1965

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone born between 1945 and 1965 take a hepatitis C antibody test at least once.

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus that is spread when blood from an infected individual enters the body of someone who is not infected.

How does hepatitis C spread?

The most common way to contract Hepatitis C is through needles (sharing needles for drug use or healthcare workers that have accidental sticks with Hepatitis C contaminated needles from infected patients). Pregnant women infected with Hepatitis C can spread the virus to their children during pregnancy. Less common ways to spread Hepatitis C include sexual contact, sharing personal care items like razors, and getting body modification procedures, such as tattoos and piercings, in non-sterile environments.

This hepatitis C screening test checks whether you test positive for hepatitis C.

In the event that your test results are positive, an associate from our physician network will contact you directly to discuss your particular case as well as provide information on how to take the next steps to get treatment. We take customer privacy very seriously and will never share your information with a third-party with the exception of our partner labs and physician network.

As is the case with all STD testing - whether through EverlyWell or your doctor – we may be required by law to report positive test results to certain state health departments. This is only done to track infection prevalence. In rare cases you may not receive a definitive result because of early infection or inadequate sampling and repeat testing is suggested. Don’t take a chance on your sexual health. Know where you stand with our at-home Hepatitis C test.

Hepatitis C Symptoms

A hepatitis C virus infection often occurs without any immediate symptoms. In some cases, though, an infection can lead to nausea, pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, dark urine, and jaundice (a yellow discoloration affecting the skin and whites of the eyes).

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) can also trigger inflammation in the liver. Over time, this inflammation can contribute to severe liver damage—and result in chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and liver failure.

In fact, long-term—or chronic—HCV infections are the main cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer in the United States. (A chronic HCV infection refers to an infection lasting more than 6 months.) The damage hepatitis C causes the liver can be life-threatening, and it’s estimated that there are now more HCV-related deaths in the United States vs. deaths resulting from HIV.

Hepatitis C Diagnosis

Because HCV infections often come without symptoms, hepatitis C blood tests—which check for antibodies against HCV—are typically used to diagnose infections. Blood testing for hepatitis C can now be done from the convenience and privacy of your home with the EverlyWell Hepatitis C Test.

If you test positive on an antibody-based test, confirmatory testing—or confirming a positive test result with another method—is usually the next step. Confirmatory testing is done with an HCV RNA test. This type of test checks your body for genetic material—or “RNA”—that belongs to the hepatitis C virus.

If you test positive on both types of tests, it is recommended that you seek immediate medical treatment for both the infection and any liver damage that may have occurred.

Hepatitis C Treatment

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), taken orally, are the main form of treatment for active HCV infections. Treating an HCV infection as soon as possible is vital for your liver’s health, and research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the risk of liver-related deaths from hepatitis C is reduced by 90% if the infection is eliminated.

• Hepatitis C Overview
• Hepatitis C FAQs
• Bloodborne Infectious Diseases