Diagnosing Hepatitis C

If you think there is a chance that you have been exposed to hepatitis C, or you are worried that you may have contracted it, taking a free test can help to put your worries at ease, and allow you to start treatment if you need it.

It’s important to get tested for hepatitis C because some people do not notice symptoms so you could feel healthy whilst living with the virus.

The only way to know if you have hepatitis C is to have a very simple test.

Testing for hepatitis C usually consists of 2 tests. These are

Hepatitis C antibody test; and the
Hepatitis C RNA/PCR test.

The results for these tests usually take 2 weeks to come back.

These 2 tests can often be done with the same sample of blood, this is most commonly a finger prick test, where a small amount of blood is dropped onto a card or into a small tube. These are not like the normal blood tests you would have where blood is taken from a vein, they are much easier to do.

Acute Phase

During the acute phase, approximately 25% of people clear the virus within 6 months. This means that their immune system fights the virus and gets rid of the infection.

Chronic Phase

If you have hepatitis C after 6 months this is called chronic hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis C needs to be treated to prevent damage to the liver and to prevent the virus from being passed on to others.

Hepatitis C antibody test

The hepatitis C antibody test is used to find out if you have ever been exposed to hepatitis C by testing for the presence of antibodies to the virus. It can take 3-6 months for antibodies to hepatitis C to be picked up by a test following infection.

If you think you have been exposed to the virus recently and your first test is negative, the hepatitis C antibody test should be repeated 3 months after the last possible exposure to make sure the test is accurate during this ‘window period’.

If your test comes back positive this indicates that you have been infected at some point. However, it does not always mean that you are currently infected, as you may have cleared the virus from your body at some point. The only way that you can tell if you are currently infected with hepatitis C, is to have a second blood test, called an RNA test (sometimes referred to as a PCR test).

Hepatitis C RNA test

The hepatitis C RNA test checks whether the virus is currently present in your body. If this test comes back positive it means that your body has not fought off the virus and the infection has become a chronic infections, meaning that you will need treatment to cure the virus.

If the test comes back positive for hepatitis C, you will be referred to a specialist who can help you with further tests to check if your liver has been damaged. These tests could be further blood tests, which are used to measure the enzymes and proteins in your bloodstream that indicate whether your liver is damaged or inflamed.

This is what the different results can mean:

Fibroscan

A fibroscan is a type of ultrasound that can measure the degree of scarring that has occurred in your liver. It is a simple, painless test that uses high frequency sound waves. Your doctor may recommend that you have this test to help understand the condition of your liver. This will help them to plan your treatment. A fibroscan does not have any potential complications or risks and is non-invasive, which means that it does not break the skin or enter your body.

Genotype test

You may need an additional test to find out what type of hepatitis you have, this is known as a Genotype test. It doesn’t matter what genotype you have but it might determine what treatment is best for you. 95% of cases are cured.

What happens if you find out you have the hepatitis C virus?

Find out more