Risk Factors for Hepatitis C

You are at a greater risk of having the hepatitis C virus (HCV, also referred to as hep C) if you:

• Are a current or former injection drug user
• 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
• Received a blood transfusion or organ donation before 1992, or clotting factor replacement therapy before 1987 (clotting factor replacement is used to treat hemophilia)
• 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. If you have never done testing for the hepatitis C virus, our at-home hep C test makes it easy to collect a small sample of blood (via a simple finger prick) from the convenience of home and send it to a lab for testing. Our HCV antibody test, sometimes called an anti-HCV test, checks if the infection is present in your body by looking for antibodies released by the immune system in response to the hepatitis C virus.

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. The HCV infection can cause both chronic and acute hepatitis in an individual.

Acute hepatitis describes individuals who have only had the hepatitis C virus infection for 6 months or less, which is considered an acute hepatitis C infection. In chronic hepatitis cases, the infection is long-term. A chronic infection is a significant risk factor for liver disease and liver cancer, and is potentially life-threatening if left untreated.

If you think you may be at risk of viral hepatitis, taking our hep C test kit can help you check if you have this infection. Our HCV test is quick and easy to take (you collect a sample at home and send it to a lab for testing), and you can conveniently view your HCV screening results on our secure, online platform.

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 at the time of birth. Less common ways to spread hepatitis C or HCV transmission include sexual contact, sharing personal care items like razors, and getting body modification procedures, such as tattoos and piercings, in non-sterile environments.

How to test for hep C

If you suspect you may have a hepatitis C infection, taking a hepatitis C test can be a great start in addition to consulting your healthcare provider for next steps. Our at-home hepatitis C test is a convenient way to check for exposure to this virus. To check for hepatitis C with this test, you just collect a small sample of blood with a simple finger prick, then ship the sample to a lab for testing with the prepaid shipping label that comes with the kit.

If your results from our hepatitis C testing indicate that you do have this viral infection, share your results with your healthcare provider right away so you can take the next steps they recommend.

This hepatitis C screening test checks whether you have antibodies against hepatitis C.

In the event that your test results are abnormal, 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 confirmatory testing. We take customer privacy very seriously and will never share your information with a third-party with the exception of the lab we use to test your sample and our physician network.

Will my results be shared with my state health department?

As is the case with all STI testing—whether through Everlywell or your healthcare provider—we may be required by law to report positive test results to certain state health departments. This is completely confidential and is only done to track infection prevalence. In rare cases, you may not receive a definitive result because of short post-exposure time or inadequate sampling, and repeat testing is suggested. 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 symptoms that typically appear 2-12 weeks after exposure. These symptoms can include 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).

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can also trigger inflammation in the liver. Over time, this inflammation can contribute to severe liver damage-and result in chronic liver disease (including cirrhosis—scarring of the liver tissue), 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 as the first step in diagnosing infections. Screening 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 a nucleic acid test that detects HCV RNA. 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 the health of your liver. Not only does treatment reduce long-term complications, but is also highly effective in curing HCV infections (meaning no detectable HCV RNA on a nucleic acid test) and typical regimens only last 8-12 weeks. If you think you may have a hepatitis C infection, HCV testing (such as with our at-home hepatitis C screening option) is a good next step to take.

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