What is hepatitis C?
Tests for hep C
Hep C symptoms
Hepatitis C (also called hep C) is inflammation of the liver caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus.
There are two different blood tests used to see if you have hep C.
When you first got hep C there were probably no signs of illness.
The hepatitis C virus was identified and named in 1989. Before then, it was called “non-A, non-B hepatitis”, or “transfusion hepatitis”. Many thousands of Australians have hep C.
If you have had hep C for several years, you might have some of the symptoms below:
Ab
ANTIBODY
Hepatitis C is a liver infection that can be treated and cured easily.
THE ANTIBODY TEST IS A SCREENING TEST WHICH SHOWS IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO HEP C AT SOME TIME IN YOUR LIFE.
poor appetite flu like symptoms mood swings not thinking clearly
a dry mouth feeling tired muscle ache generally unwell
or you may have no symptoms at all. ANTIBODY NEGATIVE MEANS YOU HAVE NEVER HAD HEP C
NO MORE TESTS NEEDED
PCR
ANTIBODY POSITIVE MEANS YOU HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HEP C AT SOME TIME IN YOUR LIFE
YOU NEED TO GET A PCR TEST TO FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE HEP C NOW
THE PCR TEST (ALSO CALLED HCV RNA TEST) SHOWS IF THE VIRUS IS IN YOUR BLOOD OR NOT. ONLY THE PCR TEST CAN TELL YOU IF YOU HAVE HEP C NOW, OR HAVE NATURALLY CLEARED IT, OR YOU HAVE BEEN TREATED AND CURED.
Hep C can lead to very serious liver disease if left untreated. The good news is that hep C can be cured very easily. Talk to your doctor about cures for hep C.
How do you get hep C? You get hep C from blood-to-blood contact. The blood from someone with hep C has to get into your blood. Most people got hep C by sharing injecting equipment. Other ways of getting hep C are: backyard and prison tattooing or piercing
PCR NEGATIVE MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE HEP C NOW
PCR POSITIVE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE HEP C
from mother to baby, if the mum had hep C when she was pregnant unsterile vaccinations, operations or dental work overseas blood transfusions in Australia, before 1990.
NO MORE TESTS NEEDED
GET TREATED SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR, NURSE OR CLINIC ABOUT STARTING TREATMENT AND CURE
Hep C is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI). However, men who have sex with men who have hep C, are at risk of getting hep C.