What happens if you test positive for Hep C?

► If you have a reactive antibody test and a positive NAT for HCV RNA, you will need to talk to a doctor about treatment. Treatments are available that can cure most people with hepatitis C in 8 to 12 weeks.

Should I be worried if I have hep C?

Chronic hepatitis C can be a lifelong infection if left untreated. Chronic hepatitis C can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, and even death.

Can you live a normal life with Hep C?

About hepatitis C

However, with modern treatments it's easily possible to cure the infection and most people with it will have a normal life expectancy. It's estimated that around 215,000 people in the UK have hepatitis C.

Is Hep C considered an STD?

Sexual Transmission and Hepatitis C

Although not common, hepatitis C can be transmitted through sexual activity. Having a sexually transmitted infection, having sex with multiple partners, and engaging in anal sex appear to increase a person's risk for hepatitis C.

Can you test positive for Hep C and not have it?

If you test positive for hepatitis C antibodies, this means you have been infected with hepatitis C at some point in your life. You may have acute or chronic hepatitis C. You may not have hepatitis C at all. You can still test positive for hepatitis C antibodies, but not have an active case of hepatitis C.

What Should be Done if the Hepatitis C Antibody Test is Positive?

How long can you have hep C before knowing?

People who have been very recently infected with HCV might not yet have developed antibody levels high enough to be detected by the anti-HCV test. The window period for acute HCV infection before the detection of antibodies averages 8 to 11 weeks, with a reported range of 2 weeks to 6 months.

What to do after Hep C exposure?

Can you get hep C from giving oral?

Can you pass hepatitis C through other types of sexual contact, such as oral and anal sex? Hepatitis C for Patients. There is no proof that anyone has ever spread the virus through oral sex, although it may be possible. Anal sex may damage the lining of the rectum and make it easier to pass the virus through the blood.

What is the main cause of Hep C?

Hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). You can catch hepatitis C if the blood of someone who has HCV enters your body. Exposure may occur: After a needle stick or sharps injury.

Can Hep C be cured?

Hepatitis C infection is treated with antiviral medications intended to clear the virus from your body. The goal of treatment is to have no hepatitis C virus detected in your body at least 12 weeks after you complete treatment.

How do you feel when you have hep C?

Acute hepatitis C usually goes undiagnosed because it rarely causes symptoms. When signs and symptoms are present, they may include jaundice, along with fatigue, nausea, fever and muscle aches. Acute symptoms appear one to three months after exposure to the virus and last two weeks to three months.

What are the early warning signs of Hep C?

Can a woman get hep C from a man?

Hepatitis C is transmitted primarily by exposure to blood containing the hepatitis C virus. Current research suggests that if you're in a long-term, monogamous relationship with a partner who has hepatitis C, your risk of contracting hepatitis C is quite low — unless you also have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

What are the warning signs of hepatitis?

Symptoms of chronic viral hepatitis can take decades to develop. Symptoms of hepatitis can include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice.

Can you get hep C from stress?

Stress doesn't cause the disease, of course -- an infection with the hepatitis C virus does that. And the disease doesn't mean you're more likely to feel stress than someone without it, says Paul J. Rosch, a clinical professor of medicine and psychology at the New York Medical College.

What is the easiest way to get hep C?

Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood from an infected person. Today, most people become infected with the hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs.

Can you get hep C through a small cut?

Hepatitis C is spread by direct contact with hepatitis C-infected blood. For example, if infected blood came into contact with an open sore or a cut in your hands, you may become infected.

What should you avoid if you have Hep C?

Because of this, people with chronic hepatitis C should reduce the amount of iron-rich foods in their diets. These include red meats, liver, oysters, lentils, apricots and iron-fortified cereals. However, iron is an essential part of your diet so do not cut it out entirely.

Can you live with Hep C without treatment?

Some people with Hep C recover without treatment. Most people who get chronic (long-term) Hep C have some liver damage and carry the virus for the rest of their lives. Certain people may develop cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure, or liver cancer over a period of many years.

Can you kiss someone with hep?

How is it spread? Hepatitis B is not spread through sneezing, coughing, hugging, or breastfeeding. Although the virus can be found in saliva, it is not believed to be spread through kissing or sharing utensils.

What can cause a Hep C false positive?

Causes of a false-positive hepatitis C test

You may receive a false-positive result if your antibodies are triggered by another infection. People who've recovered from hepatitis C on their own may also get a false-positive anti-HCV test result. In rare cases, lab error leads to a false positive.

Can you be around someone with hep C?

The hepatitis C infection can only occur if the blood of an infected person is able to enter another person's body. It is the blood that is infectious, not the person. The virus cannot be transmitted by touching, kissing, hugging or by sharing cutlery.

Can hepatitis spread through kissing?

Hepatitis B isn't spread through saliva (spit), so you CAN'T get hepatitis B from sharing food or drinks or using the same fork or spoon. Hepatitis B is also not spread through kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or breastfeeding.

What are red flags of Hep C?

Some people experience abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, dark urine, or jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes).

What are the 4 stages of Hep C?

stage 1: mild fibrosis without walls of scarring. stage 2: mild to moderate fibrosis with walls of scarring. stage 3: bridging fibrosis or scarring that has spread to different parts of the liver but no cirrhosis. stage 4: severe scarring, or cirrhosis.