Hepatitis C Testing

Should I get tested for Hepatitis C?

• Have you ever injected street drugs?

• Have you ever shared a needle, water for injection, cottons or cookers with someone else?

• Have you ever been stuck by a needle that was used on someone else?

• Have you ever had a tattoo done at home or in jail?

• Have you had a blood transfusion before 1993?

• Have you ever snorted street drugs and shared straws?

• Were you born to a Hepatitis C infected mother?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you should be tested for Hepatitis C.

What are my options for testing?

We use the OraSure finger stick blood test that detects antibodies to the Hepatitis C virus. It can take up to 6 months for antibodies to develop after exposure, so we recommend waiting to get tested. Test results are available in 20 minutes. If the test comes back positive, it is important to get follow up testing in order to determine whether the virus is active in the body and what will be the best approach going forward.