Private Hepatitis A Testing Near You

What hepatitis A is

Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver. It is different from hepatitis B and C in two important ways: it does not become a chronic infection, and it spreads through the stool of an infected person – through contaminated food or water, and through sexual contact that involves the mouth and anus, which is why outbreaks among sexually active adults are common enough that the CDC recommends the vaccine for men who have sex with men and for anyone whose sex involves oral-anal contact.

Symptoms, when they come, arrive two to seven weeks after exposure: tiredness, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, pain under the right ribs, dark urine, pale stools and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Some people, especially children, have none at all. Most adults are ill for a few weeks and then recover completely, but a small number become seriously ill.

Why people test

A test tells you whether the illness you have, or the exposure you are worried about, is hepatitis A, so that you and the people around you can be protected; the people you live with and your recent partners can be given the vaccine or immune globulin, which prevents infection if given within two weeks of exposure. A test can also show whether you are already immune, from a past infection or from the vaccine, which is worth knowing before travel or a new relationship.

How the test works

This is a blood test for the antibodies your body makes against the hepatitis A virus. The IgM antibody appears with a new infection, as symptoms begin; a total antibody result shows you have antibodies from a past infection or from vaccination, but on its own cannot tell a current infection from an old one – the physician reads the two together. It is a quick blood draw – no swab, no exam – and you are done in about five minutes at the lab.

Before you go: No preparation at all: no fasting, nothing to bring. Drink water as usual; it makes the blood draw easier. Every test we offer is FDA-cleared and run in a CLIA-certified laboratory, the same tests a hospital or doctor’s office would order.

When to test

If you have symptoms, test now. If you had an exposure and feel fine, the timing is on our When to Get Tested page, or call (866) 872-1888 and a care advisor will tell you which day to go in. If the exposure was within the last two weeks, ask about the vaccine or immune globulin first – given promptly, either can prevent the infection altogether.

After a positive result

There is no specific drug for hepatitis A; the infection clears on its own with rest, fluids and time, and it does not become chronic. A small number of people have a return of symptoms in the months afterwards, which also resolves. A member of our care team calls you, explains the result, and arranges a consultation with a physician who advises on rest, what to avoid (alcohol and certain medications while the liver recovers), and protecting the people around you. If you have yellowing skin or eyes together with confusion, severe abdominal pain or persistent vomiting, get prompt medical care rather than waiting. If your result shows you are not immune, the physician can tell you whether the vaccine makes sense.

Getting tested privately

We do not bill your insurance. Your testing information is handled confidentially by the physicians and laboratories providing your care. Your lab visit does not announce why you are there: our partner labs collect samples for many different kinds of testing, and to other people in the waiting room you are simply another person having a routine lab visit. The charge on your card shows as RSC Health, and your result goes only to your private online account. Order online, or call (866) 872-1888 and a care advisor will place the order with you and find a lab near you.