Private Hepatitis C Testing Near You

What hepatitis C is

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver and, unlike hepatitis A or B, usually stays. More than half of people who catch it develop a chronic infection that can sit in the liver for decades without symptoms while it slowly causes scarring, liver failure or liver cancer. The CDC estimates that a couple of million Americans are living with hepatitis C and that about four in ten do not know it.

It spreads mainly through blood: shared needles or other injection equipment, and less often through sex – the risk is low for most couples but real, and higher for men who have sex with men, people living with HIV, and anyone whose sex involves blood contact. Early infection usually causes no symptoms at all.

Why it is worth finding

This is the STD test with the best possible ending: hepatitis C is now cured in more than nine out of ten people with a course of pills taken for eight to twelve weeks, with few side effects. Finding it is the whole point. The CDC recommends that every adult be tested for hepatitis C at least once in their life, that every pregnant woman be tested during each pregnancy, and that people at ongoing risk test regularly.

How the test works

This is a blood test for hepatitis C antibodies, the standard screening test. It is a quick blood draw – no swab, no exam – and you are done in about five minutes at the lab. A negative result means no evidence of infection; a positive antibody result means you have been infected at some point and needs a second test, for the virus’s RNA, to tell whether the infection is still present, because some people clear the virus on their own and keep the antibody for life. The physician arranges that follow-up. If your exposure was recent, ask about the RNA test first: it can find infection within a couple of weeks, long before antibodies appear.

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, antibodies to hepatitis C take longer to appear than for most infections, so timing matters: it is on our When to Get Tested page, or call (866) 872-1888, tell a care advisor what happened and when, and they will tell you which day to go in and whether to repeat the test later.

After a positive result

A positive antibody result is the start of a short process, not a verdict. A member of our care team calls you, explains the result, and arranges a consultation with a physician who orders the RNA test to confirm whether the virus is still present. If it is, you are referred to a specialist for treatment: a course of antiviral pills, usually eight to twelve weeks, that cures the infection in the great majority of people. If you have yellowing skin or eyes, severe abdominal pain or confusion, get prompt medical care rather than waiting.

Until treatment is complete, do not share razors, toothbrushes or needles, and talk to the physician about what to tell partners; the risk through sex is low for most people but the conversation is worth having.

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.