Approximately 17,000 new hepatitis C cases are reported in the U.S. each year. Among them, around 75% of individuals are not aware of their infection. Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused in your body by the hepatitis C virus. If you don’t test and treat it on time, it leads to serious health issues like liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. If you’re looking for hepatitis C testing in Chickasha, OK, visit Equality Health. Here, we provide tests for antibodies and tests for nucleic acid (NAT), starting from pre-test counseling to post-test counseling and support. Contact us today to get hepatitis C testing services or book an appointment. 
Understanding Hep C Testing
Hepatitis C is one of the infectious diseases that leads to liver swelling, called inflammation. If you don’t treat it in time, it leads to serious liver damage. Here’s how hep C transmits from one person to another:
- Shared syringes, needles, or any other tools used to inject drugs
- Use of unsterilized tools for body services like tattooing and body piercing
- Sharing personal care items like nail clippers, scissors, and razors
Hepatitis C has a higher cure percentage when it’s tested and treated early. Visit our clinic today and get tested if you suspect you may have hep C. If you get a positive result, we can start your hepatitis C treatment in Chickasha instantly. Here are some of the benefits of getting a hepatitis C test:
- Protect your loved ones: A hepatitis C test will let you know your status. If you test positive, start your treatment at our clinic to keep others safe.
- Detect hepatitis C even without symptoms: You’ll get only mild symptoms, as this disease is asymptomatic. We’d suggest you do hepatitis C testing if you are involved in activities that raise the risk of hepatitis C.
- Prevents liver cancer: If you don’t treat hepatitis C on time, it can lead to liver cancer. To start your treatment, you should first know your health status through testing.
- Suppress the virus or cure it completely: The earlier you do your test, the better. This way, you’ll be able to cure the disease completely by taking antiviral medications.
- Helps you know your hepatitis C status: You can’t know your hepatitis C status any other way. Therefore, you should do a hepatitis C test to know your status. You can then follow up with preventive measures if you test negative. And if you test positive, you should start your treatment.
Call our team to start your hepatitis C test today in Chickasha, OK.
Our Hepatitis C Testing Services in Chickasha, OK
If you have any symptoms or you’re in doubt, it’s a good decision to test your hepatitis C status. It will help you know whether you’ve been infected or not. If you test positive, you can start early treatment and protect yourself from severe health issues like liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Our clinic tests your hepatitis C status through the following two methods.
1. Antibody Tests
Antibody tests look for antibodies that your immune system builds in response to the hepatitis C virus. It takes 8 to 12 weeks after exposure for the test to be positive. We use two types of antibody tests:
- Enzyme immunoassay (EIA): This test helps us determine whether your blood sample contains a particular protein (antigen or antibody) or not.
- OraQuick HCV: It is a rapid test that helps find antibodies in your blood.
2. Nucleic Acid Tests (NAT)
This test detects the hepatitis C virus’s genetic material, RNA. It is a highly sensitive method of testing the blood in your body. NAT can identify the viral replication that’s in progress. It identifies the current active status of the virus and determines the amount of it circulating in your body. NAT includes the following tests.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR): This test detects your viral RNA and measures the viral load.
- Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA): It detects your viral RNA or viral load.
Procedure and Preparation for Hepatitis C Testing
If you’re getting tested for hepatitis C for the first time, you might be nervous. But you don’t need to feel uneasy. To make the procedure easier for you, our healthcare professionals have split the testing process into the following five steps.
Step 1: Pre-Test Counseling and Informed Consent
We provide pre-test counseling, where you receive detailed guidance about the test. Then we inform you about the hepatitis C mode of transmission, like sharing needles or other equipment with an infected person. Our healthcare professionals always respect your privacy. Therefore, we maintain the confidentiality of your test result and hand it over to you with the utmost care and sensitivity.
Step 2: Sample Collection Techniques
Our medical professionals draw blood to test your hepatitis C status. We take your blood sample by using a finger prick or by drawing blood from the veins of your arms. It’s as simple as drawing blood from a needle, and it won’t hurt much.
Step 3: Laboratory Testing Procedures
We take your blood sample to the lab to examine. Then, we screen the hepatitis C virus in your blood sample by checking an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). If your test has an ab score of 0.1, it means you tested negative. If the score is more than 0.1, it means you are infected with hepatitis C. If you have had hepatitis C before, you may have a positive result. You will need a blood test to determine whether you currently have it or have had it in the past and still have antibodies.
Step 4: Turnaround Time to Receive Test Results
You’ll get your antibody test results in 20 minutes (rapid test) to a couple of days (EIA and PCR). If you want confirmatory NAT test results, it can take up to a week or longer.
Step 5: Post-Test Counseling and Support
Following your hepatitis C result, we provide:
- Post-test counseling and support
- Conclusion of your test result
- Guidance for potential next steps
If you get negative results, we’ll suggest some preventive measures to follow. However, if you test positive, we’ll explain our hepatitis C treatment in detail. Remember that it’s always better to start your treatment sooner.
When Is Hepatitis C Testing Necessary?
We’d suggest you test for hepatitis C if you fall under the following:
- If you’ve used shared needles or other drug injection equipment
- Babies born to HCV-infected patients or through vertical transmission
- You had sex with an HCV-positive person in the past or present
- Shared personal hygiene items like razors or toothbrushes with hepatitis C patients
Although it’s not that common, hepatitis C can also be transmitted while having sexual intercourse. If you feel uneasy or get any symptoms of hepatitis C after having sex, get a test as quickly as possible. If you live in Chickasha, OK, and want to get started with hepatitis C testing, reach out to us today.
Cost of Hepatitis C Testing in Chickasha, OK
We understand concerns about pricing, so our clinic provides hepatitis C testing in Chickasha, OK, at an affordable price. We bill everything to the insurance company for insured patients. Even if you’re not covered through insurance yet, you have nothing to worry about. We will work with our foundation to help cover the cost of your visit.
Hep C Testing Frequency and Risk Factors
We’d suggest you get tested for hepatitis C if you’re:
- Over 18 years old
- Pregnant
- Use injectable drugs
- HIV-positive
- Have abnormal liver test results
- Received donated organs or blood prior to 1992
If you fall into any of these categories, you should get a hepatitis C test at least annually. To lower the risk of hepatitis C, be cautious with individuals who have multiple sexual partners or STIs. You should avoid sharing equipment with people who inject drugs. Don’t share any personal items with friends and family members who are HCV-infected.
Contact Equality Health for Hepatitis C Testing in Chickasha, OK
At Equality Health, our medical professionals are all set and committed to providing accurate hepatitis C testing in Chickasha, OK. We care for our patients, so we’ve organized our testing process from pre-test counseling to post-test counseling and support. Call us at (405) 761-2762 or email us at [email protected] to get started. Our additional services include HIV testing, HIV treatment, STD testing, STD treatment, and PrEP for HIV prevention in Chickasha.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We’ll provide your rapid test results in 20 minutes. Your confirmatory NAT result can take up to a week or longer.
Here’s what your hep C test result means.
- Positive result: It indicates that you have virus-specific antibodies or viral genetic material.
- Negative result: You don’t have a hepatitis C infection.
- Indeterminate result: Your result isn’t determinate, so you should repeat the test to attain conclusive results.
Yes. If you’re an insured patient, we’ll bill everything to your insurance company. You don’t need to pay anything while doing a hepatitis C test in Chickasha, OK. Even if you aren’t insured, we have you covered. We may be able to provide insurance for you through our foundation.
The sensitivity of our antibody test ranges from 61% to 81.8%. It detects true negatives more accurately than true positives. Similarly, NAT gives you up to 99% accurate results. Sometimes results are indeterminate. In that case, our medical professionals identify potential complications to ensure a precise result.
Yes. It’s not a bad idea to test for hep C, even if you don’t have any symptoms or specific reasons to be concerned. Sometimes you can contract it unknowingly. Hepatitis C is asymptomatic, so it’s better to get tested if you feel that you should.
Our clinic provides the following two types of tests.
- Antibody test: In this test, we look for antibodies that your immune system builds in response to the hepatitis C virus.
- Nucleic acid test (NAT): This test is a highly sensitive method of testing blood that detects the hepatitis C virus’s genetic material, RNA.
Call us today to test and find out your hepatitis C status.
