Approximately 17,000 new hepatitis C cases are reported in the U.S. each year. Among them, around 75% of them 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. So, if you’re looking for hepatitis C testing in Chickasha, OK, visit Equality Health Group. 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 HIV 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. So, visit our clinic today and get tested. And if you get a positive result, we can start your hepatitis C treatment in Chickasha instantly.
Here, we’ve listed some of the benefits of doing hepatitis C tests:
- 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 your friends and family safe.
- Detect hepatitis C even without symptoms: You’ll get only mild symptoms as this disease is asymptomatic. So, we’d suggest you do hepatitis C testing if you are involved in any sort of risky activity.
- Prevents liver cancer: If you don’t treat your hepatitis C on time, it leads to liver cancer. To start your treatment, you should first know your health status through tests.
- Suppress the virus or cure it completely: The earlier you do your test, the better. This way, you’ll be able to cure your disease completely by taking antiviral medication, as we suggest.
- Helps you know your hepatitis C status: You can’t know your hepatitis C status any other way. You should do a hepatitis C test to know your status. You can follow up on your preventive measures if you test negative. But 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, Include
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 these two methods, which are:
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 to 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 number circulating in your body. Our 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 testing your hepatitis C for the first time, you might be nervous. But you don’t need to feel uneasy. To make the testing procedure easier for you, our healthcare professionals have split the testing process into five steps:
Step 1: Pre-test Counseling and Informed Consent
Initially, we provide pre-test counseling, where you’re provided with detailed guidance about the test. Then we inform you about the Hepatitis C mode of transmission, like sharing needles or other equipment with the infected person.
Our healthcare professionals respect your privacy. So, we maintain the privacy of your test result and hand it over to you with the utmost care and confidentiality. Your test will be carried out when you’re ready!
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. Still, you will need a blood test to determine whether you currently have it or 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). But if you want confirmatory NAT test results, it can take up to a week or longer.
Step 5: Post-test Counseling and Support
After 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. But if you test positive, we’ll explain in detail about our Hepatitis C treatment. It’s 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 mothers or 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. So, if you feel uneasy or get any symptoms of hepatitis C after you have sex, do 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 your concern about pricing, so our clinic provides hepatitis C testing in Chickasha, OK, at the most affordable price. We bill everything to the insurance company for insured patients. Even if you’re not covered through insurance yet, for whatever reason, you’ve 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:
- Adults over 18 years
- Pregnant women
- Drug injection users
- HIV-positive individuals
- Abnormal liver test results
- Someone who received donated organs or blood prior to 1992
If you fall into any of these categories, you should do your Hepatitis C test at least annually. To save yourself from Hepatitis C, you shouldn’t be involved with people who have multiple partners or have any sexually transmitted diseases. 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 Equity 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, & PrEP for HIV prevention in Chickasha.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We’ll provide your rapid test results in 20 minutes. But your confirmatory NAT result can take up to a week or even longer.
You’ll receive your Hep C test result as follows:
- Positive result: It indicates that you have virus-specific antibodies or viral genetic material.
- Negative result: It implies that you don’t have a hepatitis C infection.
- Indeterminate result: Your result isn’t determinate, so you should repeat the tests 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’ve got you covered. We may be able to provide insurance for you through our foundation or take care of the cost of your visit and medications.
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, you can receive indeterminate results. In that case, our medical professionals spot your possible complications to obtain a precise result.
Yes. It’s never a bad decision to test for Hep C, even if you don’t have any symptoms or specific reasons to be concerned. Sometimes, you contract this infection from your friends and family, too. Hepatitis C is asymptomatic, so it’s better to get tested if you feel uneasy in any way.
Our clinic provides two different 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: This test is a highly sensitive method of testing blood that detects the Hepatitis C virus’ genetic material, RNA.
Call us today to test and find out your hepatitis C status.
