Hepatitis C Test

Hepatitis C Surface Antibody Test (Anti-HCV)

Tell me about this test.

This blood test looks for antibodies to the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). If you get tested before there are enough antibodies to detect, you may get a "false negative" result but still have acute type C viral hepatitis. Also, you may have a positive result if you were exposed and treated for this virus in the past. This test cannot tell if you still have an active viral infection. The CDC suggests that "weakly positive" tests be confirmed with another test within 3 months.

What kind of sample is required?

A blood sample is drawn.

Any preparation?

None.

What do I have to know about the results?

Hepatitis C test results are either positive or negative. A negative result means there is no evidence of the virus or has recovered from acute hepatitis. A positive (or reactive) result shows an active infection. Any value below 0.8 is negative. Indeterminate values range between .08 and .09. A positive value for Hepatitis C is .09 and higher.