confused

i tested positive for hep c 8 years ago but never see a doctor because of fear and i'm in denial that i have the disease.just recently i got tested again as part of my prenatal care but it came out negative.is it possible that the antibodies i had decrease in number that it is no longer detected by the test or has it disappeared?or was it just a false positive?if i had the disease before,are the antibodies suppose to stay in my system forever?the virus should have multiplied as well as the the antibodies right???help!!!! i need someone to explain to me what happened..are there at home test kit to confirm if i really was infected with the virus????help!!!!

[Bill1954]

Hi Ina—

I’m assuming you never previously took the confirmation test for Hep C; only the antibody screening test. If you were ever actually exposed to the virus, you’d be expected to carry antibodies for a very long time; probably for life. A positive antibody test, followed later by a negative antibody test could be attributed to a false positive result with your initial test.

If you are concerned, the ‘HCV RIBA’ test can confirm whether or not you were initially infected; but the latest negative result is very encouraging. Discuss this with your doctor, and try not to worry; it’s doubtful you are infected at this point.

Good luck—

Bill

[Dee1956]

First congratulations for the baby and the UND.
It is possible that you had a false positive 8 years ago.  I had 3 false negatives 14,15,16 years ago so was shocked when I got a positive in 2007
Then I got a false positive for Hep B in 2008.  It is also possible that your body fought it off though you would still have tested positive.
The way it was explained to me is that first they test you for the Hep C Virus.  If you test positive they then test you for the viral load (number), if you do not have a viral load then you do not have the virus. When you tested positive 8 years ago, did they test your viral load?
I would say that you have been given a double blessing.  So happy for you!
I hope this message makes sense, if not someone else will come along and let us know.  People are very nice here
Dee

[ina22]

bill,thanks so much for your quick answer to my post..i just have a question, is there any at home kit for the "HCV RIBA"? or can i go to any laboratory without a doctor's request?

[ina22]

thanks dee!! i was not tested for the viral load. do you think its possible that my recent testing is a false negative? what are the causes of false negatives and how did you find it out? what did you do to confirm that it was really positive and not negative??