Just get tested for the whole lot you haven't been tested for yet, for piece of mind.
After that get vaccinations for A and B, so you will never be able to get it.
First you need to know that hepatitis C is a blood borne disease and not an STD. The possibility of you having gotten hepatitis C this way is almost zero.
My last exposure was unprotected vaginal sex with a male, on October 25th!
I dont know if to test for Hep C now, or wait till april (6month post exposure), incase antibodies havent developed?
i found this at http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/hepatitis-c/Testing+for+the+hepatitis+C+virus.htm
If you receive a negative hepatitis C antibody test but you have experienced symptoms or have been recently exposed to hepatitis C then you are likely to be advised to receive a second test. It is important to remember that what is called a 'window period' exists when your immune system may not have had time to produce antibodies. It usually takes between six to twelve weeks for antibodies to HCV to develop however in a few people it can take up to six months. So if you have the test within this window period of six months and the result is negative, it does not neccesarily mean that you don't have the virus.
In the text above it says that the window period is 3 months after possible exposure.
I got tested in March last year. I could have had it for 25 years without knowing it.
When do u think i should get tested for Hepatitis C, now or in 3 months?
Do u mind if i ask when you got tested?
to your question about hep b, i dont know.
Google hep B window period on the internet and you will find some info
Antibody test
The initial screening test for hepatitis C is a blood test which checks for antibodies. The human body produces antibodies in response to the virus.
The antibody test looks for these specific antibodies, not for the virus itself, to work out if you have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus. It may take up to three months for antibodies to appear in your blood following infection (although it is usually positive by 6 weeks). This is known as the ‘window period’. During this time antibody testing may not provide an accurate result.
A negative antibody test result usually means that a person has not been infected with the virus. However, the blood sample may have been taken in the window period before antibodies can be detected.
A positive antibody test result means antibodies were found, which is proof that the virus must have infected you at some point in time. About 25% of people who develop hepatitis C antibodies in response to infection get rid of (or clear) the virus within 6 months. If people are able to clear the virus, the antibodies remain in the blood for some time, possibly the rest of their life. This means a positive antibody test doesn’t necessarily mean someone has the virus.
A different test, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is used to see whether you have the virus in your blood.
One situation when the antibody test is not reliable is in a newborn baby.
Babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis C can have a positive antibody test without actually being infected. This positive ‘maternal antibody’ usually only lasts 12 –18 months, therefore, it is recommended that testing of children should not be done until after this time.
http://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/about_hepatitis/treatment.html
Thanks. sorry you seem to have taken it so personally. This place is such a waste of time. I'm out.
Hi i was negative for Hep B at 12weeks, do i need to retest again?
When should i test for Hep C?
Hepatitis A you get from contaminated food or water. You would be quite sick, but it is in itself not a life threatening disease. It is highly contagious and food utensils etc need to be kept apart from others while one has it. Once you have had it, you should be immune for the rest of your life. Usually one gets sick for at most 6 weeks and then recovers.
Once all your tests come back negative, please get A and B vaccinations. If you have previously been vaccinated against A and B, you would show antibodies from the vaccinations. So if someone has previously has had A or B and cleared it by oneself or has had the vaccines, antibodies would show up in both cases.
As to window periods, I believe they are all different, depending on the disease.
A way to find out is to google HCV window period or HAV window period, etc...
Good luck, Marcia
What is the window period to test for HIV, if youve got Hepatitis A,B or,C and/or a immune disease?
Ive tested at 3months for HIV in jan, it was negative.
Im gona test again for HIV in april. Will april be ok to be the last testing for HIV?
Should i test for Hepatitis C or not?
i found this
Three instances of delayed HIV seroconversion occurring in health-care workers have been reported;[8] in these instances, the health-care workers[9] tested negative for HIV antibodies greater than 6 months postexposure but were seropositive within 12 months after the exposure.[10] DNA sequencing confirmed the source of infection in one instance. Two of the delayed seroconversions were associated with simultaneous exposure to hepatitis C virus (HCV).
it was at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV_test#Antibody_tests
That what ive been wondering, i dont know if ive got Hepatitis A or C. That why i was gone test again in 3months? Do u think another 3months be enough time for HIV and a immune disease to seroconversion, or would i need to keep retesting?
Check the HIV forums. HIV and Hepatitis C are not interchangeable, they're NOT the same disease, and I for one am sick of people lumping them together every time it comes up. It just fosters more fear and ignorance and prejudice. No one needs to argue with me, or prove me wrong or scold me or whatever. It's how I feel, and nobody else has to feel the same way.