Hepatitis C Antibodies Blood Test

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that primarily affects the liver. It is transmitted through contact with infected blood, most commonly through sharing needles during drug injection, but also through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person, contaminated blood transfusions (particularly before comprehensive screening was introduced in 1992), unsafe tattoo or piercing practices, and from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth. Many people with hepatitis C are unaware of their infection because there are often no symptoms in the early stages. The virus can remain in the body for decades, silently causing progressive liver damage. Chronic hepatitis C infection can lead to liver inflammation (hepatitis), scarring (fibrosis), severe scarring (cirrhosis), liver failure, and liver cancer. Hepatitis C antibodies (anti-HCV) are proteins produced by your immune system in response to exposure to the hepatitis C virus. This test detects these antibodies in your blood, indicating whether you have ever been exposed to the virus. Antibodies typically appear 8–12 weeks after initial infection. A positive antibody result indicates past or present infection but cannot distinguish between a cleared infection and an ongoing chronic infection. Approximately 25% of people who contract hepatitis C clear the virus naturally within six months without treatment. For those who develop chronic infection, modern direct-acting antiviral treatments can cure hepatitis C in over 95% of cases. If antibodies are detected, confirmatory testing with HCV RNA PCR is required to determine if the virus is still actively present in your blood and whether treatment is needed.