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Can you be treated for Hep C twice?
Yes. Having had hep C once does not make you immune from getting it again. You can be reinfected with hep C whether you clear the virus by successful treatment (called a sustained virologic response, or SVR) or by spontaneously clearing it on your own.
What causes Hep C to return?
Infection relapse. It’s possible, but rare, for hepatitis C infection to reappear after apparently successful treatment. Relapses usually occur in the first few months after blood testing to confirm that the virus is no longer detectable. Sometimes, however, a relapse becomes evident much later.
Can your body cure hep C on its own?
Like the human papillomavirus (HPV), early acute hepatitis C can clear on its own without treatment; this happens about 25\% of the time. However, it’s more likely that the virus will remain in your body longer than six months, at which point it’s considered to be chronic hepatitis C infection.
Can Hep C come back after being cured?
It’s possible, but rare, for hepatitis C infection to reappear after apparently successful treatment. Relapses usually occur in the first few months after blood testing to confirm that the virus is no longer detectable. Sometimes, however, a relapse becomes evident much later.
Can you donate blood after being cured of Hep C?
Can I donate blood after I have been successfully cured of hepatitis C or have spontaneously cleared the virus after being infected at some point? No, you cannot donate blood if you ever had hepatitis C, even if you spontaneously cleared the virus or if you were successfully cured with medication.
Can you beat Hep C?
Is there a cure? Though there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C, treatments can reduce the viral load to undetectable levels which is considered cured or in remission. The virus is considered cured when it is not detected in your blood 12 weeks after treatment is completed.
Can I donate blood if I have hepatitis C?
If you plan to donate blood, you will be tested for the hepatitis C antibody and will be turned away even if you do not have an active infection. Any patient with a positive test result for the hepatitis C antibody should have additional tests to determine whether or not the virus is still active.
What happens if you test positive for hepatitis C after treatment?
After a successful course of treatment for hepatitis C, the hepatitis C antibody remains detectable, but the hepatitis C RNA will be undetectable. Any patient with a positive test result for the hepatitis C antibody should have additional tests to determine whether or not the virus is still active.
Can you have hepatitis C and not know it?
When symptoms appear with chronic hepatitis C, they often are a sign of advanced liver disease. People can live with hepatitis C without symptoms or feeling sick. A blood test called a hepatitis C antibody test can tell if you have been infected with the hepatitis C virus—either recently or in the past.
How do you get tested for hepatitis C?
Getting tested for hepatitis C A blood test, called an HCV antibody test, is used to find out if someone has ever been infected with the hepatitis C virus. The HCV antibody test, sometimes called the anti-HCV test, looks for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus in blood.