Patient education: Hepatitis C viral load test (The Basics)

What is a hepatitis C viral load test? — 

This is a test to check the level of hepatitis C virus in the blood.

Hepatitis C is a disease that harms the liver. It is caused by the hepatitis C virus, which spreads from person to person through contact with blood. This can happen in a few ways, mainly by sharing drug needles.

Why might I get a hepatitis C viral load test? — 

Doctors usually order this test for people who had a positive hepatitis C "antibody" test. A positive antibody test means the person was exposed to the hepatitis C virus. The hepatitis C viral load test can show if they still have virus in their blood.

You might get a hepatitis C viral load test:

●To help your doctor confirm you have hepatitis C

●If you recently finished treatment for hepatitis C

The goal of treatment is to get your viral load below "detectable levels." A viral load test can help show if treatment worked.

How do I prepare for a hepatitis C viral load test? — 

You need to get a "blood draw." Your doctor or nurse will tell you where to go for this.

It might help to wear a short-sleeve shirt to your blood draw appointment. This makes it easier for the person drawing your blood to get to your arm.

What happens during a blood draw? — 

A needle is used to take a small amount of blood from your arm (figure 1). Collecting the blood only takes a few minutes. The blood is then tested in a lab.

Tell the person who takes your blood:

●If you take "blood thinner" medicines or have a bleeding problem – They will make sure your bleeding is under control before you leave.

●If you have a latex allergy – Some of the supplies used for blood draws might contain latex.

●If you have a preferred arm to use

Most of the time, getting blood taken does not cause problems. You might have a little soreness or bruising where the needle went in.

What do my results mean? — 

Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to expect your results, and will contact you with the results. Or if you use an online "patient portal," you might get an alert there when your results are ready.

If your results show your viral load is undetectable, this means the test did not find any hepatitis C virus in your blood:

●If you were exposed to hepatitis C virus but did not get treatment, and your viral load is undetectable, your body might have cleared the virus on its own.

●If you finished treatment for hepatitis C and your viral load is undetectable at least 3 months later, this means you have been cured. Some doctors repeat the test a few months later to confirm this.

If your results show you still have hepatitis C virus in your blood, your doctor or nurse will talk to you about what to do next. Treatment can cure hepatitis C in almost everyone. This includes people who got treatment before but were not cured.

More on this topic

Patient education: Hepatitis C (The Basics)

Patient education: Hepatitis C (Beyond the Basics)