Hepatitis C can go unnoticed for years. Many people who have the liver infection feel well, even as it causes damage. A blood test can provide answers, and today's treatments cure most people.
For Snohomish County residents wondering where to begin, a conversation with a primary care provider or the county's hepatitis outreach program can help connect the next steps.
Who should get tested?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends hepatitis C screening at least once for all adults 18 and older, and during each pregnancy. People with ongoing risk factors may need repeat testing. Testing also matters for people who injected drugs even once many years ago, or received a blood transfusion before July 1992.
If you think you may have been exposed recently, tell the clinician when it happened. The timing can affect which test is appropriate.
Understanding the result
Screening commonly starts with an antibody test, which looks for signs of a past or current infection. A positive antibody result needs an HCV RNA test to determine whether the virus is currently present. CDC recommends arranging that follow-up automatically when the antibody test is positive. Ask how you will receive both results and who will explain them.
Hepatitis C spreads through infected blood, including amounts too small to see. Sharing injection equipment or blood-contaminated personal items can transmit it; sexual transmission is less common. Sharing meals, hugging and ordinary daily contact do not spread the virus.
Treatment and local help
CDC says oral antiviral treatment cures more than 95% of people with hepatitis C. Most courses take eight to 12 weeks. A clinician determines the appropriate treatment. Untreated infection can cause liver scarring and cancer. People can become infected again after a cure, and there is currently no hepatitis C vaccine.
The Snohomish County Health Department lists free hepatitis C testing and treatment referrals through its Viral Hepatitis Outreach Program's participation in syringe-exchange services. Call 425-339-8620 to ask about access. The county directs people to Sound Pathways or 425-258-2977 to confirm service times and locations before visiting.
For Apple Health members, the Washington Health Care Authority says Mavyret is a preferred hepatitis C medicine that does not require prior authorization. Other antiviral options require review. Ask your provider and health plan how testing, appointments and the prescribed treatment will be covered, including any costs. That conversation can help make the path from testing to care clearer.
