Tested positive for Hepatitis C, could this be a false-positive?!


Question: Tested positive for Hepatitis C, could this be a false-positive?
I'm a 22-year old healthy male. I am as straight-edge as it gets when it comes to my health. No drugs, alcohol, smoking. I practice safe sex with one partner. I don't donate blood or use needles of any kind. No tattoos or piercings. I am very careful about such things, therefore I should be a very low risk of contracting such diseases. Regardless, I have tested positive for Hepatitis C and I just can't believe it is possible that I got this. Just wondering if it is possible to be tested falsely positive for HCV and how this works?

Thanks for your help!

Answers:

You don't mention the type of hepatitis C test you had, but I am assuming it was an ELISA test. Usually when you test positive on an ELISA test, the lab automatically runs the test again. So most likely you have been tested twice for hepatitis C and both tests were positive.

However, even two positive ELISA tests are only 98% accurate, you could be in the 2% of people that receive an incorrect test. This is why you need a confirmatory test: a RIBA test or a PCR test, both will tell you absolutely if you have been infected with hepatitis C.

About 10% - 15% of people who get hepatitis C don't know how they were infected. Like you, they have a very low risk lifestyle. But remember that hep C can only be transmitted through blood, so if your dentist didn't clean his instruments or if you have made a trip to a hospital that didn't use clean equipment, you could have been infected.



There is always a chance of a false-positive, but its less than a one percent chance. You could have contracted it by many different ways.
public restrooms.
sharing razors.
public pools without proper chlorinization.
my opinion, get a second opinion.
And get your partner tested as well.



If it was just a screening test that wasn't confirmed by RIBA method....yes, there is a good chance of a false positive. Many blood and plasma donation places simply use the screening test. Some doctors who don't test a lot might just run a screen too.

Unless your mother had Hep C when you were born you don't have significant risk factors. Most, and I mean MOST - of the people that we talk to who have Hep C have a history of sharing needles or some have a history of a blood transfusion years ago (before testing of blood became routine). Hep C can be transmitted sexually, but it is rare.

Get re-tested and request that any positive have a follow-up confirmation test done on the result.

RN - Public Health




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