FAQs Plus

If you do develop symptoms from acute infection, the average time from exposure to symptoms ranges from 1 to 12 weeks after becoming infected, while others will experience them 6 months later. In some cases, people can live with hep C for years, and that could be lifetime, before they experience any symptoms at all… Even without symptoms, a person with hep C can still spread the virus to others.

If you’re at risk for hep C (HCV), and have experienced any of the symptoms listed below, speak with your healthcare professional and ask if you should be tested. Or see one of our Health Network Collective Testers.

• Lethargy, fatigue, feeling tired
• Loss of appetitie
• Stomach pain(s)
• Nausea
• Joint pain
• Dark urine
• Pale poo or pale bowel movements
• Jaundice, yellow whites of the eyes and sometime skin.
• And any history of at risk activities, see Am I at Risk

• If you received a blood transfusion or donated organ prior to 1992
• Taking drugs through a needle (injecting), even just once
• Receiving tattoos or piercings, mainly from unlicensed studios or from unsterile practice
• Historic health care in Eastern Europe, Russia, Egypt or North Africa, India or Pakistan
• Your mother or another household member has HCV

Less Common

• Have you ever spent time in prison, (especially prison tattoos)
• Sexual practices that can could cause exposure to blood (such as anal sex)
• Sharing personal items such as toothbrushes and razors
• Snorting drugs (use of straws and other shared means to snort)

We encourage everyone to get at least one test in their lifetime, and sooner rather than later. If you are engaged in any at risk activity we recommend you get tested every 6 months to yearly. Such activities include sharing drug taking equipment (including utensils used for snorting drugs), unprotected sexual activities with multiple or different partners, tattoos with questionable hygiene or equipment, possible medical contamination or questionable medical procedures (such as developing countries medical facilities where contamination may be possible). If your in doubt get a test. Easy.

This could be likened to Russian Roulette. Chronic hepatitis C infection (that is having undetected HCV infection long term) can remain undetected for years, decades, even lifetime if left untreated. This can lead to serious health issues including, but not limited to, liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and even death. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)

If you do develop symptoms from acute infection, the average time from exposure to symptoms ranges from 1 to 12 weeks after becoming infected, while others will experience them 6 months later. In some cases, people can live with hep C for years, and that could be lifetime, before they experience any symptoms at all… Even without symptoms, a person with hep C can still spread the virus to others.

If you’re at risk for hep C (HCV), and have experienced any of the symptoms listed below, speak with your healthcare professional and ask if you should be tested. Or see one of our Health Network Collective Testers.

• Lethargy, fatigue, feeling tired
• Loss of appetitie
• Stomach pain(s)
• Nausea
• Joint pain
• Dark urine
• Pale poo or pale bowel movements
• Jaundice, yellow whites of the eyes and sometime skin.
• And any history of at risk activities, see Am I at Risk

This could be likened to Russian Roulette. Chronic hepatitis C infection (that is having undetected HCV infection long term) can remain undetected for years, decades, even lifetime if left untreated. This can lead to serious health issues including, but not limited to, liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and even death. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)

If you do develop symptoms from acute infection, the average time from exposure to symptoms ranges from 1 to 12 weeks after becoming infected, while others will experience them 6 months later. In some cases, people can live with hep C for years, and that could be lifetime, before they experience any symptoms at all… Even without symptoms, a person with hep C can still spread the virus to others.

If you’re at risk for hep C (HCV), and have experienced any of the symptoms listed below, speak with your healthcare professional and ask if you should be tested. Or see one of our Health Network Collective Testers.

• Lethargy, fatigue, feeling tired
• Loss of appetitie
• Stomach pain(s)
• Nausea
• Joint pain
• Dark urine
• Pale poo or pale bowel movements
• Jaundice, yellow whites of the eyes and sometime skin.
• And any history of at risk activities, see Am I at Risk

This could be likened to Russian Roulette. Chronic hepatitis C infection (that is having undetected HCV infection long term) can remain undetected for years, decades, even lifetime if left untreated. This can lead to serious health issues including, but not limited to, liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and even death. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)

• If you received a blood transfusion or donated organ prior to 1992
• Taking drugs through a needle (injecting), even just once
• Receiving tattoos or piercings, mainly from unlicensed studios or from unsterile practice
• Historic health care in Eastern Europe, Russia, Egypt or North Africa, India or Pakistan
• Your mother or another household member has HCV

Less Common

• Have you ever spent time in prison, (especially prison tattoos)
• Sexual practices that can could cause exposure to blood (such as anal sex)
• Sharing personal items such as toothbrushes and razors
• Snorting drugs (use of straws and other shared means to snort)

We encourage everyone to get at least one test in their lifetime, and sooner rather than later. If you are engaged in any at risk activity we recommend you get tested every 6 months to yearly. Such activities include sharing drug taking equipment (including utensils used for snorting drugs), unprotected sexual activities with multiple or different partners, tattoos with questionable hygiene or equipment, possible medical contamination or questionable medical procedures (such as developing countries medical facilities where contamination may be possible). If your in doubt get a test. Easy.

This could be likened to Russian Roulette. Chronic hepatitis C infection (that is having undetected HCV infection long term) can remain undetected for years, decades, even lifetime if left untreated. This can lead to serious health issues including, but not limited to, liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and even death. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)

We encourage everyone to get at least one test in their lifetime, and sooner rather than later. If you are engaged in any at risk activity we recommend you get tested every 6 months to yearly. Such activities include sharing drug taking equipment (including utensils used for snorting drugs), unprotected sexual activities with multiple or different partners, tattoos with questionable hygiene or equipment, possible medical contamination or questionable medical procedures (such as developing countries medical facilities where contamination may be possible). If your in doubt get a test. Easy.

This could be likened to Russian Roulette. Chronic hepatitis C infection (that is having undetected HCV infection long term) can remain undetected for years, decades, even lifetime if left untreated. This can lead to serious health issues including, but not limited to, liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and even death. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)