The screening you didn't know you needed
- lori563
- Aug 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 10
Colon cancer. Breast cancer. High blood pressure. You already know routine screenings can catch serious health issues like these early. But there’s one more to add to your list: hepatitis C.
The hepatitis C virus can quietly damage your liver for years — and put you at risk for liver cancer — before being discovered. And while some people associate it with drug use or risky behavior, the truth is, anyone can have the virus.
Keep reading to learn more about hepatitis C and why it’s so important to get tested. Then schedule a screening at any of the five MNPS Health Care Center locations.
Q: What is hepatitis C?
A: Hepatitis C — called Hep C for short — is a virus that infects the liver. It’s contracted mainly through blood-to-blood contact. That can happen:
By sharing needles, including unsafe tattoo or piercing practices
If you share sharp personal care items, like razors and nail clippers
Through unprotected sex, especially if blood is involved
From a transfusion before 1992, when blood wasn’t routinely screened
By passing from mother to baby during childbirth, which occurs rarely
You can’t get Hep C from hugging, kissing, sharing food or casual contact. It doesn’t spread like a cold.
Q: Why is Hep C dangerous?
A: Hep C increases your risk of cancer. Over time, the infection can damage liver function and lead to serious health problems like cirrhosis, liver cancer or even death. Chronic Hep C is a leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S. Also, many people don’t have symptoms and may not know they’re infected, which is why screening is so important.
Q: Who should get tested?
A: Testing is not limited to people who’ve engaged in risky behaviors. Health experts recommend that ALL adults age 18 and older get tested for Hep C at least once in their lifetime — more often if they have risk factors.
A test is also recommended for women during each pregnancy.
If you’re not sure whether you’ve ever been tested, talk to your primary care provider. The test is quick, easy and can be included with your routine lab work.
Q: Why are some people reluctant to get tested?
A: There’s some stigma around Hep C testing because it may be associated it with risky behaviors like drug use or unprotected sex. But the truth is, anyone can have Hep C, even if they don’t think they’re at risk. In many cases, people were exposed decades ago through medical procedures, tattooing or sexual partners.
Q: How is the test done?
A: Testing for Hep C is now considered a standard preventive care measure, just like a cholesterol check or cancer screening. It starts with a simple blood test that checks for antibodies. If that comes back positive, a follow-up test looks for the virus itself. Both tests can be done from a single blood draw during a routine office visit.
Q: What if I test positive?
A: Don’t panic. Modern treatments — usually oral antiviral medications taken for 8-12 weeks — cure more than 95% of Hep C cases.
Q: Do I need to drop everything and get tested?
A: It’s okay to wait until your next primary care office visit and discuss it with your provider. But if you’d like to go ahead and check this important preventive care step off your to-do list, make an appointment at the MNPS Health Care Centers to discuss testing OR ask for a test at your next visit. As an enrollee in the Certificated Employee Health Plan, there is no cost to you at the MNPS clinics.