Transmission, Testing, Confused
I guess I am worried, confused. In June I had an equivocal/reactive hep c test. The follow up NAT test was negative/no virus detected. Other than what I thought was safe sex there has been no exposure. Oral, mutual masturbation. I was sick with a virus when I had the test, could that affect the initial test. From what I read, the chances of transmission through these acts are very low. Was this a false positive confirmed by the negative NAT. I really don't want to take another test, my OCD will make me continually test. I talked to a friend who is a Doctor and he said negative, don't worry. Any suggestions here?
Hi
. Welcome to the community. I'm glad you understand your OCD well enough to know that getting tested repeatedly is a bad idea. It will only feed the OCD and lead to more and more testing. False positives are not uncommon and your illness might actually have been the cause. Here is an article that explains why false positives can happen: https://hepatitisc.net/living/why-your-test-may-give-you-a-false-result.
The fact that the follow-up test was negative should give you comfort. The first test looked for antibodies. The follow-up test should have been an RNA test, which detect the actual virus. If the RNA test was negative, you are in the clear. Could you check with your doctor and see whether that is the type of test you took for the follow-up? If not, maybe you could ask for an RNA test. That should bring you peace of mind and give you fodder for fighting off OCD's influence. I hope that helps. We are here for you, regardless. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
