WestSide:
I know that about HIV but are you saying that pertains to the HEP C as well?
Ann:
--- Quote from: WestSide on March 14, 2013, 11:56:44 pm ---I know that about HIV but are you saying that pertains to the HEP C as well?
--- End quote ---
Most people will seroconvert and test hep C antibody positive within three months, just like with hiv.
The only times where hiv and hcv have been seen to lengthen one or the other's window period has been in people who were long-term "recreational" drug injectors.
They not only had previously depressed immune systems due to their long-term drug use (and the health and living conditions that often go hand-in-hand with injecting drug use)...
...but they also acquired BOTH hiv and hep C at the same time from using (sharing) a needle after someone who was hiv/hcv coinfected. There have only been a handful of documented cases like this.
--- Quote from: WestSide on March 13, 2013, 09:02:56 pm --- He said the HIV can sometimes give you a false negative with the antibody test
--- End quote ---
I've never heard of hiv causing someone to falsely test hep C antibody negative other than in the type of situation I outlined above concerning IDUs.
Someone can "falsely" test hcv antibody negative when they've tested too early in the window, but that's not due to hiv in circumstances when the two viruses were acquired at different times.
If a person did acquire both at the same time, once they'd started testing antibody positive for one, they'd most likely be testing antibody positive for the other as well.
Your doctor is likely talking about doing a hep C viral load test on you. Normally these are only used once a person has tested hep C antibody positive. (Don't panic - he may just may be a little overly pro-active/cautious.)
If you have further questions about what tests your doctor has run and why he's planning on running more tests, you really need to ask him. Don't be afraid to question your doctor about what tests are being run and why, and what the results mean for you personally.
It's important to have these discussions. If you're new to communicating with doctors on more than a superficial manner, don't worry, you'll get used to it. It's imperative you have a good two-way relationship with your doctor.
Some people (an estimated 20% or so) will clear the hep C virus on their own, but they will always test hep C antibody positive.
The way to find out if the person has been infected in the past and clear the virus themselves, or has been infected and has NOT cleared the virus, is through VL testing.
Someone who has cleared the virus will not have a detectable viral load. (but will still test hep C antibody positive)
Someone who has NOT cleared the virus and has a chronic infection will have a viral load.
It's not uncommon for a person with a chronic infection to have an hcv VL in the hundreds of thousands or even tens of millions. (The typically extremely high viral load is one of the reasons why hep C is so much, much more communicable than hiv.)
WestSide:
Wow Ann. Thank you for all that helpful information! Now I can make sense of it the next time I go see him. We have to get rid of a planters wart. He is freezing it but I think he really wants to send me to a Podiatrist to cut it out. I wonder how I could tell if freezing is working?