Order Your Own Hepatitis C (Hep C) Test with My Lab ReQuest™

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common bloodborne infection in the United States. Each year, over 10,000 cases of hepatitis C are reported in Arizona. Given the possible health complications, such as liver cancer or liver failure, which can occur as a result of hepatitis C, it’s important to ensure a proper diagnosis in order to make educated decisions about your health and available treatment options.

Do you believe that you may be at risk for hepatitis C or are you a baby boomer that has yet to be tested? Order your own screening with My Lab ReQuest to verify your status and to take appropriate action to best manage your health. Place your order online and schedule a visit at any of our 70 Patient Service Centers across Arizona. Get fast, reliable test results in just a few days.

Why Order Your Own Hepatitis C Screen with My Lab ReQuest?

Since the passage of the law in 2015 that allows for consumers in Arizona to order their own lab tests, thousands of patients have used our My Lab ReQuest service to take charge of their health and make more informed healthcare decisions. Our hepatitis C screening is just one of the several infectious disease screenings we offer to patients to assess their health status for various diseases.

Patients choose Sonora Quest Laboratories to meet their lab testing needs for a wide range of reasons, including:

Award-Winning Quality

As the nation's largest integrated laboratory system, Sonora Quest Laboratories delivers award-winning quality services every day to more than 23,000 patients across Arizona. We are the #1 bioscience company in Arizona, according to Ranking Arizona, and we are also the only healthcare company to even win the Arizona Governor's Award for Quality. Most importantly, we are accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the organization whose accreditation ensures the highest standard of care for laboratory patients.

Convenient Locations

Schedule an appointment or walk in to any of our 70 Patient Service Centers located across Arizona! We have over 45 locations in Metro Phoenix, 14 locations in Tucson and Southern Arizona, and various other locations across Northern and Western Arizona. Moreover, several of our locations are conveniently located inside of Safeway markets so that you can plan your screening around your trip to your neighborhood grocery store.

Learn More about Hepatitis C

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a liver disease that is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). According to the CDC, 70-85% of people who become infected with the virus will develop a chronic infection that attacks the liver and can ultimately lead to liver cancer or liver failure. Currently, there are an estimated 3.5 million people in the United States with chronic hepatitis.

Hepatitis C in Arizona

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are an estimated 90,000 Arizonans living with hepatitis C and there are over 10,000 cases of hepatitis C reported each year.

Who is at risk for hepatitis C?

According to the CDC, the following groups are at risk for the HCV infection:

• Current or former injection drug users, including those who injected only once many years ago
  
  
• Recipients of clotting factor concentrates made before 1987, when less advanced methods for manufacturing those products were used
  
  
• Recipients of blood transfusions or solid organ transplants prior to July 1992, before better testing of blood donors became available
  
  
• Chronic hemodialysis patients
  
  
• People with known exposures to HCV, such as health care workers after needle sticks involving HCV-positive blood
  
  
• recipients of blood or organs from a donor who tested HCV-positive
  
  
• People with HIV infection
  
  
• Children born to HCV-positive mothers
  
  
• Baby Boomers

Hepatitis C and baby boomers

According to the CDC, people born from 1945-1965, also referred to as baby boomers, are five times more likely than other adults to have hepatitis C. As a result, the CDC recommends that everyone born between these years be tested once for hepatitis C. Testing can help baby boomers that may have been living with the disease for decades to verify their health status and to determine the best course of action for treatment.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?

Most people that have been infected with the HCV virus will not have any symptoms of the disease. In fact, it may take years or decades before symptoms present themselves. When symptoms do present themselves, they are generally nonspecific. Some of the symptoms may include:

• Fever
  
  
• Tiredness
  
  
• Stomach pain
  
  
• Joint pain
  
  
• Nausea and vomiting
  
  
• Loss of appetite
  
  
• Dark urine
  
  
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)

Given the fact that most patients will not experience any symptoms and the seriousness of the HCV infection, it is important for individuals that are in at-risk groups to be tested for hepatitis C.

How can you prevent hepatitis C?

To prevent hepatitis C, do not share needles with other individuals. Drug users are at an increased risk for hepatitis C and may put themselves at a higher risk for contracting the disease by sharing needles. Additionally, avoid using razors or other personal items that may have come in contact with the blood of a person that is infected.

Who should be tested for hepatitis C?

The CDC recommends that all baby boomers (adults born between 1945-65) be tested once for hepatitis C even if no other risk factors are present. Additionally, the CDC recommends testing for anyone that is currently injecting drugs, has ever injected drugs, was the recipient of blood or organ transfers from an infected person, or has been in an environment which he or she was at in increased risk for exposure.

How is hepatitis C Diagnosed?

Hepatitis C is diagnosed with a blood test. 

How is hepatitis C treated?

Treatment options for those infected with the HCV virus may vary depending on whether it is acute or chronic hepatitis C. In cases in which treatment is required, antiviral medications or newer drugs, called direct-acting-agents (DAA), may be used to help stop further liver damage or to even cure the infection.

 
*It is solely your responsibility to promptly discuss all laboratory test results with a physician. Neither Sonora Quest Laboratories nor its Medical Director will provide interpretation, counseling, consulting, or care recommendations on the basis of any laboratory results provided to you.