Testing… Testing… New technology for easier HCV testing
H
epatitis C tests are getting easier. That’s the promise on the horizon as new testing methods are introduced or trialed. Current conventional hepatitis C testing consists of a blood test for hepatitis C antibodies, followed by a PCR test for the hepatitis C RNA, if the antibody test comes back positive. There is the usual waiting period of a week or more after each test. For busy people or transient populations, that poses a challenge. Others are put off by the need to draw blood.
transgender history, people from African, Asian or other countries where HIV is more common, and people who have current or previous sexual partners from Africa or Asia.
New testing methods being introduced, piloted or trialed include dried blood spot test, point of care finger prick blood test and point of care oral tests.
Dried Blood Spot test
Under a new initiative in New South Wales, free Dried Blood Spot (DBS) test kits for HIV and hepatitis C are available to anyone living in the state over the age of 16. The DBS test offers an easy, private way to be tested. The DBS HIV test is for men who have sex with men, people with a
8
HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 89 • April 2021
The DBS hepatitis C test is for people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, people who have ever injected a drug, people who have ever been in prison, or people from countries
