Get tested once for HIV and hep C
One test can find an infection that has no symptoms for years, and both are now very treatable.
The number, drawn
Current tablets cure more than 95% of hepatitis C infections
Why it matters
HIV and hepatitis C can go for years without symptoms while they quietly damage health and can pass to other people. WHO reports that among people infected with hepatitis C between 2015 and 2024, only 36% knew their diagnosis, while current tablets cure more than 95% of infections. Testing is the only way to find out, and finding out is what makes treatment possible.
How to do it
- Ask for a hepatitis C test at least once if you are 18 or older, which is what CDC recommends for every adult.
- Check whether you have ever had an HIV test; the USPSTF recommends screening at least once between ages 15 and 65.
- In pregnancy, ask for HIV and hepatitis C testing early in antenatal care.
- Ask about repeat testing if you have an ongoing risk of exposure.
- If a result is positive, start care promptly: hepatitis C is usually curable and HIV treatment is highly effective.
A positive result needs clinical confirmation and care, and testing is confidential. Treatment for both infections is now very effective, so a result is a starting point rather than a verdict.
Do it
Pick the time you have. Anything beats nothing.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Prepare a clear request: have I ever been tested for HIV and hepatitis C, and should I arrange either test now?
5 minutes
Ask your clinic or sexual health service about confidential HIV and hepatitis C testing and any charges.
15 minutes
Prepare dates of previous tests and possible exposures; ask which tests you need and how you will receive the results.
A plan
Find out and follow through
- Ask about both tests and tell the service about recent or ongoing exposures.
- Complete the recommended testing and confirm how results will reach you.
- Arrange confirmation and care for any positive result.
- Ask whether your circumstances call for repeat testing.
In real life
- At a routine visit, ask whether you have ever had separate HIV and hepatitis C tests.
- If you have a recent possible exposure, tell the service when it happened so it can choose the test and timing.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeA general blood test may not include HIV or hepatitis C, so ask which tests were actually done.
- Common mistakeA positive hepatitis C antibody test can reflect past infection, so ask about the RNA test that checks for current infection.
- Common mistakeA negative test soon after exposure may be too early, so ask when a repeat is needed.
Trusted guides
In Germany
In Germany, from age 35 the statutory Gesundheits-Check-up includes a one-time blood test for hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
In Spain, the Ministry of Health recommends hepatitis C testing for people with listed risk exposures, such as injecting drug use, and does not recommend screening people without risk exposures. This position was reviewed in July 2022.
Ministerio de Sanidad checked
In the Netherlands, pregnant women get a blood test at about 12 weeks that checks, among other things, for hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV.
In Poland, every voivodeship has testing points (PKD) where HIV tests are free, anonymous and need no referral; most also test for HCV and syphilis. Since May 2025 a POZ can order a free HIV test without a referral, but it is not anonymous.
Ministerstwo Zdrowia checked
Check usSources
- Evidence grade
- A Meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus.
- Basis
- USPSTF HIV screening recommendation (grade A), CDC universal adult hepatitis C testing and WHO treatment evidence
- The number
- Current tablets cure more than 95% of hepatitis C infections (WHO, 2026)
- Tier 1 guidelineHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: ScreeningUSPSTF, 2019
- Tier 1 guidelineTesting for Hepatitis CCDC, 2025
- Tier 1 guidelineHepatitis CWHO, 2026
- Tier 1 guidelinePublic health guidance on HIV, hepatitis B and C testing in the EU and EEAECDC, 2018
General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.