about hepitis c virus?

Question

i was just wondering you could tell me if i could pass hepitits to my huband during sex, and shoul i have my children tested too

Answer 1

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that causes an infection in the liver. It can lead to permanent liver damage such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. Most people aren't aware they have Hepatitis C until the damage is already done.

When symptoms are present, they are:
jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), abdominal pain, loss of appetite
nausea, fatigue

It is spread via: sex, sharing drugs/needles, birth - mother to child

Answer 2

It is possible to pass Hepatitis C to your husband, however I have been married for 30 years to my husband and was unaware that I had hepatitis C until 5 years ago. My husband was tested immediately and does not have the virus thank God. Research on Hepatitis C is really just beginning. Unlike Hep B which is spread like HIV through body fluids, not just blood it seems that Hep C is spread primarily through blood...however even a extremely small amount of blood can pass the virus to someone else. So sharing a toothbrush or razor is dangerous because bleeding gums or a tiny razor cut (even if the blood is not visible) can transmit the virus. As far as your children..yes they need to be tested. My daughter was diagnosed with Hep C at age 16. The only reason the doctors tested her was because she was hospitalized with mono and just wasn't getting better. Believe it or not doctors do not usually test for Hep C..It is Hep B that is frequently required testing prior to surgery and it is also Hep B that children and health care professionals are immunized against. After my daughter was diagnosed with Hep C the health department recommended that I should be tested because she had no risk factors, in other words she had never had a blood transfusion, used IV drugs, etc. so they could not figure out where she got it from. On the other hand I am a nurse and had worked at Shock Trauma in the early eighties before Hep C even had a name. I was stuck with dirty needles a few times. This is a needle that had already been used on a patient, thus was contaminated with their blood. They did test me for Hep B at the time but not Hep C so I never knew I had it. I did pass on the virus to my daughter probably in utero or maybe during the birth process. Anyway we both were found to have genotype 2b which was good because this particular genotype of Hep C responds extremely well to treatment with interferon and after treatment we both are now free of the virus. I do have some permanent liver damage but she does not. More and more nurses I have worked with over the years are only now finding out they contracted Hep C. The good news is that although many newborns born to mothers with Hep C will test positive right after birth but will test negative by 2 years of age without any treatment at all. My granddaughter was one of these lucky babies. She was born when my daughter still had Hep C. She tested positive at birth, 6 months, and 12 months but was negative by 18 months and as a precaution they tested her at 24 months and she is really negative. Our doctor said Hep C is no longer considered an STD like Hep B is, so your husband hopefully is negative...but everyone in your family should be tested. Then be sure you find yourself a doctor that is well informed about Hep C because most doctors are not aware of the latest research, what tests should be done, and the treatments are available.We went to Johns Hopkins for my daughter and granddaughter and University of Maryland for myself. They were great. Good luck to you and feel free to e-mail me at "mom4tip @ yahoo.com".

Answer 3

There is a very slight risk associated with spreading HCV to your husband through sexual contact - probably a 3% chance. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know anything about this disease so don't listen to them or take their advice!

I've been with my husband for over 10 years and he has HCV. I know more about hepatitis C than I ever cared to know, but knowledge is always preferred over ignorance.

We were both tested for STDs before we ever had sex and thought everything was fine. We weren't tested for HCV because it's not considered to be a sexually transmitted disease. 7 years later he was diagnosed and it was believed he had it for 20 years before it was discovered (due to the amount of liver damage he had at the time). To this day, I DO NOT have hepatitis - repeat, I don't have it! We haven't used protection in the past nor do we use it presently because no blood is transferred between us.

This virus is spread ONLY through blood-to-blood contact unlike hepatitis A , B, D, E or G. This means that if you were to bleed into an open wound of another person, they stand a good chance of contracting HCV, but even then it's not guaranteed they'll get it.

If you share needles, shaving razors, nail clippers or other instruments that contact blood or cause bleeding and another uses it and bleeds, then they will more than likely get it. A person could actually drink your blood and not get HCV. Your blood would actually have to directly enter their bloodstream and that doesn't happen via the stomach (unless they have a bleeding ulcer).

I do suggest you have your children tested for HCV since you gave birth to them - just to be on the safe side.

I get tested every year for HCV since I frequently bandaged my husband's assorted wounds from his job injuries. Even though I haven't worn gloves when he gets bandaged, I'm still HCV negative. Now, if I have to clean up a blood spill or bandage him, I do wear gloves thanks to my cat that may have scratched me. I'm sensibly cautious, not foolish or paranoid.

Your husband shouldn't need to be tested unless you and he had sex during your period and he managed to "get caught" in his zipper just before you two got "frisky".

Regarding a previous post about Interferon, I must add that this drug is NOT a cure for HCV. At best, it only has an approximate 40% success rate for causing the virus to go into remission. Even then, it depends upon the strain of hepatitis C that one has. My husband has genotype 1-A which is the worst and all the Interferon did was make the virus more aggressive than it was before the treatment started.

I do recommend telling your health care providers that you're HCV+ so they can take measures to protect themselves against accidental needle sticks, etc. There's no shame in having HCV and your level of care won't suffer because of it either. If it does, find a professional health care worker and report the "bad" one! When my husband was in the ER 2 weeks ago, a nurse was going to draw blood for a test and forgot to put on gloves. He reminded her that he's "positive" and she sincerely thanked him for being "responsible" enough to be concerned about others.

There's a wealth of information sources "out there" regarding HCV and I'll supply some of the most informative ones I've come across in the last few years. I hope it will help!

Answer 4

i believe that your whole family should be tested hepatitis C can be spread through various ways and therefore if you believe you have hepatitis C you should talk to your doctor and he would advise you of the precautions you need to take around the family home and bedroom

Answer 5

Depends on which hepatitis you have. There are several kinds A, B, or C is the most common. Which one do you have?

Answer 6

Absolutely...yes, and yes!...Get tested ASAP. FYI...In some cases, interferon can help cure some hepatitis C cases.

Answer 7

Go see the doctor and get you and your family STD's test, to see if your clean or not clean, HIV is a deadly one

Answer 8

Please do what you need to do and keep a check on it,my precious 31 year old daughter just died from it with liver failure,August 26,it is a horrible death.

Answer 9

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 10

certainly............