2007-01-06 23:05:35 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
I was trying to save and educate my friend. Please answer so that he can understand that I'm telling him the truth and not just "Making up reason to incourage him to stop." P.S...What are the odds and is it different odds if it has mucus VS blood on the shared straw? I have found evidence of hepatitis reported possiable, but no odds of it happening. The report said that hepatitis was rarely passed from sexual contact.
2007-01-06 23:24:20 · update #1
Can't tell you the odds, wasn't until lately that medical community started admitting that a gastroenerology study in 2004 had determined that HCV (hepatitis c) did not require the use of condoms to prevent sexual transmission. They found no cases of sexual transmission between couples in monogomous relationships where 1 had HCV and the other did not.
It may be a very low percentage initially, but as 2 respondents pointed out, it is not nil. It would be higher if both participants had been using for awhile and had bloody noses, and also had lowered immune systems. I don't think you will find anywhere that would have that percentage computed, usually there is more than one at risk behaviour involved.
Besides, this isn't a ball game, or a horse race, where knowing how to play the odds is beneficial. If you get HCV, it's yours, for life! There is no cure! Take your friend to a diner and get him an extra straw for his pop. There is absolutely no reason to play the odds over something that can be resolved so easily.
If you are that concerned I would suggest you get rubber gloves, and bleach to mix at 15% dilution rate with water, to clean up any blood products left if your friend gets cut, or itches a mosquito bite, etc. Don't let him borrow your toothbrush, razor, or hairbrush. Remember too that the blood products do not have to be visible as blood.
HCV is often quantisized by the number of copies of virus per cubic milliliter of blood. At 50 copies per ml, a carrier is deemed clear (tests are inaccurate below 50 copies / ml3), and many people have below 1 million copies and still have an active HCV infection. There are many who have 3 to 5 million copies / ml 3. A cubic milliliter isn't alot of blood, and yet it could have 3 - 5 million copies of HCV virus, and it can live outside the body for several days. I don't know how many copies are required for infection to occur, but red cross won't accept blood from an HCV carrier even if they are "clear."
So I can't tell you the odds of getting HCV from sharing straws, but I can tell you that having your own straw, that you don't share, can help raise the odds in your favor of not getting HCV. It would be good if he could quit now, before HCV tears up his liver and makes him quit or die. But everybody has to make thier own choices. Can't protect people from themselves!
2007-01-08 01:25:29 · answer #1 · answered by Greg I 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cocaine Straw
2016-09-28 00:28:12 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are many diseases brought on by snorting cocaine, not just through straws- when those who share things such as straws, their germs and any disease they carry can be transmitted.
hepatitis c- a great cause of concern as those who snort cocaine have a tendancy to bleed, all it takes is a drop of blood unseen by the eye to get hcv-that is, if it enters the blood stream.
other diseases are spread, HIV, HBV, Herpe's.
Then there are lung, heart and cns issues associated with cocaine itself.
Drugs weaken the bodies defenses in more than one way.
Most folks simply use dollar bills, and although not shared by anyone else in the group of abusers, the money has already millions and millions of germs on them, let alone blood too!
Drug use is a sign of depression. Viruses themselves play a role in depression, chances are your friend is very sick already-hence the need to self medicate.
Did you know your friend can cause enough damage to the lungs and heart with one snort?
Have a joint burn on the lips? The other has an infection in the mouth? Dont share the joint!
I wish you both well and good luck!
2007-01-07 18:21:29 · answer #3 · answered by Stephanie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the danger in snorting coke is not the straw, its the coke. its crystalline structure tears up the mucus membranes, can actually eat a hole in the septum. Not to mention the other effects.
2007-01-07 01:15:30 · answer #4 · answered by David B 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
well to be honest, i dont think your friend cares about his health or he wouldn t be snorting coke. there s many diseases that hang out in the nose. maybe buy him his own straw since he can t afford to get one of his own
2007-01-06 23:50:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋