boyfriend has hepatitis c

[hhhmmm]

I'm hoping somebody on here can point me towards more detailed information about hepatitis c and anal sex. my boyfriend of about 2 years was recently diagnosed with hepatitis c(negative for everything else, thank god). given his medical history it's almost certain he contracted it atleast 20 years ago. I tested negative last week and we've been having unprotected sex for most of our relationship, although it's been a long distance relationship where we sometimes haven't seen each other for a month or two. So I'm worried about what the risk would be if we continued to have unprotected sex. I haven't been able to find a whole lot of information about hepatitis c and anal sex other than the risk of transmission is higher than vaginal sex

and yes, I'd love to see an actual doctor and not a nurse at a public health clinic who won't tell me anything other than the bullet points on a pamphlet, but I don't have the money at the moment. so if anyone could provide more information I'd really appreciate it

 

[SteveyBoyLA]

Sorry to hear your bf has Hep C. Hep C might not cause any problems for about 15 to 20 years, or even longer, but it can cause serious liver damage if not treated. Hep C spreads more easily than HIV through contact with infected blood, so you should be concerned about unprotected sex - put the condom on!

Check out the site below (TheBody.com). The focus is HIV, but there are similarities between transmission of HIV and HepC. The site has many articles about HepC. Send an e-mail to a great Dr. on this site - Dr. Bob Francino about your concern.

Best of luck my friend between you and your bf. He deserves hugs. love and support, as do you.

http://www.thebody.com/index/treat/hepatit_c.html#basics

 

[KaraBulut]

Hep C spreads more easily than HIV through contact with infected blood, so you should be concerned about unprotected sex - put the condom on!

I just wanted to call attention to the bolded words above.

Hepatis C virus (HCV) is transmitted primarily by blood. Semen is not as an effective means of transmission. For this reason, we see more cases of HCV exposure in IV drug users and healthcare workers. It can be transmitted by sexual intercourse but that is not the primary means of transmission.

So I'm worried about what the risk would be if we continued to have unprotected sex. I haven't been able to find a whole lot of information about hepatitis c and anal sex other than the risk of transmission is higher than vaginal sex

You're correct that the recommendations for prevention focus more on vaginal intercourse and less on anal intercourse. There's not as much research on HCV and gay men- most of the research has focused on hepatits B infection which is a different virus that is much more common in the gay community.

How often is HCV transmitted by oral or anal sex? We don't know. A large percentage of the people who are diagnosed with HCV infection are discovered when they are tested when they donate blood or when they have abnormal liver enzymes in a routine blood test. Quite often, they have no idea where they contracted HCV.

To protect yourself, you should use condoms for anal. Better safe than sorry.

You should also not share razors, toothbrushes and anything that could place you in contact with his blood.

 

[BearMagus]

Hep C is spread by bloood-to-blood contact not necessarily by blood based fluids like HIV. Needles, tattoos, and sharing cocaine straws are the most common way. Married couples with Hep C have a less than 1% transmission rate. There are 6 genotypes of the HCV and then subtypes. Genotype 1 is the most difficult to treat and the most dangerous. Having HCV does not mean you will die nor does it mean you will get sick or even have liver problems. Again, it depends on the genotype and the individual. Have your partner get a viral load test and then a genotype test. There is a new drug coming out this summer which is used in combination with others drugs that will supposedly cure HCV. The government is recommending anyone in the Baby Boomer generations be tested and treated first. The higher your viral load or length with the infection will put you higher up the list for the new drug.

I am HCV positive and have been for 20+ years. My liver enzymes are normal, and I feel good. I am at the top of the list in our area for receiving the new drugs when they are released.

PM me if you want. There are several good sites you and your partner can check out.

 

[Corny]

You should also not share razors, toothbrushes and anything that could place you in contact with his blood.

just a stupid .. or maybe not so stupid question. I most HIV related material they say that it is not a risk to share a toothbrush with a positive person.
Why is it a problem with hep c? is the virus that much more .. "virulent"?

 

[KaraBulut]

just a stupid .. or maybe not so stupid question. I most HIV related material they say that it is not a risk to share a toothbrush with a positive person.
Why is it a problem with hep c? is the virus that much more .. "virulent"?

I've had several coworkers who have contracted HCV on the job from blood exposures. They didn't have needlesticks or other exposures that they can remember.

We think these exposures are the result of coming into contact with blood. And it leads us to suspect that HCV can remain virulent outside the human body for extended periods of time- generally believed to be about 1 day. I read one study that found that HCV in blood media could remain virulent for for several days.

In contrast, HIV is rather fragile. Exposure to high/low temperature, drying or being outside the human body all seem to make it non-virulent.

And just to be clear on the toothbrush- the means of transmission would not be saliva- it would be blood on the toothbrush from bleeding gums that would be the media.

 

[Corny]

^ i got that much, but i wrongly assumed that other virii would be as sensitive to other environment as HIV. thanks for clearing it up