BlueHues
Bluelighter
And I understand someone feeling that way and I think it's reasonable to still want to know, but there's a lot of people out there that still think you can get Hep C by sharing a drinking cup.
-
-
SLR Moderators: Senior Staff
how and when to tell a girl u have hep c
- Thread starter therealog
- Start date
And I understand someone feeling that way and I think it's reasonable to still want to know, but there's a lot of people out there that still think you can get Hep C by sharing a drinking cup.
verso
Bluelighter
Yikes... Yeah, Wobblier sort of alluded to the same thing when he said that the attitude some people have towards HCV/HIV is somewhat akin to how people once felt about marijuana with the whole cannabis propaganda and "Know your dope fiend." It is pretty ridiculous, and there's no doubt about that.
But see, I may also feel a little bit differently about the issue, the need for one to disclose their status before sleeping with a partner, because, well, I don't have HCV or HIV, and I don't have one night stands either. I'm not sure how I would feel about it if I were HIV/HCV positive and if I were into one-night stands.
While I feel that Wobblier's explanation makes perfect sense, is reasonable, and would or should go over well with someone you have been seeing for some time already and with whom you might have that time and that opportunity to have such a conversation, well, I'm not sure how it would go over or if there would even be that same opportunity with a potential partner provided it's merely a one-night stand. I imagine that there wouldn't be that opportunity, really, and a quick run-down of all the little risk factors and transmission factoids would turn a partner off...
So, if I were HCV positive, and if I were into one-night stands, knowing that the risk of transmission is so unbelievably, incredibly low, I'm not sure how I would feel about it or what I might do. I really don't...
BlueHues
Bluelighter
^Obviously you know there's a huge difference between HCV and HIV...just the way you're putting it in the slashes "HIV/HCV"....HIV is very different than Hep C, it's also more easily transmitted through sexual contact because it occurs in high concentrations in semen and other bodily fluids....
The only reason to mention these two diseases together is because they both can be transmitted by sharing IV equipment. I'm not trying to be nit-picky about this or pick on anyone who has HIV, but Hep C is a much different, much less scary disease IMO...
HIV can take several years to show up as well, but it generally shows up a lot sooner than Hep C, and it completely attacks your immune system making you defenseless against a whole host of illnesses. There's thousands of different ways HIV can manifest, whereas hepatitis C pretty much only attacks your liver....
And as I mentioned before, in the vast majority of Hep C cases, it generally takes 20+ years for the virus to even begin attacking your liver. Also the liver is actually much bigger than it really needs to be to do it's job of filtering toxins from the bloodstream so you can function with only 50% of your liver working. The liver is also one of the few organs capable of completely regenerating itself if it's damaged, providing that there's no scarring.
Also, Hep C CAN be completely cleared from the body and cured in many cases these days, and even if it can't be cured it can be sent into remission with the treatments available today. The problem is that the treatments themselves can be very debilitating and wearing on you.
Hep C can be a very bad disease and obviously nobody wants to have it, but it's not an STD, it's not HIV, it takes a very long time to manifest symptoms most of the time and it's very treatable.
Another thing I'll mention while I'm writing this:
HIV is much harder to get from sharing IV equipment than Hep C but much easier to get through sexual contact. The reason for this is that HIV dies pretty much as soon as it hits the air and requires more parts per million in the blood to contract than Hep C. Hep C can survive for long periods of time outside the body and requires a lot fewer PPMs to occur for it to be transmitted from IVing. This is why so many IV drug users have it. Even sharing water, filters or cookers days after they've been used it's still fairly easy to contract Hep C, whereas the HIV virus under the same circumstances would be long since dead.
The reason that HIV is much easier to contract through sexual contact than Hep C is that it occurs in sufficient concentrations is semen and vaginal fluid that it can be transmitted through those fluids without any blood being present.(At least it does in semen, I'm pretty sure in vaginal fluid too, but not 100% certain)
Hep C only occurs in sufficient concentrations to contract in the blood, and blood on blood contact is the only way to get it. So the only scenario by which to contract Hep C is from someone elses bloodstream directly into yours, which is highly unlikely to occur during normal sex. One way Hep C can be transmitted besides sharing needles is by sharing things that have blood on them and introducing that to cuts or other open sores.
Hep C can be contracted by sharing razor blades.
So, that's my lecture on hep c....
The only reason to mention these two diseases together is because they both can be transmitted by sharing IV equipment. I'm not trying to be nit-picky about this or pick on anyone who has HIV, but Hep C is a much different, much less scary disease IMO...
HIV can take several years to show up as well, but it generally shows up a lot sooner than Hep C, and it completely attacks your immune system making you defenseless against a whole host of illnesses. There's thousands of different ways HIV can manifest, whereas hepatitis C pretty much only attacks your liver....
And as I mentioned before, in the vast majority of Hep C cases, it generally takes 20+ years for the virus to even begin attacking your liver. Also the liver is actually much bigger than it really needs to be to do it's job of filtering toxins from the bloodstream so you can function with only 50% of your liver working. The liver is also one of the few organs capable of completely regenerating itself if it's damaged, providing that there's no scarring.
Also, Hep C CAN be completely cleared from the body and cured in many cases these days, and even if it can't be cured it can be sent into remission with the treatments available today. The problem is that the treatments themselves can be very debilitating and wearing on you.
Hep C can be a very bad disease and obviously nobody wants to have it, but it's not an STD, it's not HIV, it takes a very long time to manifest symptoms most of the time and it's very treatable.
Another thing I'll mention while I'm writing this:
HIV is much harder to get from sharing IV equipment than Hep C but much easier to get through sexual contact. The reason for this is that HIV dies pretty much as soon as it hits the air and requires more parts per million in the blood to contract than Hep C. Hep C can survive for long periods of time outside the body and requires a lot fewer PPMs to occur for it to be transmitted from IVing. This is why so many IV drug users have it. Even sharing water, filters or cookers days after they've been used it's still fairly easy to contract Hep C, whereas the HIV virus under the same circumstances would be long since dead.
The reason that HIV is much easier to contract through sexual contact than Hep C is that it occurs in sufficient concentrations is semen and vaginal fluid that it can be transmitted through those fluids without any blood being present.(At least it does in semen, I'm pretty sure in vaginal fluid too, but not 100% certain)
Hep C only occurs in sufficient concentrations to contract in the blood, and blood on blood contact is the only way to get it. So the only scenario by which to contract Hep C is from someone elses bloodstream directly into yours, which is highly unlikely to occur during normal sex. One way Hep C can be transmitted besides sharing needles is by sharing things that have blood on them and introducing that to cuts or other open sores.
Hep C can be contracted by sharing razor blades.
So, that's my lecture on hep c....
Last edited:
verso
Bluelighter
I'm fascinated that my using the slashes somehow suggested to you that I believe HCV and HIV are similar in all respects, and I wasn't even aware that this is what a slash denotes -- similarity in all respects; HCV and HIV are similar in that they are both blood borne diseases which, in my opinion and by my estimation, is reason enough to warrant my using the slashes. I'm not the first person in this thread to have mentioned the two diseases together either, so I imagine that others here have also found their both being blood borne illnesses worth mentioning and relevant to some degree. But this is obviously an issue very close to you or one that you take very, very personally for my using a slash between HCV and HIV to incite one very long, in-depth post on all of the differences between the two diseases.
As for which disease is "scarier," I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem like a point worth arguing over at any rate.
Last edited:
And eloquently put too. Thanks
Agreed, I suppose... both blood born viruses, lots of co-infection cases out there etc....
I would trade my HIV in for HCV any day (prefer to have neither of course), personally HIV seems 'scarier' to me, not sure why and I haven't meditated / delved into why. Though my knowledge on HCV is lower than my knowledge on HIV
...hmmm the whole thing is a bit negative, slightly dark thoughts, that being contemplating which is worse HIV or HCV?
Getting a HIV+ diagnoses changes everything. I quickly found positivism/optimism leads to strength. It was like a default defense mode kicked in for me (I was not burying my head in the sand, I was being realistic, it was just scenarios like these (contemplating which disease is worse) aren't positive, they are taxing and lead nowhere, so are left out...and I don't have HCV, anyway).
HIV has made me a better person in some sense, in quite a few surprisingly different ways too. There's nothing quite like being constantly reminded of your own mortality, even when reports say life expectancy is near normal now a days...I'm ranting now, sorry, I'll stop.
Nice to see a post where someone is being completely honest and not just opinionated and says he doesn't know how he would 'feel' or what he would 'do'.
Well I do not have HCV but I am HIV+, diagnosed one year last month. Regarding one night stands, putting aside I am in a loving relationship, (coupled with busy career), my sex drive has dropped a lot. I have read this can be a rather common thing. If I was single I doubt I would have many one night stands. If I did I would wait to my VL is none detectable by using ARV's and I would be extra safe with a condom, I might even carry some PEP pills. This would be more than enough, but it would destroy me if I knew I passed it on to anyone.
I am very safe with my girlfriend, she doesn't have a problem with any of it as she has done the research. She is HIV- and was with me when I found out I was HIV+, so I never had any of the problems of should I tell her or shouldn't I tell her, because I didn't know at the time, we found out together... Thank f**k she is negative.
Last edited:
Spoo
Ex-Bluelighter
You have the responsibility to any partner to tell her of any disease that may be transmittable even if its blood-to-blood exposure. Not only is it her right but it also says something about the level of trust in your relationship. Women will react differently, but there is nothing you can do about that and what shows your strength is how you respond to her criticism of your disease, if she is put off. I recommend hiring a Singing Telegram service to break the news.
No legal 'right' in most countries. But I understand where you are coming form.
exactly,it all comes down to the people, the relationship, the type of relationship, the length of the relationship and wants and needs on both sides and timing etc., etc. Way to many variables and way to subjective to comment on with a definite 'yes you should' or 'no you should not'answer.
What an awesome idea!...now this is a fun way to look at the world which I try to prescribe to.
Last edited:
BlueHues
Bluelighter
^^Generally a slash is used to lump two similar things together...Nuts/legumes, amphetamines/stimulants etc. In your case you were using the slash to refer to them both being blood-borne illnesses...
A lot of people do seem to be lumping Hepatitis C in with HIV, and if not that, they are completely clueless about the disease itself. A lot of the scare-tactic anti-sex/anti drug propaganda put out by certain members of the medical/recovery(there's a slash for ya) community pretty much comes out and calls Hep C a terminal, deadly, incurable illness, which is huge lie of omission. What they're omitting are the things I mentioned in my previous post.
As far as taking it personally and being "very very close" to me or whatever it is you wrote...I've been around IV drug use and "recovery" for 15 years at this point and I've met hundreds of people with Hep C. I can't even remember how many older people I've met who weren't even hard-core needle users who dabbled a little bit in the '70s and '80s and found out decades later, not because of any symptoms but because they just happened to have a test for it and came back positive. It's an extremely common disease in the US that has a lot of misinformation floating around it, which bothers me.
Like I said, if there's any risk of transmitting a disease to someone through sexual contact, I believe that you should let them know before you have sex.
This includes:
People who have herpes that aren't in a "breakout" phase because there's still a risk of transmission, although extremely small.
People with HPV(Human Papilloma Virus)
Anyone who's ever had a genital wart even if it's been removed, because there's a risk that it could come back and you could potentially give it to someone else.
^If you include those three things in the zero-tolerance full disease disclosure discussion, pretty much half the world would be bringing paperwork and waivers with them to their dates. I'm just joking...but if anything, the risk for any STD should be treated the same way. If there's a point I'm trying to make, it's exactly that.
A lot of people do seem to be lumping Hepatitis C in with HIV, and if not that, they are completely clueless about the disease itself. A lot of the scare-tactic anti-sex/anti drug propaganda put out by certain members of the medical/recovery(there's a slash for ya) community pretty much comes out and calls Hep C a terminal, deadly, incurable illness, which is huge lie of omission. What they're omitting are the things I mentioned in my previous post.
As far as taking it personally and being "very very close" to me or whatever it is you wrote...I've been around IV drug use and "recovery" for 15 years at this point and I've met hundreds of people with Hep C. I can't even remember how many older people I've met who weren't even hard-core needle users who dabbled a little bit in the '70s and '80s and found out decades later, not because of any symptoms but because they just happened to have a test for it and came back positive. It's an extremely common disease in the US that has a lot of misinformation floating around it, which bothers me.
Like I said, if there's any risk of transmitting a disease to someone through sexual contact, I believe that you should let them know before you have sex.
This includes:
People who have herpes that aren't in a "breakout" phase because there's still a risk of transmission, although extremely small.
People with HPV(Human Papilloma Virus)
Anyone who's ever had a genital wart even if it's been removed, because there's a risk that it could come back and you could potentially give it to someone else.
^If you include those three things in the zero-tolerance full disease disclosure discussion, pretty much half the world would be bringing paperwork and waivers with them to their dates. I'm just joking...but if anything, the risk for any STD should be treated the same way. If there's a point I'm trying to make, it's exactly that.
junegreenjeans
Bluelighter
Right away. Wouldn't you want/need to know?
Hands up, I've done this, on here but only because I am trying to relate to the situation through my own HIV+ diagnosis, though I am first to admit my Hep C knowledge isn't great.
What do you do with a girl with herpes? ....
Sucked, because she was really hot and I really liked her!
Then you my friend were a misguided fool and she was lucky to get rid of you. If she was hot and you really liked her then why would it matter what she had, just have safe sex. This kind of sums up this 80% of this thread i.e: "you should disclose straight away so they can run a f**king mile ..."
(It's the OP's fault the way the phrased the question with no background information)
No, it would kill the mood, wouldn't it not for you? I don't want to watch the cow getting butchered 5 minutes before I eat a steak. As long as safety precautions are used the rest is none of my business.
This makes sense:
However if I was in a relationship and it was starting to get serious I would want to know as I would want to be able to share everything with my partner. I would want to know everything from the mundane to the serious ...But that's is just me.
I could never advice the OP if he should disclose or he if he shouldn't, it is none of my business, only that I hope he is being safe, in line with his countries laws and doctors advice.
Sounds fair, some sort of consistency, 'treated the same way'.
Interesting what you said about 'half the world' I'm guessing if we look deeper at the stats it would be a lot more than half the world population, just how many people have the Cold sore (herpes simplex virus) for example?
Can you imagine if they made it law to disclose everything, I picture some dating sites would be like:
"Hi, my names John Doe, I'm 6 feet tall, I like French movies, rainy days, walks on the beach...oh and I get cold-sores when I am run down. Do you want to get a coffee sometime?" :D
And that's all I've got left to say about that. And now for the apple pie... risk of transmission? 100% ... ahhhhhyeah!
:D :D
Last edited:
verso
Bluelighter
I was taught that, generally speaking, a slash is used as a sort of punctuational-substitute for the word "or" which would have made the way that I used it very much appropriate and correct; the two objects, ideas or "things" that the slash separates do not need to be similar in every respect or even in any respect depending upon how the slash is being used.
So I'm going to have to stand by my slashes
... despite HCV and HIV's being two different blood-borne illnesses -- something that I was under the impression everyone participating in this discussion understood. (shrugs)