How can I tell to my boyfriend that I have Hep B?

hi there, Sheryl here.

I want to also share my experience about having HepB. I am only 22years old and have 1 daughter. I did not know where i got it. The father of my child haven't been tested if he has the HepB aswell. We separated 2 years ago and I was single for that span of time and no sex. I have a boyfriend now and we had sex for twice already and once w/ out condom. I am afraid that he might get HepB and leave me if i told him about it. How can i tell him about this?

Thank you

[veteranB]

You need to disclose your HBV status. In many countries if you knowingly infect somebody with HBV, HIV, HCV it is a felony.

How to be people get HBV? well from other people via sex, poorly sanitized dental or surgical tools, kids can get it even from sharing a drink. If you don't recall heaving strange flue like symptoms with yellowing of the skin and urine turning dark brown-beer color. If you don't remember profound fatigue of not being able to get out of bed, then you probably had Hep B since you were a child. It is really hard to say when you were exposed to it.

Maybe it was your ex husband that gave it to you.. now it is not important. What is important is telling your boyfriend your status.

He will freak out of course as all people do, but just tell him that if he does not have it, a vaccine will protect him. And he needs to be vaccinated immediately in order to have relations with you.

Also you need to get all your HBV markers get tested.. so you know your status. And if you have active disease pretty good treatments are available. Young people tend to do good with interferon clearing hbv in 6-12 months on it. Very tough treatment but better then taking anti HIV agents for ever till they come up with a cure. And cure for us is around 5-7 years away.  I am probably the very rich people can get these newer agents they are testing now.. but the rest of us have to wait.

But with HepB if it is an active disease the earlier you treat the better the chance. The longer you wait the more damage it does.

As far as your boyfriend  goes, if he is clear of HBV get him vaccinated and he has nothing to worry about.

[Flameboy]

You had sex with him unprotected knowing you have hep b!! Are you crazy? Its because of people like you this gets spread about. I dont mean to be horrible but its true. I got infected unknowingly possibly from my ex i now i am living in hell i wouldnt dare to put anyone at risk the fact that u did is unbelivable. You need to see a liver doctor and psyciatrist.

[Rome70]

Hi there! Do not overplay it! You get chronic in childhood, adults are cleared by themself in 95% of cases, so you'd better blame your parents or the hospitals but not your sexpartners -- this is not the way the virus gets around.

[veteranB]

I am pretty sure I was infected by young Korean chick 6 years ago. Because I had all the symptoms of either hbv or hiv. And she dissapeared aftet that when I began to feel sick and called her to find out if I should worry about anything. When she bailed out I knew something is not right and so I went to the emergency room. They ofcourse were not sure of anything and said it is just stress but gave me antibiotics to take for 30 days. A month later I woke up with the mouth full of oral thrush. There after I had 50 hiv tests.  And I was and still am not the same person.

But they tell me that my hbv exposure was not related to that insident since I have genotype A hbv and it was an e negative infection which they said cannot develop within 3 months. But I did catch something maybe it was CMV that woke up my hbv. However my ex girlfriend tested negative for hbv and was not immuned to it. So go figure what I have caught they did find staph in my urine like 3 months after. That is US health care at its best - totall bedlum really for an outrageous price.

But the bottom line yes a lot of people dont tell what they are sick with. You have people who are hiv + engaging in sex without telling.

But guys these days that HIV  - hbv and hcv run wild you cant fault people  for it. Here in California one of every 4 women has HSV2  - that is statistics. Over in the south east states Florida and there about HIV is prevelant as high as in Africa. The bottom line these days almost everyone has something. And some people just dont have the currage to tell.

[veteranB]

Condoms dont protect. It is a myth spread by the condom manufacturers. Google the German research  on this where they say hiv goes through the condom pores. Viruses are tiny. Best solution against hbv is to get vaccinated.

Yeah these days if you meet somebody you like both people need test for everything  before engaging in the fun activities. This is the reality of today. And knowing this I dont know how can the drug companies take freaken so long to test new drugs.

[Flameboy]

Rome 70 what are you talking about? Blame my parents! They have no trace of hep b neither does my sister. If it is not transmitted sexually why is it classified as a std/sti and why do people who have hep b need to inform there partners to get vaccinated before any sexuall activity?

[Rome70]

Of course people need to inform their sexual partners about HBV, but what I am telling, is that you can not practically get Chronic hbv via sexual contact, unless you are enjoying chemotherapy the same time or have HIV. 95% of people get chronic infection in the very young age, it is well established fact now.

[Rome70]

Of course you can get acute hbv very easily, that is nothing pleasant either, but not CRONIC (chronic).

[jiyashe]

Hi veteranB, thanks for the reply. I totally forgot about it bec i dont have any relationship for the past 2 years. If he will be vaccinated, he will not have any tendency to have this?

[veteranB]

Yes if he is not infected himself he will not have to worry about it after 3-6  following vaccination. When he develops fully protective antibodies. He may be vaccinated against hbv allready since your age group was supposed to be anyway. Hbv vaccine now is a standard part of all child immunizations. Our age group  in their late 30s we were not required to get it.

So your man should go test for HepB if he is not immuned to it he should be vaccinated against. In 3-6 months following testing to see his antibodies levels if he has reached protective lovels you both can have unprotected sex.

You should get all your hbv markers tested to know your stage of the disease and if it is active I recommend you treat it if you want to live a full life.

Chronic HBV is aids of the liver just remember that. But treatments are available and in 5 years we may actually see cures they have now in research setting become available for us all.

[veteranB]

Rome is correct for 95% of adults with healthy immune systems hbv is not an issue. People will recover.

It is an issue for people with hiv htlv lupus diabetics  and undergoing a chemotherapy. In the settings of hiv htlv and chemotherapy it is observed that patients who have recovered from hbv have antibodies loss and reappearance of the virus.  

[Happyd]

Jiyashe, you should have told your partner about your status and make sure you will tell this to your future partners.
Regarding sexually transmited hbv I'm not sure what to say, I justtell you my own experience, my husband didn't catch it from me and we had many unprotected intercourses. Now he's undergoing vaccination.
My mom has the virus as well and my dad didn't catch it either even if they had never used protection. (my dad was a blood donor).
Yes, about 95% healthy adults will clear hbv.
But we should inform our partners about every disease we have because that's exactly what we expect from them, right?

[grmr]

hi Sheryl, I understand you perfectly.  

Do not worry,as people told here, hbv gets chronic only if infected at birth, as I was, or early childhood.. so even if he has not antibodies he can be infeceted and clear hbs by developing hbsab (ab standf fot AntiBodies).

Anihow be fair and transparent with him about HBV, teach him what ii is and gets him to realize he can be immune so you can have unprotected sexual intercourse.

btw, is your daughetr a carrier tooo.. did she undergo vaccination at birth?

[armita446]

Hi, I got test result, doctor told me I am Hep B pos but I need to undergo more tests. I am 30, healthy, I dont drink or smoke either, is it chance I can clear my HBV?? Or If I am chronic I really got it much much earlier, if so, why I didnt know it even 5 years ago I was tested for viral deseases??? I am confused! Thanks

[jiyashe]

Hi, yeah. I was already tested and it is not active. I am just requires by my doctor to go see him every 6 months. Thank u so much for the info. My boyfriend already know and we will have him tested asap.

[jiyashe]

Hi, thank you for the comment. Yeah, i already have talked to him about this issue and we are planning to have him tested asap. Meaning you have this HepB but ur husband didnt catch it?

[jiyashe]

Hi, when i gave birth to my daughter, my doctor asked my ex to get a vaccination within 24hrs after  i gave birth, they had a hard time looking for that kind of vaccine bec it is only offered in a few hospitals here and fortunately they found one hospital who has it and successfull vaccinated my daughter. She is complete w/ all HepB vaccine.

[Happyd]

No, he didn't catch it but I'm Hbeag negative. Now he's getting the necessary vaccines because that's the right thing to do

[yasir_anwar]

guys...i hav researchd alot,wd virus its lyk u r nt living......ov all wht i learned is the combination of medical and herbal treatmnt, first prepar urself fr fght wd virus,whn u get ready.....thn strt wd medcine bt u hav to tak very goood balnce diet ...protein,carbohydrat and less fat....nd multivitamin......strt wd a antiviral,,entecavir once daily...nd vit d3 once week,and calcium supllemnt,natazoxide thrice daily ,sillimaryin once daily,nd thymus extract,genseng herb once daily,,,all this ll work against virus and built up ur immune sys,try ths

[jiyashe]

Hi to all.. I got my Lab tests already. As per my doctor, i am still a carrier but the virus is just sleeping and no need for any medications. I'll have my check up again after 6 mos.. Im so happy.. and w/ regards to my boyfriend, we're still waiting for his results as well and my doctor told me that there is a really small chance of him getting it.. :)

[lenra111474]

but how do you feel right now? dont you notice  any unusual signs or symptoms  in your body.,?

[jiyashe]

Hi i feel totally fine. superb..i am also really happy with the result of my boyfriend's lab tests.. His non-reactive in hepB.. :)

[grmr]

well done... you see words are really worth!!!!!!!!

[jiyashe]

Yeah, thank u so much.. :) Im really happy right now..

[Formerbiologist]

I completely agree with you, most of ppl here dont have good knowledge about Hep B, there is very low chance to speard over the sex, i have known about 10 couples around me, their spouses contracted with Hep B but they are totally clean, even they have been living together for years, have kids. But better to use condoms till both of you know that you guys are safe for each other, tell him to get vaccined if you want unprotected sex.