Aa
Advice Needed
Hello,
Just a few days ago I found out that a woman who I was seeing is hep c +. She advised that her doctor said that she is close to being svr but she did not disclose her viral load. We never had sex but did engage in many hours long sessions of very very deep kissing. She has visible obvious poor dental health. I am unsure if she has gum disease but by the looks of her teeth it is likely. About a week before I met her she broke a tooth. I am assuming that this caused bleeding. Almost all of the time that we were engaging in kissing she wore a cap over her tooth. One night about a week ago she took the cap off. We again engage in long deep kissing. I tasted no blood but I am sure there could have been trace amounts in her mouth if her tooth was not heeled. I floss regularly and do have slightly receding gums but I never see blood and do, in general have pretty good tooth and gum health. However I am aware that flossing can cause micro abrasions and she did bit my lip once. It did not break skin as far as I could tell.
1. How possible is it, if at all, that I could have been exposed to hep c?
2. If I was exposed to the virus, what is the statistical risk, percentage wise, of becoming infected?
3.Should I be tested? Would you be tested under these types of circumstances?
4. If I should be tested, I do not want to wait for the antibody test. Can I take the pcr test 3 weeks after the last exposure? If I receive a negative result, is one test enough?
I am trying to temper my anxiety, but I have had many health issues in my life. Any advise would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Just a few days ago I found out that a woman who I was seeing is hep c +. She advised that her doctor said that she is close to being svr but she did not disclose her viral load. We never had sex but did engage in many hours long sessions of very very deep kissing. She has visible obvious poor dental health. I am unsure if she has gum disease but by the looks of her teeth it is likely. About a week before I met her she broke a tooth. I am assuming that this caused bleeding. Almost all of the time that we were engaging in kissing she wore a cap over her tooth. One night about a week ago she took the cap off. We again engage in long deep kissing. I tasted no blood but I am sure there could have been trace amounts in her mouth if her tooth was not heeled. I floss regularly and do have slightly receding gums but I never see blood and do, in general have pretty good tooth and gum health. However I am aware that flossing can cause micro abrasions and she did bit my lip once. It did not break skin as far as I could tell.
1. How possible is it, if at all, that I could have been exposed to hep c?
2. If I was exposed to the virus, what is the statistical risk, percentage wise, of becoming infected?
3.Should I be tested? Would you be tested under these types of circumstances?
4. If I should be tested, I do not want to wait for the antibody test. Can I take the pcr test 3 weeks after the last exposure? If I receive a negative result, is one test enough?
I am trying to temper my anxiety, but I have had many health issues in my life. Any advise would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Get tested. As stated above. Hep C is not a STD. Go to local clinic and get tested. They even do tests at the STD clinics for cheap even though this is not a STD.
Then ask them for referrals for a counselor to address your OCD.
Get Tested.
Then ask them for referrals for a counselor to address your OCD.
Get Tested.
Blood to blood only. As in injected in some way.
Hep c is not that easy to catch. There are couples here who have been married many years one spouse with hep c the other spouse even after many years and having sexual relations with out protection they do not have hep c.
In fact the CDC does not recommend that long term monogamous need to use any type of protection.
Hep c is not that easy to catch. There are couples here who have been married many years one spouse with hep c the other spouse even after many years and having sexual relations with out protection they do not have hep c.
In fact the CDC does not recommend that long term monogamous need to use any type of protection.
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I do have anxiety and ocd issues. I've had some unfortunate luck with my health that has caused this so I am pretty gun shy. Does anyone know if hep c can penetrate in tact mucuos membranes (the mouth) if there is no breaks in the skin?
From the Cneter for Disease Control and Prevention Hepatitis C FAQs for the Public
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/cFAQ.htm
What are ways Hepatitis C is not spread?
Hepatitis C virus is not spread by sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing. It is also not spread through food or water.
1. How possible is it, if at all, that I could have been exposed to hep c?
No one tracks those types of statistics except to say the odds would sound to be minimal.
2. If I was exposed to the virus, what is the statistical risk, percentage wise, of becoming infected?
See above answer.
3.Should I be tested?
Entirely up to you.
3a.Would you be tested under these types of circumstances?
I would not have even thought to ask the question so not I would not.
4. If I should be tested, I do not want to wait for the antibody test. Can I take the pcr test 3 weeks after the last exposure?
I believe you get results faster for the antibody test vs the viral load test mine have taken up to 10 days to come back. The PCR test is also more expensive. The protocol for testing is normally a antibodt test to be followed up by the test for the virus if the antibody test is positive.
4a. If I receive a negative result, is one test enough?
A negative viral load does mean you are not currently infected with Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a very slow acting illness I myself have been infected for about 36 years and did not develop cirrhosis until 7 years ago. So if you are infected, which I doubt IMHO, there are new highly effective, relatively short duration treatments that are generally well tolerated available.
Worst case senario if you have hep c, get treated, get cured, no worries.
As Worried mom said we here are not doctors and cannot provide medical recommendations. For a medical opinion I strongly suggest you see your physician. Or possible a counselor to discuss you apparent anxiety issues.
Have you considered the possibility you could have anxeity or OCD issues?
You may want to ask about your excessiving worry about things not likely to happen in either the OCD or Anxiety Communities
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-OCD-/show/231
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Anxiety/show/71
Or best option speak to your health care professional about counseling
Good Luck
Lynn
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/cFAQ.htm
What are ways Hepatitis C is not spread?
Hepatitis C virus is not spread by sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing. It is also not spread through food or water.
1. How possible is it, if at all, that I could have been exposed to hep c?
No one tracks those types of statistics except to say the odds would sound to be minimal.
2. If I was exposed to the virus, what is the statistical risk, percentage wise, of becoming infected?
See above answer.
3.Should I be tested?
Entirely up to you.
3a.Would you be tested under these types of circumstances?
I would not have even thought to ask the question so not I would not.
4. If I should be tested, I do not want to wait for the antibody test. Can I take the pcr test 3 weeks after the last exposure?
I believe you get results faster for the antibody test vs the viral load test mine have taken up to 10 days to come back. The PCR test is also more expensive. The protocol for testing is normally a antibodt test to be followed up by the test for the virus if the antibody test is positive.
4a. If I receive a negative result, is one test enough?
A negative viral load does mean you are not currently infected with Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a very slow acting illness I myself have been infected for about 36 years and did not develop cirrhosis until 7 years ago. So if you are infected, which I doubt IMHO, there are new highly effective, relatively short duration treatments that are generally well tolerated available.
Worst case senario if you have hep c, get treated, get cured, no worries.
As Worried mom said we here are not doctors and cannot provide medical recommendations. For a medical opinion I strongly suggest you see your physician. Or possible a counselor to discuss you apparent anxiety issues.
Have you considered the possibility you could have anxeity or OCD issues?
You may want to ask about your excessiving worry about things not likely to happen in either the OCD or Anxiety Communities
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-OCD-/show/231
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Anxiety/show/71
Or best option speak to your health care professional about counseling
Good Luck
Lynn
And hepatitis C is not an STD.
No one here is a doctor. Get tested and get rid of the anxiety. It is doubtful you got infected that way but no one can be sure or tell you what the chances are. The viral load test should be more than adequate at 3 weeks.
No one here is a doctor. Get tested and get rid of the anxiety. It is doubtful you got infected that way but no one can be sure or tell you what the chances are. The viral load test should be more than adequate at 3 weeks.
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