Infecting partners-what are the odds?

[anicetree]

Does anyone know what the odds are for infecting a partner? I say this because I am building up to telling my ex wife that I have it. I don't speak to her and she drops our daughter at the door. It would be nice if I could say the odds were 50 to one or whatever. Has there ever been any research done?

[anicetree]

Thank you all for your comments and support which gave me the courage to do what needed to be done. She took it well when I told her but after she had read up about it she was very worried. However, the good news is that she was not infected.

To me the guilt and worry that I had passed it on was as bad as being told I had hep c. The doctor that has been treating me never told me what I learned from people on this board and I have had extra stress that I could have done without.

I think those who treat hep c should collect data on the ratio of family infection as It would be so easy and then the facts would be there.

Thanks again

[Livelife777]

If you have engaged in a heterosexual monogamous relationship your chances of giving the virus to your partner is 2.2%.  That would be without craziness thrown in.
I was with my husband for 20 years and he never tested positive.  In fact like you, I only found out I was positive after our divorce so we never practiced safe sex.   It actually came as a shock!
Did obviously tell him and he was grateful, not angry.   Your wife should thank you for letting her know, and hopefully not be overly upset.  We didn't ask for this, and you should not be made to feel guilty.

...Kim

[cheflady]

Hi and welcome it is extremely difficult to get infected that way it is BLOOD/BLOOD my hubby treated last yr and had hep c for 30 odd yrs and i tested negetive i too shared razors nail clippers even toothbrush when i been in a hurry so i would'nt worry too much i agree that you ought to inform her of your situation and maybe tell her to get tested just for peace of mind. Good luck Jules

[anicetree]

Thank you for your comments.
It's just that she used my razors to shave her legs. I think there should be  data collected because it would be easy to do.
Telling her is going to be hard and may cause a lot of problems but I know it is the right thing to do. It is just that I would like to start by saying the chances are remote.

[patra_]

I was tryinfg to say " to BE ON the SAFE side".

[patra_]

Chances are vey low that you have infected a partner.  hepc is a blood to blood trasmitted disease.  I belive I read somewhere on ther that the odds are somewhere like less than 5 %.  i have been married for the whole time I have had hepc c - over 40 years - and my husband does not have it.  My pcp, back 20 years ago when I was first diagnosed, said he had a patient couple, one of whom had had hepc c for 20 years and one who didn't.

Be encouraged, but recommend that she get tested to bemon the same side.  It's the right thing to do.

Good luck with both communicating the info AND with treatment in getting rid od the dragon.

[susan400]

I'm not sure that I know the exact 'odds'. But I can tell you that it's highly unlikely that you infected her, unless (without getting graphic), you two engaged in some kind of unsafe sexual practices, if you know what I mean.  Hep C is a blood borne illness.  It would probably easier for a woman who was menstruating to infect a man (if they had sex at that time) and if the man had an open area on his skin.  But, even that is rare.  It's probably easier to be infected by household accidentally exposure i.e. using each other razors or fingernail clipper or tweezers, than it would be to be infected by regular sexual relations.  I myself know of several married couples where one of them has Hep C and the other partner never turned positive and never became infected.  And they were married for years.  You still should tell her, but I would provide her with literature about the disease, first.  Susan400