Hepatitis from vaginal discharge?

[WorriedSick17]

How likely is it that you can contract Hepatitis B, C, from sexual contact? If one has a cracked cuticle or a cut on their hand and comes into contact with vaginal discharge of an unknown Hep status person can this be a possible transmission risk? Also, contact with that discharge and mouth or eyes a possibility? What are the odds from a one time possible exposure?

Any help on this possible transmission method would be much appreciated. After a risky exposure like this what would be the proper testing timeline to confirm or deny Hepatitis infection?

I believe that i may have put myself at risk through an encounter and i wouldnt ever want to put another at risk in the future until i get some answers via here, and future testing.

[WorriedSick17]

I am supposed to be getting vaccinated from work, but they are taking their sweet time getting it done. havent even gotten the first shot yet and it was supposed to start sometime ago. I will ask my doctor about that, can I still get vaccinated if there is a possible exposure/infection taking place?

[jmjm530]

Have you thought about having yourself vaccinated for Hepatitis B?

[WorriedSick17]

I have discussed the possibilities with my doctor here in Kuwait. He says that I shouldnt be worried about it. But I like to err on the side of paranoia and reality both.

Another cause for concern for me is a personal testimony I ve heard recently from a co worker here. She has been married for 23 years totally monogamous, and she and her husband went to Thailand about six months ago and just vacationed. Didnt have any kind of risky behavior like sex or any accidents invovled blood or bodily fluids. Three months later she went for a round of blood tests for another condition she was having and ended finding out (after her blood tests showed anomalies) that she was HBV positive. Her husband was found to be negative. She not only had a Hep test as part of taking her job here before her trip, which was negative, but she had no recollection of any kind of exposure event....ever, during her time here. She literally has no idea how she contracted the virus. They are attributing the infection to a possible exposure to something during their vacation in Thailand. If this virus is that virilulent and can survive that long in bodily fluids I have half a mind to believe, at least theoretically, that there is a possibility that I might have had a risk of exposure based on the events that I have described in my own situation.

Sorry for the long gab story, but its just another reason why I get so concerned about these issues regarding Hep. If people are getting infected and dont have a recollection of exposures (which seems to be the case in the new infections in the United States as well) how is there not more research or confirmed information about the way this virus is spread? Including risks based on scenarios that can be presented during sexual encounters? Egnimatic, thats the only word that i can use to discribe this condition/situation that human kind is facing with this disease.

[jmjm530]

I just don't know enough about Hep B to comment further. Have you discussed your exposure with your doctors? Maybe they can put it in proper perspective.

[WorriedSick17]

I have already been checked for other STDs all negative. My concern was waiting the six months to get an accurate Hep B test. And not putting anyone else at risk in that time period

My encounter invovled a woman that i didnt know that well, and was protected in terms of using a condom.

The worry is that i live in Kuwait right now and hep is prevalent in the middle east and asia. There is cause for concern because the woman is asian and many of the asian women here take menial jobs and some have been known to be sex workers on the side to make extra money as there is a big market for it here among the arab/ tourist/ contractor men that seem to always go outside their marriages for extra fun.

I just worry about this person s past, and anything that I might have put myself at risk for outside the protection of the condom. I briefly touched this womans vagina after sex and noticed a cuticle cut on the finger that i used to touch her a day later. It s just worrisome i guess. I ve been reading really deeply into the subject and it seems as though Hep B is pretty resilient outside the body for a while and theoretically ive read it possible to contract in this manner, via mouth or eye touching after exposure or a cut. I just want to be safe and not put anyone else at risk thats all. I guess i was just looking for documented cases or a personal story of infection from in this manner.

[jmjm530]

Hepatitis C is not easily spread sexually and in fact the CDC does not recommend condoms for monagamous couples not engaged in high-risk sexual activities. That said, it's possible, and latex condoms are always an alternative choice. In the uncommon cases it can be spread, this can happen man to woman OR woman to man. Just more common man to woman. The scenario you present sounds very common, and unless blood to blood was involved, I don't think you should be concerned.

As to Hepatitis B, I can't comment, however you do suggest that your partner's Hep B status is unknown? So what makes you think you got Hep B? Again, this is a very common sexual scenario.

If your sex was unprotected, and you don't know your partners, there are other more likely STDs to pick up.

If you're concerned, have an STD panel and have them throw in a Hep B test for peace of mind, assuming it's not part of the panel. However, unless you have reason to believe otherwise about this partner, I don't see any reason to live you life in fear or be a hermit for the next six months. Just use latex condoms, which are a good idea anyway until you know who you are sleeping with.

-- Jim

[GrandmaA]

Sorry I know nothing about hep. B. I never had it. I had hep. A and C.

[WorriedSick17]

im more concerned about hepatitis b, there was no blood present. hepatitis b is the one that ive read about that is most dominately spread through sexual contact. 63% of newly infected adults in the united states were infected through sexual contact according to the mckinley institute located on the University of Illinois campus.

There is mention of breaks in skin and contact with vaginal discharge, but again, there is no mention of the percent risk invovled in contact of that nature. It mostly mentions just unprotected oral and vaginal sex as the vector of infection.

[GrandmaA]

My gastro said that hepatitis C is only spread by males sexually. It is not spread by females.

[WorriedSick17]

I understand that none of you are doctors. I figured I would try this community because im having trouble actually finding things that are relevant to my situation on the STD forums that specifically speak of Hepatitis as a risk.

I hear on alot of the HIV forums when its a concern that all the symptoms that people have for HIV are , quoting the doctor, "signs or symptoms of 1000's of other common viruses or conditions" , im guessing that Hep falls under one of those conditions and its tough sometimes to get an accurate answer.

I ve done much research already and im hearing everything from people getting Hep from unknown sources, they never even know they put themselves at risk and didnt partake in any high risk activities such as unprotected sex with unknowns or IV drug use and they find out years later they have the disease. And i ve also read that people have to have a known high risk exposure, such as open wound and and contact to surface or bodily fluid with live virus to be infected. There isnt really a consensus as you mentioned as to whether this is a viable route to infection. Frankly, its scary, i feel as though i shouldnt be having any kind of sexual activities for the next six months to a year in order to eliminate any risk to a potential mate. There just isnt enough information that I have found that tells me that I should be relaxed about this just yet.

[Forseegood]

just my take...there are probably many, many threads on sexual transmission possibilities, etc etc on the archives here...plenty with this kind of subject matter in the title, so you can't miss them...we are not doctors here, there is a great researcher though...but not even the experts know, for certain, about a lot of these matters, there are a lot of unknowns about this disease...it's very hard to calibrate everything to the extent that you're asking...some of this is conjecture on our parts. Or a lot of edcuated guessing...I have heard it's almost impossible to get it form secretions of any kind, this is a blood to blood disease....

I could go into a room with 10 people who have colds...and not catch a cold myself...but my younger sister could...do you see there are so many variables, components to these questions? There are also all kind so websites, like the CDC, the Mayo Clinic, The Amercian Liver Foundation, a ton of good, medical websites and even they are in dispute on some of these issues...to a certain extent...if youre that concerned, I'd do a lot of studying on my own, along with any impressions you might find here...best of luck...