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Is there a risk?

Yesterday I went for a regular STD screen and my nurse randomly added hepetitis C to my screening. His explaination was because I spent my early years abroad in Africa. Why is that cause for concern? I'm not a drug user, I'm not promiscuous, I have no stds (according to my last screening a month ago). What are my chances of having Hep C? Is it likely at all? I'm a female in my early 20s and I'm terrified of the results, I don't know how estimate my chances as my anxiety is taking over.
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Thank you for your responses. I'm still a ball of nerves but I'll just have to wait it out until I get results and post what they are. If they're negative I will be over the moon.
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I have already had the antibody test taken. I am just awaiting results. I suffer from anxiety so I guess I was just looking for reassurance that I might be okay. I'm very terrified at the moment.
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1 Comments
Hep c is difficult to contract and today easy to cure.

I am willing to bet you do not have hep c. But even if you do or at some other time in you life should ever become infected, hep c has about a 98% or better cure rate with the meds that were recently approved in the last couple of years so either way you have nothing to worry about
Avatar universal
The nurse may b e concerned about how sterile the conditions were in any medical procedures you had in Africa, such as vaccinations. I wouldn't worry unnecessarily. Besides, hep C is now a curable virus.
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If I was infected while in Africa, what are the odds that my immune system as a child would have been able to fight hep c off before it became chronic? And, if I was infected in Africa, a minimum of 15 years have passed since it would've happened. What symptoms would I have after 15 years of infection, if any symptoms at all? Thank you to whoever answers my queries.
About 15-25% of people fight the virus off. There would likely be no symptoms as hep C is considered asymptomatic until late stage disease. It is simple...if you are going to worry about it, just get the antibody test and you will know for sure.
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