can you contract hepatitis from reusing your own needle more than a few times?

[patrick98]

Hi, i was just wondering if you could contract hepatitis c or anything else from reusing your own needle own un-sterilized needle? anything that you could tell me would be a big help cause one of my friends scared me by saying by using your own needle more than once if its really old you can contract hep c .. so anything anyone can tell me would help me.

[Brandy10091987]

Please, nobody take my post the wrong way. I'm not saying it's okay to inject drugs into your body. But if a person chooses to do that, I believe they should at least know the dangers, the facts, and anything that can help reduce their risk of contracting any preventable disease. I wish someone had told me about these things when I was an active addict. I didn't know what I was getting myself into and by the time I learned, it was too late. I had already contracted Hepatitis C. But hopefully, by me passing this on, I can help someone NOT have to go through the things I did.

[Brandy10091987]

You can catch Hepatitis C several ways.
1. Sharing needles with an infected person. (This is the most common way of contracting it.)
2. Having sex with an infected person. (While it is very rare to contract it this way, it IS possible.)
3. Getting a tattoo or piercing with unsterile or reused equipment.
4. Using a razor, toothbrush, or anything that could possibly have the blood of an infected person on it.

Now, as far as giving Hepatitis C to yourself, that is not true. In order for a person to become infected with Hepatitis C, they have to come in direct contact with infected blood. The virus has to get into a person's bloodstream for them to become infected. Your body cannot create the virus. So, to answer your question, no you cannot give yourself Hepatitis C by reusing the same needle. But it is still dangerous to reuse a needle. Bacterias and germs can get into your bloodstream and cause blood infections such as MRCA.
It is very important that you do not reuse needles. You should always use new, clean needles and make sure that you properly clean the area before you inject yourself.

[meki]

I like um Ozzies.

[Alady1620]

Are you saying you think you gave it to yourself?

[APKhaos]

Didn't realise you were an Aussie. There are a few of us here, causing trouble as usual :-)

[CockSparrow]

Where abouts R U
CS

[CockSparrow]

What Meki said plus YES you can catch HCV by reusing your own needle. Well not the needle but any of the other injecting equipment. Torneque, Water, filter etc. Just having someone help you inject is enough.

Meki - In Aust its 80% that catched it from needles and 90% of new cases are with IVDUs.

CS

[meki]

Well - HCV (HepC) is a virus.

It has to be "SPREAD"... So I guess if you were infected with HCV -- and you reused your own needle --- then most likely you could give yourself your own HCV.

HOWEVER Patrick --- Truly --- you shouldn't be using needles more than once. There are things far worse than HCV --- Like DEATH... From germs and other contams that you could have on your needle being unsterilized... Or from the drugs themselves...


But DO NOT USE A NEEDLE --- WHETHER FOR DRUGS OR MEDICINES --- MORE THAN ONCE... That is WHY they are disposable...

So if you were a diabetic, taking insulin... DO NOT REUSE YOUR NEEDLE.

Etc.

But if you're on drugs, consider taking a moment and rethinking your situation. If you're scared of having HCV - but not scared of putting drugs into your system... well -- now would be a good time to stop.

Have a good day --- and Patrick98 --- be careful out there.

Meki
PS... Patrick --- not everyone who has HCV got it from doing needles and drugs -- in fact - I'd say less than 1/2 did.