Roll call: Who had no risk factors?

[pigeonca]

I'm just curious.  After reading many, many posts from people who had high ALT numbers yet were not subsequently tested for hcv, I'm wondering if this was because they had none of the standard risk factors.  No IVDU, no transfusions, no employment in a medical setting.  The protocols are still not to test the general population, probably because of medical economics - we all know how much treatment costs.  Yet from my two years visiting this forum, I've read many posts from folks like myself who didn't fit into the profile and thus weren't tested until substantial liver damage had occurred, in some cases even cirrhosis.

And then I want to ask: How many of you who didn't have the usual risk factors did the following: Had dental work and/or a manicure, shared tools at work, became blood brothers with the kid next door, etc?  Who thinks everybody should be tested whenever they have blood drawn?  And does anybody have any ideas how we can communicate this need to the medical profession?

[rita863]

Annie, same here because my husband was IVDU i got tested for AIDS no one every said or mentioned that i should have gotten tested for HEP, and like you i had no idea,

It should be part of standard blood work.

[alagirl]

Last year, I tested seven or eight weeks after I got raped for both HIV and Hep-C.  At the time, fortunately, I thought hepc was transmitted sexually much more effectively than it is. I had already tested neg previously many times - three or four just that year, and coincidentally, my last negative test was nine days before I was assaulted.  The police also were able to get the guys last prison records pulled and at some point after I was treating and they told me that he was positive for hep c.  I was able to treat acutely though since I found out so quickly.  Fortunately, he didn't have HIV.

[GSDgirl]

I have 5 tattoos

I took medical assistance in high school.  We did blood work.  This was 1978-1979.  didn't wear gloves.

did IV drugs for 1 month in 1984.

Snorted alot of cocaine for 6 years

got tested for hiv but never thought or knew about hepc

I agree it should be standard bloodwork.

Denise

[Annie441]

There has to be a way to educate the pubic about HCV. Like I said earlier I would have tested had I known about it and I'm an intelligent person and everyone I have told are intelligent people, and I spent about 30 minutes explaining what the disease is and how it can effect you. PEOPLE JUST DON"T KNOW The media is just not getting the word out like they did in the 80's Aids scare. Maybe one of those bill boards that are on the side of the interstate could be rented and let people know how dangerous this is if not taken care of. My GI tells my this is on it's way to being a pandemic. Each city has support groups with many active members is there a way to link up with them and get a small grass roots group to educate the people. I don't think much was happening with aids research until the Gays had a march on Washington protesting the drug companies dragging their feet about find a cure. I think we have just been piggybacking on the aids   movement   The Billboard could give some of the stats of people infected and and how many are guessed to be infected. It could list risk factors like IVDU, snorting cocain, transfusion, or any blood products,factor VIII or any other clotting factors. Service in the Military during Vietnam. Manicures, pedicures, tatoos,piercings, denist, surgeries, and even helping a friend who is bleeding. These are all risk factors and that's just off the top of my head. The Spears Fondation has come up with a 30 minute video talking about HCV
to see the intro go to    http://helpwithhepc.com/     and click on Through the Maze.

I think the only way a HCV test will become routine is by people getting informed and maybe a lil scared and start demanding the test on a regular basis. Only we can change this cause it does not appear that anyone is going to do it for us.

[sunqueen]

I had no traditional high risk factors!  

We suspect I may have contracted it during an 18 year culinary career. There were no universal precautions for many years until AIDS came along. I routinely ran people to the sink to see how badly they cut themselves, put pressure on wounds and kept it elevated until the ambulance came. I never once worried about all of the little cuts and nicks on my own skin. After the AIDS epidemic hit, I worried and tested regularly for HIV but no one ever suggested that I may have been exposed to HCV. I was dx last year after going to the doctor for chronic fatigue and constant joint pain at 50 years, with a whole other career!

[Xenigma]

EVERYONE has a risk factor, whether or not they are yet on the risk list that is on the websites.  As time goes on more and more risk factors will be listed.
1b's tend to have the genotype that has the most reply's of no known risk factor.

Politics is just standing in our way.

My small part of making people aware of this silent epidemic is a ribbon on my
and my families cars.  It's red, yellow and blue and reads:
HEPATITIS C - THE SILENT EPIDEMIC - GET TESTED

You can see and buy the magnet here...
http://tinyurl.com/6eqk4c
(3 rows down in the middle)