sex and hep c ?

[mistyblue66]

WHAT REALLY ARE THE RISK ?  THE DOCTER TOLD ME IT DOS'NT NOT SHOW UP IN MY BLOOD ONLY AS A NEV POS TEST.

[Jakied]

I believe you are asking about sexual transmission of Hcv.  Correct?

It is possible but not common.  The real risks for hcv transmission is blood transfusion before 1992 and Ivdu.

Sexual transmission is more likely male to female than female to male.

[mistyblue66]

YES, THATS WHAT IM ASKING. WHY EASIER FOR MEN?

[Jakied]

As with hiv, the 'inserting' partner is at less risk than the 'receptive' partner.  It is simple anatomy.

With heterosexuals, the female 'receives'  and the male 'sends' the body fluids so the receptive partner is at higher risk.

With homosexuals,  anal sex is the riskiest activity possible for transmission of Hiv and the riskiest sexual activity for transmission of Hcv.  Again, the receptive partner is at higher risk because he receives the body fluids from the other partner.

Hcv is a blood borne illness which needs infected blood to come in contact with uninfected blood to transmit. That is why blood transfusion and Ivdu (intravenous drug use) are the two easiest ways to transmit Hcv.

Most sexual activity does NOT involve blood except for rough anal sex and sex with trauma etc.

Would you mind telling me what your risk was?  I have a feeling you are a female who had sex with a male whose hcv status you do not know?  i will help you any way I can.  I am not judging you at all.  lord knows, i am not perfect.

If your risk was sexual, Hiv and Hbv are much more likely than Hcv.

Hcv is not considered a Std as Hiv and Hbv are.

[Jakied]

Misty,  how long ago was your risk?  And is it possible for you to ask your partner to be tested, for Hiv/Hbv/Hcv?

If he is neg, then that is a HUGE plus for you.  If he is pos, then you are still 'probably' ok but you definitely need to be tested if your partner is pos.

You can call request a test at 1-888-732-2348 and ask for a 'peace of mind' package.  Before that, though, assess your risk,(Be honest with yourself about what you did).  If you want to share it with me, i will be glad to tell you what i think you shoould do.

[merryBe]

you can have a positive for antibodies and still not have, or test negative for the virus? Is that what you mean the doctor said you were?

[CockSparrow]

Jakied - With heterosexuals, the female 'receives'  and the male 'sends' the body fluids so the receptive partner is at higher risk

Jakied - With homosexuals,  anal sex is the riskiest activity possible for transmission of Hiv and the riskiest sexual activity for transmission of Hcv.  Again, the receptive partner is at higher risk because he receives the body fluids from the other partner

Both of these statements are not backed up by a lot in the way of facts. HCV is NOT transmissible through body fluids other than blood.
Sexual transmission only occurs when there is blood to blood contact. Or more precisely blood coming into contact with an entry point into your bloodstream.

The higher rates of sexual transmission from male to female is caused by females being more likely to inject their partner first when sharing a needle.

The clusters of homosexual sexual transmission are caused by drug use.

From http://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/about_hepatitis/relationships.html
Hepatitis C is not classified as a sexually transmissible infection (STI).
Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact (where the blood of one person passes into the bloodstream of another). In rare cases where hepatitis C may be passed on during sexual contact, it is likely to be through blood-to-blood contact.

http://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/about_hepatitis/women.html
Menstrual fluid contains blood and other body fluids. As hepatitis C is transmitted by blood-to blood contact, there is in theory the possibility of transmitting hepatitis C through contact during menstruation. However, the risk of heterosexual or female-to-female sexual transmission is extremely low and there is no evidence that sex during menstruation increases risk of sexual transmission. In theory, having sex while menstruating can increase the risk of transmitting hepatitis C if your sexual partner has any open cuts, wounds or abrasions.

You only have a slightly lower chance of catching HepC thru sex as you have of being hit by lightning.
CS

[NYCMark]

[Jakied]

You may be correct.  Hcv is not a classic Std as Hiv and Hbv are.  there is some info from the Cdc about sexual transmission and it says 'male to female transmission is more likely than  female to male.'  In theory, it makes sense to me.

You are certainly more knowledgable than I.  I was only relaying the info.

[CockSparrow]

Sorry I was a bit harsh. I spent ages trying to get my head around some of the CDC stuff on sexual transmission and got nowhere. Still have trouble with multiple partners being a risk factor, yet with stable couples it isnt. When i first read that it was like well thats a bet each way.

I dont think we will ever have a conclusive answer as any study that could uncover low level transmission rates would need to be quite large.

Anyway work out what makes sense to you.
CS

[Lady Lauri]

Geeezzzzz.....at this point between Hep and tx, all I can say in these sex threads is......

  WHAT sex???   :{

                                                                               LL

[Jakied]

Here is good q for you.

interpret this series of Hcv tests for me :

1) screening test : reactive with a 1.0 score.
2) riba supplemental test : neg
3) Pcr qualitative test : neg

Is this result 1) a neg for antibody and virus with no prior exposure or
    
                    2) neg for virus but antibody pos.

just curious.

Hope all is well with you.  Are you surviving on treatment?

              

[mistyblue66]

i have hep c and have been really lucky so far. for awhile i had my docter check all the time.because i know even if the docter says you've beat the odds one day maybe 20 years later it most likely will show up.its there just waiting. i've had it for ten years at least. i got hep c from drug use, i used for 6 years and the person i used with came up pos for hep c so i knew i must have it. the first test they did they said i did not have it that it my blood cell count was good i said are you sure you did right test sounded like aids test to me. so about year later had onther test it was just a yes or no test and it was pos, at a free test place. so when i got insurance i told them i had hep c and they tested me and he said no and i said yes i did so they did the nev pos test and of course it came back pos so then they did i guesse a liver test and he still said everythings fine.i also through the next few years had them check my blood again still ok. thats my story. also ive been clean now for ten years.but all that is not why i wrote in this form. why is because i have still not told my boyfriend of four years now that i have it. the time to tell him kind of came and went. i mostly did not tell him because he looks at it like aids. when we first got together i thought it was only going to be sex not a long term thing and rationalzed not telling him by telling myself that as long as i did'nt do anything to put him at risked he did'nt have or need to know. yes i know he had a right to know and make his own choice. i have never had sex with him while im bleeding and the times that i have i made him where a condom and hes asked why plenty times and i given him some of the dumbest answers so i know he kinda knows something. i didnt have any blood to worry about the first three years thanks to birth control.that made it even easier not to tell him. and while there is a lot of stuff out there that says you most likely will not catch it from sex there is still stuff that says you can. so i am scard to death to tell him

[Jakied]

You owe it to your Bf to tell him you are hcv +.  

[CockSparrow]

Because the RIBA test was done and came back neg the EIA/ELISA test was a false positive.
The only one that I would care about is that the PCR the came back neg.
Apart from Health Depts who cares if you are anti-body pos if you are PCR neg.
CS

[CockSparrow]

After reading your post several times i have still have no idea if you are pos or neg. If you havnt had a PCR test done get one.

As for your bf, I agree with Jakied, you should tell him. While i dont believe their is any obligation to tell anyone your hcv status, its not much of a way to have a relationship, if it begins with a secret. Put yourself in his shoes. how would you like it if it was the other way around. If he ups and runs it wasnt going to be much of a relationship anyway.

Cause if the PCR test is neg tell him anyway.
CS

[kcrandy]

sex is fine as long as you are doubly protected.  this is what my doc told me.  if you are taking riba and peg the side effects are not good if you get pregnant.  i even had to sign an agreement before tx to acknowledge this and my partner was to be made aware as well.  i guess the meds we are taking can do some serious +#$@% to an unborn. from what i got from my doc is it is ok to have sex but use contraceptives at least if you are being treated and even after treatment for some time.

good luck and have fun!!!!   : O )

[CockSparrow]

Jakied from another thread - Your screeing test probably showed a 'weak reactive' score of <2.  When that happens, the blood sample is tested by the 'Riba supplemantal' test, which is VERY specific for Hcv antibody.

The combination of 'weak reactive' and neg Riba means neg for antibody and the screening test was false pos.  The neg pcr test, probably qualitative, means no virus.

Your combination of 'weak reactive screening'/neg riba/neg pcr means no antibody/no virus.
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If you already new the answer why ask?
CS

[jmjm530]

I have also read that male-female transmission would be more common than female-male. As to multiple partners, various theories have been put forth including a higher incidence of STDs which might involve open sores, and of course, that married people tend to watch TV instead of having sex :) Also, the more partners, the more likelihood an exposure, however small it may be. High-risk,or 'rough' sex speaks for itself with more likelihood of the skin being pierced. Same with anal sex which I assume falls within 'high risk'.

-- Jim

[CockSparrow]

Jim - Also, the more partners, the more likelihood an exposure, however small it may be. High-risk,or 'rough' sex speaks for itself with more likelihood of the skin being pierced. Same with anal sex which I assume falls within 'high risk'.
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The only problem i have with the above is that if this were the case then wouldnt you expect higher rates HCV+ in the male homosexual community.
This isnt the case or if it is higher then not by much, at least not in Australia.

This is just going to go round in circles. I still believe that most cases of sexual transmission is caused by not admitting to past drug use. Which is not the same as saying it doesnt happen. It just doesnt happen very often.

CS

[jmjm530]

Some related reading touching upon some of the points discussed, including the HIV/HCV connection. While the Jury certainly isn't in regarding the cause, it does appear that HCV is more prevelant in the MSM (men who have sex with men) population.

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JID/journal/issues/v196n2/37991/37991.web.pdf
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2006icr/croi/docs/022406_a.html
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2005/ad/071305a.html

[CockSparrow]

And heres one from Aust. http://www.ashm.org.au/uploads/File/jc-2006-06.pdf.
Results: 824 men consented to HCV testing, and the prevalence was 0.85% (95% CI 0.34-1.74). HCV seropositivity was strongly associated with a history of IDU (OR=60.43, 95% CI
6.70-544.79). All HCV-seropositive individuals reported a history of either IDU or other means by which they may have had parenteral exposure to HCV. There was no evidence of an
independent association between sexual behaviour and HCV infection.

Seven men (0.85%) tested positive for HCV antibodies. (Interestingly, 37 men claimed to be HCV antibody positive when interviewed, but only six actually were.) Age, socio-economic status, longer duration of anal sex, HBV infection, a reported history of gonorrhea and previous injecting drug use were significantly associated with HCV seropositivity. IDU was a risk factor for six HCV AB+ individuals, and the seventh reported ear piercing and tattooing as possible exposures.

7 out of 825 now that one hell of a risk factor.
Lets not get into a study war, we both no that we can find studies supporting both side.
The fact that we can even have this debate after 20+ years of well documented HCV history says volumes about the sexual transmissiveness of HCV.

CS

[CockSparrow]

Should have mentioned its the second study down. The first one is a rather interesting study on Acute HepC.
CS

[jmjm530]

I wasn't aware I was in a war. LOL. Nor do I believe HCV is easily transmitted sexually very easily, if at all in a monagamous, heterosexual relationship. Note that I did not highlight quotes in the studies I posted to support one point or another -- the studies presented both points of view if you look at them. Peace bro.

-- Jim

[Jakied]

I believe we can all agree that sexual transmission of Hcv is possible but very rare.

[jmjm530]

In all due respect, I'll just step aside and let you and CS finish this off. LOL. I just wanted to make a few points, not to debate :)

[CockSparrow]

Jim -chicken  LOL
Jakied - Yeh i'll agree its possible but only under very specific conditions such as the ones Jim mentioned. And then only if there is blood and nicks/cuts on the partner.
I dont believe that its more prevalent male to female.
CS

[CockSparrow]

Peace it is. You gotta love the contradictions with this disease.
CS