single and in treatment

I am single 52 years old, I have just completed 72 weeks of peg and ribo and just this week I have finished Triple Peg ribo and incivek and now have 12 weeks more back on double Ribo, Pegesys. My question is about dating, its been a long 4yrs since I found out about my hep c. I am looking to meet a female that would have some understanding. Where do I look? I know that if I do start dating and I tell the woman about hep c it will scare her away if she doesn't have all the knowledge and understanding.

[hcvJames]

The bait shop?
Or .. don't tell 'em unless you plan on getting them pregnant within six months after tx. After building a relationship then talk about it. It's a bit put offish when what amounts to a stranger leads with, Now that I've bought you dinner, you ought to know I have dreadful disease xyz. All the best.

[ChrisDDD]

I feel your pain.  I've approached this issue from many different viewpoints.  I wouldn't just begin a date by announcing, "I have chronic Hepatitis C", but I often told them within the first few dates, even before I shared food with them, always before sleeping together!!  Then I got married to someone who didn't care that I had it and never caught it even though we had unprotected sex for five years.  He cheated on me after 3 years of marriage and I'm single again, and plan to stay that way.  I sometimes told myself that HCV is very rarely transmitted sexually, and that from 1976 (when I was infected) until 1992 I didn't tell anyone because I didn't know, so why did I have to tell someone now?

I've tried numerous approaches, the most impressive being that I gave birth to three healthy daughters not knowing I was infected, so once I found out I had HCV I MADE my daughters get tested.  It was one of the high points of my life when their test results came back negative.  They don't have it.

Now I lead with, "You know Steve Jobs and Stephen Tyler of Aerosmith and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash and Naomi Judd have that hepatitis thing, chronic Hepatitis C?  Well, I have it, too."  After three failed treatment attempts, I've just decided life is much less stressful and I'm much happier being single.  I hope this helps.

[GoofyDad]

The bait shop?

Nix on that. Mostly it's all hookers. With the occaisional master baiter, but they generally keep that quiet. I blame the Pope.

[diesel1959]

Thanks for the in put,, I am getting a balanced approach from your feed back on how I should deal with this.It such a tough decision, I was married 19 yrs,and have a healthy daughter and as far as I know none of my ex girl friends are infected. Is there any factual information on if this disease could be transmitted through saliva   or semen and what are the chances if so? Thanks again

[babs824]

first i give u credit for even pondering dating at this point. it is a positive sign.
i waited til about 4 mos post tx and tried on line. i could write a book! first guy was nearly deaf had false teeth and more hair in his ears than a border collie. it went down hill from there. i adopted a dear rag doll kitty whose photos u will see on my profile. altho high maintenance he is the best boyfriend i have ever had and he never tells me that my birthday suit is wrinkled and never leaves the seat up. he washes his own socks too!. i did discover he is diabetic so after all my injection practice with interferon i get to give him insulin 2x daily. we are both struggling with moderation in the food area but he is a joy.
i dont think u need to disclose health til close to intimacy. good luck, babs