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Negative Results but Persistent Symptoms?

Hi Dr.

Almost six months ago now I had sex with a young woman a few times. I used a condom each time, but one of them broke. Unfortunately, however, when the condom broke I noticed some blood when I took it off, and I told the girl and she said that she must have just gotten her period. I preceeded to take a thorough shower and left things alone, but my fear is that some blood entered the urethra, I am not sure. I believe the last time I had sex with her was around aug. 15th or so, and I recently had a bloodtest a few days before Christmas. So that puts me a little over 4 months when I had the blood tests done. The girl said she did do drugs, but not needles.

I was tested for HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrea, and Hepatitis. Everything came back negative. However, I have had reoccuring sharp pains in my right side. Sometimes on the right side of the stomach (below the rib cage) and sometimes within the rib cage itself. I have also noticed a sever decrease in appetite, and my urine has been darker than usual, but I had not been drinkin a lot of fluids and when I did it was usual coffee or soda, no real hydrating liquids. Of course I looked up these symptoms and they sound like Hep C to me.

I have heard everything from 3 all the way to 6 months for the Hep C window period. Can I just be imagining these symptoms of should I consider another test in a few weeks, which would put me at 6 months? I am really concerned because I felt very relieved after the results came back, but now I am doubting them because of the symptoms. I just want all of this to be over with one way or another. My doctor refuses to test my anymore beacause he says he is sure I don't have anything, but these symptoms are becoming persistent. Thank you for your advice and input.






3 Responses
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No STD causes the symptoms you describe.  Contrary to popular beliefs, hepatitis C virus (HCV) is rarely sexually transmitted.  The only population group in which hep C can be considered an STD is in gay men -- and even there, sexual transmission is rare.  (We do not test anyone for HCV in my STD clinic, unless they are injection drug users.)  Non-injection drug use and large numbers of sex partners (among heterosexual men and women) simply are not risk factors for hepatitis C.

In any case, your symptoms really don't sound like hepatitis.  When reviewing symptoms on websites, you cannot symply take a list that includes things like abdominal pain (whether or not on the right side) or dark urine, then assume a chance of that problem.  Symptom lists cannot provide the nuance required; and almost always, it is combinations of symptoms, plus a plausible risk, that count.  If your urine were dark brown, AND your eyes were yellow, AND you had abdominal pain along with nausea and perhaps fever, AND if you gave a history of a behavior that had some chance of transmitted HCV, then -- and only then -- I would consider viral hepatitis C as a good possibility.  

In summary, you describe no symptoms that suggest hepatitis C, your partner was not at risk, you had an exposure to her that probably could not have transmitted the virus, and you have had a reliably negative blood test.  Therefore, I agree with your doctor that you don't have hepatitis C and do not need further testing for it.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes---  HHH, MD
Helpful - 1
239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
That description, all by itself, is 100% proof against liver disease as the cause of darker colored urine.  Dark urine due to liver disease cannot come and go.  Variation of urine color between very pale to darker yellow is entirely normal and occurs in everybody, primarily due to the amount of fluid intake (more urine, lighter color, less urine, darker -- it's that simple).
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To add, my urine was never coffee like dark, just a very dark tint of yellow. I have heard that someone's urine with hep. is like coffee or tea, but my urine is never consistently dark, just occassionally.
Helpful - 0

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