NEED ADVICE EDUCATE I'M HEP B POSITIVE

[godscure]

Hello to ALL,

I am new to this support forum and would like to say that I am happy to have
found a site in which I can receive the needed support and obtain more
knowledge on the virus I am living with.

I have been living with the virus I think all my life.  I was originally
diagnosed with the *Hepatitis B* virus over 20 years ago.  I am now 35 years old
and have gone all this time without treatment and education about this
virus.  I recently went in for my annual check up with my doctor and he did
thorough blood testing and called me in to tell me that the Hep B virus was
detected in my test.  

My new doctor did the following this: Quest Diagnostics-----Hepatitis Panel, Acute w/Reflex

My results came back as:

Analyte:  Hepatitis A IGM---Result Value---NON REACTIVE---Ref Range---NON REACTIVE

Analyte:  Hepatitis B  Surface Antigen w/Refl Confirm-----Hepititis B Surface Antigen---Result Value-----REACTIVE---Reference Range---NON REACTIVE----Abnormal

Analyte: Hepatitis B Core Antibody(IGM)----Result Value---NON REACTIVE---Ref Range---NON REACTIVE

Analyte: Hepatitis C Antibody-----Result Value----NON RECATIVE---Ref Range----NON REACTIVE

Signal to Cut Off------Result Value------- 0.04   Ref Range <1.00


I was already aware that I was a carrier so I was not suprised when he shared the news.  I have been in denial about the virus all these years but now need support and the education about it.  I assume that I am a chronic Hep B carrier.

All this time, I have gone without treatment for this virus. No symtoms or illness either. I don't know
yet how badly of if it has affected my liver. I don't want to infect others around me.  When I was originally diagnosed with it over 20 years ago I was young and did not take the time to educate myself about it nor did my mother talk
with me about this in depth.  Well this time around my new doctor took the time to educate me a bit and I also took it the time to do research online about it and that is how I discovered this site and support forum.  I think that I was infected with this virus at birth from my mother.  Reason being, is that I have never had unprotected sex or infected any past sex partners all this time.  I was also disagnosed with this virus before I started having sex over 20 years ago.  I understand that I can be infected with this in other ways but I don't use drugs, never have and the other ways to be infected I have rulled out. I have narrowed it down to my mother and have always felt that she may have passed this on to me.  I also spoke with my brother recently and finally opened up about this to him.  In doing so, I discovered that he has been living with Hep C but he said his doctor told him that he may have got it through a blood transfusion.  Still a mystery to him he says as well.  All in all I honestly don't know where and/or how I contracted the virus.  Reality is that I have it and would like to now educate myself and hope for a cure.

Well I am in a new relationship now with a great man that cares alot about me.  We have been dating for almost 3 months.  We have NOT had sexual intercourse and I have not share my health status with him yet.  I don't
want to infect him but do want to be open and honest with him about the virus before we move forward in our relationship.

I have a few questions and hope to find comfort and the needed answers here.

My boyfriend wants to get married someday and start a family.  I have told him that I do not want kids, reason being, is that I do not want to infect my child and have them be life carriers of this virus.

So here goes:

Is it possible that I have infected him already through kissing and oral
sex?

If he is tested and negative, Can I have unprotected sex with my boyfriend
once he has been fully vaccinated for this virus?

With treatment or natural healing and building my immue system, Is there a
chance that I can recover and be cured from this virus?

Has anyone here been mysteriously cured?

What the easiest way to share this with my boyfriend without scaring him off?

What does it mean to be HEP B SURFACE ANTIGEN carrier?  Is this bad?  Can I be cured?


Your answers and any advice will help me and be greatly appreciated.

[bberry]

sorry, meant to say you "could" go it day and night.. :-)

what zelly also said about female to male transmission is kinda low is very true . reason why i didnt mention is bcz i may be one that wasnt so lucky not getting it from a female nor was i lucky enough to clear it though i ws old enough to do so.. so like zelly said chance is not zero.. u just dont want him to be the one that isnt so lucky..

[godscure]

Thank you for the info.

[godscure]

Thanks for the advice.

[godscure]

Thanks for the info. I am not 100% sure of my mother's status.  My doctor ran additional test on me and I am scheduled to see him next week.  I will update my resultS in the forum to get more info and knowledge about my virus.

I also saw that you anwered and said that I CAN'T have unprotected sex with my boyfried after he is immune to the HEP B virus.

[Sharp7]

"What the easiest way to share this with my boyfriend without scaring him off?"

I don't think there is a standard answer to this question. It all depends on both your and his personality, background, attitudes, etc.

Personally, I blabber to everyone in my circle. Everyone at work knows, all my friends know, quite a few of my acquaintances know. Not one got scared. They asked me for some info, and I told them what I know. The previous person I was "involved" with knew about it before we got "involved".

BTW, I hope you have started reading this: http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Hepatitis/HepB-Introduction--Welcome-Page/show/34?cid=153

[zellyf]

bberry covered most of it...I'd just say that female-to-male sexual transmission via normal sex seems pretty low.  That said, its not zero.  He was at risk.  THAT said, if he'd contracted it as an adult chances are in his favor that he would have cleared it.

Once he has finished the vaccination series you can have unprotected sex.

You CAN have children.  I have three bio children who are Hep B free.  They were vaccinated and given HBIG at birth.  

I don't know how to tell him except to be honest.  It may not go over well. You have to prepare for that possibility.  

[bberry]

before answering your questions, i suggest you answer some yourself.
first, is your mother infected with hepB? you think u got it from her.. does she have it ? what ethnic background do you come from ?
second, other than the complete "blood work" you've done, have you done any further testing on hepB ? if so please post all of your results, if not then please make an appointment ASAP with your doctor and go for a complete hepB profile. this profile will test for hbsag,hbsab,hbeag,hbeab,hbcab,hbv dna quant. also you need to take another test for your liver function testing your ALT and AST.
once you have this information ready, please post them as just kur hbsag status isnt sufficient enough for someone to better educate you or help about to learn about your condition.

now to answer your questions



Is it possible that I have infected him already through kissing and oral
sex?

-so you haventhad intercourse with him but had oral sex? well oral sex is hmm ..well oral sex is sex ya know.. :-)
well anyway, yes there is a chance you might get him infected with your saliva.. it does, however, take a considerable amount of saliva to infect someone else. so the chances exists.. may not be terribly scaring but it isnt a zero percent chance either.


If he is tested and negative, Can I have unprotected sex with my boyfriend
once he has been fully vaccinated for this virus?

- if he is vaccinated and shows antibodies to the virus, then the two of you cant go at it day and night .unprotected ofcourse... no worries  there :-)

With treatment or natural healing and building my immue system, Is there a
chance that I can recover and be cured from this virus?

- no, there is no cure to this virus right now..

Has anyone here been mysteriously cured?

- yes, you will have a 0.05 - 2% chance every year of your life to clear this virus spontaneously. . yes it is mysterious how some people clear it and how some dont.. science doesnt really know yet why.. if and when they do then they might be on their way to solving the hepB mystery..but for the itme being, like you put it, hepB remains a mysterious virus science doesnt know much about

What the easiest way to share this with my boyfriend without scaring him off?

- hmmm, no clue.. come on girls on here.. someone help this lady out.. how would you break it to your significant other ? maybe Britty or Zelly can help.. just be honest.. he will understand if he likes you.. but you gottsa also aknowledge that by kissing and having oral sex with him that you put him in harm's way anyway.. he might have an issue with that.. good luck with this one

What does it mean to be HEP B SURFACE ANTIGEN carrier?  Is this bad?  Can I be cured?
- no cure