If hepatitis C is so easy to get, why don't we all have it?

[skleep]

Hi, I'm a 23 yo female, US, white, upper class background.  I will admit I do have OCD, which used to center around HIV and now is about hep c.  It seems so easy to get, but that makes me wonder why it's only 1% of the population who has it, not 75%.  I see studies saying 40% of patients cite no risk factors, so presumably they got it from everyday occurrences.  But if that's so easy to have happen, why don't we all have it?

In addition, my boyfriend essentially has the same "risk factors" as I do, and he refuses to get tested.  He also says I shouldn't get tested because it will only make my OCD worse.  My old therapist agrees, as do my parents.  I will probably get tested anyway, after I see a new therapist to help treat OCD.

More than anything I would like to know what my risk is.  The only risk factors I can think of:

1.) I shared a bill to snort cocaine once with a young friend.  I have no history of cocaine/drug use other than that.
2.) I once walked 2 blocks barefoot and when I got home I realized I had cut my toe, but I didn't know how it happened (upper class residential area)
3.) I go to the gym a lot, presumably at some point I've had a cut on my hand.
4.) I have had mani/pedis a few times but the places seemed hygienic.  It was all after 2004 so presumably they were aware of hep c.
5.) My brother and I were both born with jaundice (I required no treatment) however my mother says she was probably tested for hep c recently when she was approved for life insurance in 2010 and they tested her for tons of things including hiv.
6.) I have had oral surgery before, but I didn't get any blood products to my knowledge and it was all after 1997.

With all of this, I feel like I 100% have hep c, but then I realize it's still not a common disease, and MOST people don't have it.  Most people have probably encountered the things I've encountered, so I'm just confused...if it's so easy to get why don't we all have it, and what's my risk?

[maybe368]

it is true, I didn't say it was impossible to get, just not that easy...Mark

[Diana66]

No it is not a common behavior, they are not leaving blood and they are sterilizing their instruments. The fact that is US or other western country means only that that probability of having them disinfected is lower than Egypt and that there are more laws in places to punish someone if they don't. And also those laws are insuring that a facility is not approved if some standards are not respected.

But the test is not taking long and to put your mind at rest go and test.

[skleep]

I guess it's just really frightening to think that doctors, nurses and salons are just leaving bloody instruments out and not sterilizing them!  I can't imagine any doctor I know in the US doing this, I hate to think that's common behavior.

[Diana66]

Even if someone had surgery after the hep c was discovered that does not make them safe. In reality you would rely on someone to do their work properly. To disinfect their equipment and if the doctor or nurse themselves have HCV to make sure that they are taking all the steps to prevent transmission

Same applies for mani/pedi places

[Diana66]

This is not true Mark. I did not engage in any high risk behavior yet I have hep C. Which let's me think that I got it either from a mani/pedi place or from dental work.

This is a valid question and I think that those are valid risks
The only way to really know is to get test it.

There are countries with high % of HCV, take Egypt for example. Drugs are certainly not a risk factor there, nor are tatoos. Yet something like 10% of the populations is infected and reason is poor healthcare oversight and erratic medical hygiene.

[skleep]

I guess, that's what I always thought but why are there so many people who cite "no risk factors"?  Is it because they had surgery before hep c was discovered, and don't realize that's a risk factor, or maybe they shot up but don't want to be stigmatized...or do you think there are everyday risk factors still not uncovered?