Aa
please help with any information.
I need some help on what steps to take. I just started a new job and my insurance has not kicked in yet. I'm just wondering the steps to take and any assistance programs or what insurances cover this medication. It's been very scary and overwhelming. Do I have to worry about my gf and my daughter having it? So many questions... Where do I start?
Hep c is not considered to be an STD in long term monogamous couples. Fot those with multiple partners, engage in rough sex practices or if one partner has HIV then the risk is higher and barrier protection should be used. There are many people here who are married and one spouse has hep c while the other does not.
Hop c has very low transmissibility in a household setting so you daughter and G/F are very likely virus free. For peace of mind your G/.F could get tested but odds are she does not have hep c.
Contact your insurance company and find out what drugs they will cover some companies have policies they wont treat patients with little or no liver damage.
As Idyllic has said first you need to know if you currently have hep c. Was this just an antibody test? About 25% of people who came into contact with hep c beat the virus on their own and don't need treatment but they will always test positive for antibodies to the virus. The next test is a HCV RNA by PCR test to confirm you are currently infected with hep c this will also give you your viral load how many copies of the virus per mL of blood. Then you would also need a test to determine the genotype as example 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b there are I believe 16 different genotypes of hep c and they require on of several different treatments so to find out what would be the correct medicine you will need to know your genotype.
Just to add hep c is not a medical emergency. For most people hep c takes decades to possible cause liver damage. The stats I have seen are about 20% on people develop cirrhosis over 20 years of infection I was infected for 37 years and was diagnosed with cirrhosis after 30 years of infection. So while treating is important you have time to get everything sorted out.
Take a breath and exhale you have time on your side,
Good luck
Lynn
Hop c has very low transmissibility in a household setting so you daughter and G/F are very likely virus free. For peace of mind your G/.F could get tested but odds are she does not have hep c.
Contact your insurance company and find out what drugs they will cover some companies have policies they wont treat patients with little or no liver damage.
As Idyllic has said first you need to know if you currently have hep c. Was this just an antibody test? About 25% of people who came into contact with hep c beat the virus on their own and don't need treatment but they will always test positive for antibodies to the virus. The next test is a HCV RNA by PCR test to confirm you are currently infected with hep c this will also give you your viral load how many copies of the virus per mL of blood. Then you would also need a test to determine the genotype as example 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b there are I believe 16 different genotypes of hep c and they require on of several different treatments so to find out what would be the correct medicine you will need to know your genotype.
Just to add hep c is not a medical emergency. For most people hep c takes decades to possible cause liver damage. The stats I have seen are about 20% on people develop cirrhosis over 20 years of infection I was infected for 37 years and was diagnosed with cirrhosis after 30 years of infection. So while treating is important you have time to get everything sorted out.
Take a breath and exhale you have time on your side,
Good luck
Lynn
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