How did you/people you know become diagnosed with Hepatitis?

[MrParanoid]

I'm eighteen and was taught a lot about STD's within education but I have never been told about hepatitis, I've only had it mentioned to me. So how did you/people you know become exposed to this virus/infection? At what point did you/they realise they had it? How has it changed your/their life? I'm only asking for purely educational purposes as I had a hepatitis scare (me being paranoid) and realised I actually do not know much about this virus/infection. I would google it folks but I feel like google can bring up some misleading information and sites tend to contradict each other.

Thanks guys!

[Gracie_Lue]

I agree with the others though i would like to add that HVC IS NOT an STD it is a blood bourne virus that is transmited only by blood to blood contact. There are a very very low % of people that have got it that way and it would have had to have been due to a little cut or sore or sometihng because like I said it is a blood bourne virus. How did it change my life? Hmm well it completly changed my life. It just isn't the same and I don't think it ever will be. One day I just started to get sick and extremely tired and whent down hill from there and then found out I had HVC. As of right now I am stage three fibrosis and not fealing to hot most days although I do have good days. I have two little ones so it affects my day to day life. I think after my treatment and when I'm hopefully rid of this nasty illness I will be able to look back at this a better person. I think anyone that has gone threw sometihng like this would be. It just makes you love life more and want to live it more.

[DragonHater]

you don't know you have it till a smart doc takes the time to look at past AST & ALT levels and see's them changing/going up

[FlGuy]

There are very specific lab tests that are used to diagnose HCV. In total, the verification process is very accurate.  Unsually begins with tests that deterimines the presence of antibodies and then further tests to identify RNA/DNA  and quantity of virus buggers.