The Transmission of Hepatitis C

Many people are ill-informed when it comes to the transmission of Hepatitis C. You will not get it from mere exposure to a person who has the Hep C Virus (even if the person sneezes or coughs on you). It is typically transmitted through contact with blood.

My husband contracted the disease several years before I met him. We were together 8 years before he was diagnosed, and I don’t have Hep (neither does his ex-wife).

However, that doesn’t mean that we don’t take precautions. My doctor has advised us:

• NEVER use each other’s razor, toothbrush or nail clipper
• Don’t do anything sexually that is likely to result in bleeding (For lack of a better metaphor, using the back door instead of the front).
• Don’t use each other’s comb or hair brush

 In addition, I get tested on an annual basis.

Since my husband’s blood test showed that he could be a carrier for Hep B, I received a series of shots to inoculate me against Hep B as well.

If you’d like more info on the transmission of Hep C, here are some helpful links.

Hepatitis C from a Kiss?

How common is sexual transmission of hepatitis C?

Sexual Transmission of Hep C

HCV and Sex

Modes of Transmission

Thank You for Your Comments & Support

Sometimes I feel so isolated.  It's really hard watching someone you love deteriorating right before your eyes; and there is nothing that you can do, because the very thing that is eating them up inside is the only hope of a cure.  But when I get your comments, I know that I am not alone.  We are not alone.  And I thank you so much for being there!!  You are the best medicine ~  for my husband and for me.  So I just want to say thank you.

Never Underestimate the Ignorance of Others

At the office I work in, we sometimes assist people with disabilities. The other day one of the supervisors was telling us the benefits of talking to people on the phone rather than in person. She recalled when she, and some of her fellow co-workers, didn't want to help a customer because he had a "social disease". She continued to say she believed he had hepatitis. She then showed us how she shoved a pen and a piece of paper at him and made sure she didn't touch him. (Like it's contagious.)

I was so upset. I wanted to say something to her, but I didn't. Because I was afraid of losing my job since I just started. When I got home, I told my husband. He couldn't believe it either. These people are supposed to be professionals. Sometimes I am so disgusted with the ignorance that is out there. I can't even begin to tell you how I felt.