sex and hcv ..again stressed!

[pan1970]

hello there you wonderfull people!Every time iam visiting this place my heart is coming back to normal beatings...hey its great what you do...listen..ive read the previous article about sex n hcv and the answers that was there.It was really some light to me..but still i feell not good after a morning talk with my girl .She had a talk with a doctor and she told her..well she made her panic actually...that she is the no1 risk to take the virus from me without a condom..and a lot more ...like "if she wants to have children with me the doctor has to make injection my sperm for to avoid to transfer the virus to her and the baby"...and other stories more.She is really feeling alot of bad mood after all these...I have hepC (gen2,) a long time before and i tried several times the treatment.Now i finished 1,5 year treatment (with all the bad effects that can be of it)and iam on the way for the second pcr ,the first was ok...somehow i trusted what my doctor told me that there is not high risk transmitting it.At 500 couples ,one of them infected.We re 2,5 years together and from the moment i informed her what is going on..(odvious that she is my only sexoual partner).Ever after we had only oral sex and also after some time we stopped to use condom.But now iam concerned a lot if we have to go on like this and i feel stressed again..and guilty that maybe i didnt treat the whole situation well...She has made already a test and she is negative..now she will make a second.I have a hope that it will be fine but i feel i put her in a risk..you know..we have to decide what to do..and what its going to be later about our future wish for to make children?ooh i got now also a little panic..soon these days i want to go to see my doctor with my latest exams and talk about it..i hope also some comments of you out there..my faraway good people but with common feelings and fears about this thing...

[robin]

Hi pan...the doctor that diagnosed me with HCV told me that under no circumstances should I have sex with my husband without protection. Luckly, he referred me to a competent and educated gastroenterologist that said that it was not necessary in a monogamous relationship. That was five years ago and I honestly do not know of anybody that has ever spread it to their partner. Doesn't mean that it's  not possible but I think there are reasonable ways to approach a healthy sex life for both partners. First, you don't want any high risk activity or any that involve blood transfer possiblity. I hope you and your partner do some reasearch and talk to other health care professionals before you do anything drastic in your relationship...you get factual answers to your question. Keep your spirits high...robin

[negative1]

It is really hard to transmit Hep c via sex. It is advised not to during the menstralcycle becuase if you had any open cut or such, it could MAYBE tranfer...That is the only thing I have read on it that said anything about sexual transfer.
I have never used a condem and none of my girlfriends ever got hep....


But maybe I should try getting more oral sex from my girlfriend....use it as an excuse?     

[willy]

In any town.....and on any street .....cars are driving.  They drive so close to each other...... just feet away from each other and yet in every town thousands of cars rush past other cars, trees, bicyles and pedestians with little problem.  One of the things that one must do in order to drive is to lose the fear of driving near other cars.  It takes some time.....and repetitions but we learn that we can drive very close to others......and never hit them.  It takes time, attention, and caring.

Well......in every town...... there are also accidents.  They are a rare occurence.  It generally doesn't keep people from driving....or riding their bikes.

There is an element of danger in everything that we do; leaving the house, any form of transportation, eating, and yes......even sex.  Should we stop any activity since there is danger? 

The risks of sexual transmission are real but rather low.  I often tell people 2% plus or minus 2%.  It doesn't catch everything but it does convey that we all have different sexual experiences and that transmission risks are associated with sexual practices and circumstances.  Much of these are covered in the other thread that you referred to.

Awareness of precautions is important.  Caring about ones partner is important.  I believe these 2 things can account for some range in sexual transmission rates.  I hope that the forum helps both of you become better informed about safer sex.

If you partner is scared, nervous, or uninformed about sexual transmission.....give them some time....some space.... and some reading material.

So far as being a genotype 2; you should be able to treat some time in the future.  There are many new compounds in development that should be able to successfully treat you in the near future.

Good luck treating; I wish you luck in the future.  So far as the sex...... well..... you also have my best wishes there too.   

Willy

[Kristi]

Drop the doc off information.  Ignorance in the medical profession is dangerous. Kristi

[pete c]

HI pan 1970

 I just read this thread and ,i can only pass on what my doc said  that my chance of spreading hepc geno type 3 was very slim. as long as we stay with each other,I have been seeing this lady for about 5 mons and have apretty good relationship,I have always been on to belive in beiing up front with people  about what is going on with me. and hey Shes ok with it/I really like what you shared Willy ,brought the point home ,Just cause we have hep dont mean we have to stop liveing life. thanks for helping me willy.
                                                 
                                              pete c

[Hank's mom]

Hi pan -

It is one thing to know the statistics, and another to make the fears go away. The other thing is you didn't get HCV when you got diagnosed, you had it for along time. I agree with everyone's comments, the odds are long and slim as Willy said, bring info to the doc's as Kristi said, and make yourself as smart as you can as Robin said.

I have been married twice in the years since I apparently got infected - I do think I got it from my ex, but I am fairly certain it was from constantly stealing his razor back in the good ole "safety razor" days - those things were guaranteed to rip the skin off a guy's chin and a gal's shins. I dated between the two - nobody ever got it from me, and I'll be honest, I was on the pill so condoms weren't used. I also had my children checked as I will annually, or close to it for awhile I'm sure. But they are all free and clear. 

There is no problem in being tested repeatedly, as I have requested my kids to do. It doesn't hurt and puts everyone at ease. Doctors sometimes feel an obligation to let you know all the side effects of any med, treatment or condition, including sides that may only present in 1 - 2% of the cases. (If we got every possible side from everything we have taken or been sick with - we'd all be the walking dead or feet under.)

The only thing you can do is educate yourself and her, and ask why the docs said what they did, was it just for the in case scenario or do they have some antiquated notion that they are holding on to - they did used to think that sex was the 2nd big meany that spread HCV. Then respect her feelings, talk about the respect you have for her, and ask what you can do to make her feel less afraid. She can come here and ask questions too. Many spouses and family members have done just that.

Best in all,
Susie

[jody13]

, I think the chances of get C from sex are real low. I have hadthis stuff for over fity years and my wife still is clean, We have been married for 57 years, And sometime during that time we did have sex if I can remember right, We had four kids also. And they looked a lot like me. We had good nieghbors though. The last one showed up as a what happened baby". But it was good thing , we have lost all the rest of them.but him. . But that is a

[robin]

SIGH...then there are those of us who don't really have to worry 'cause if we have sex...it is with ourselves.  Did I just put that in print? Keep your spirits high...robin

[Hank's mom]

Robin -
Yeah, you did write that - tee hee - it's just beyond the beyond - a definite crummy side effect that I KNOW I wasn't warned about - tee hee again. Is this what Crosby, Stills and Nash sang, love the one you're with - #4 tee hee.

I hope I didn't just offend anybody - just venting with humor.

Be well,
Susie

[negative1]

She really did put that in print!


Keeping my *spirit* high!

[beingbecky]

Robin,

 

Becky 

[Coujam]

Okay - this going go in the "really personal" range about sex after tx - it is now very painful for me ever since, have take extra hormones to try and help (more rx money) it honestly feels like I was burned inside in that area - been of tx a year this past Feb so I am hoping to someday be back to my old self.  Another post tx trauma!

On a lighter note, I am sure I had hepc when I had both of my kids, Michael age 29 and Jennifer, age 27.  They were both tested and thank you God forever, they are alright.  My husband has not been tested but he is quite fond of beer and  I think if he had it he would be feeling some issues by now.  Do plan to get him in to the DR but he is pretty slick when it comes to getting out of these things.  He was also in the military and had those jet vaccines so he really needs to get tested

Hang in there my friends,
Coujam

[Hank's mom]

Okay gang -

This is the deal - I'd rather do my favorite swears than say them. Nuff said.

Susie

[jody13]

My wive was a little nervous when I was diagnosed with hep C, We have been married 57 years and I had 4 blood transfusion in Roswell in 1960 . I think that is where I got it. Who knows, BUT she has been tested several times and is clean, Mean as heck but clean. . All that I read about it it has to be a blood to blood connection. Does it worry me? well a little but I'm carful and if I get a cut I'm really caerful. The blood is the thing you have to be careful with not sex, that don't bother me much any more any way. I wasn't aware I had C till I went to give blood several years ago.Jody 13