Opposing Opinions? - Hepatitis Message Board

bucko · 10-19-2001, 06:02 PM

I am constantly getting differing opinions about Hep C and being contagious. Once and for all, can you get it from saliva? Can you get it from having sex with your lifetime partner? Everytime I turn around, I hear something different. What's the deal already?

thanbey · 10-19-2001, 06:28 PM

The problem is that it IS mostly opinion at present.

Solid science is not yet available that can say 100% one way or the other in individual cases.

The added complication is that numbers that apply to groups of people (from whence statistics come) may not apply to your circumstance. Likewise, one person's experience cannot be applied to groups of people.

What we know is that is can be transmitted sexually. While it doesn't seem to happen to many who have been long term partners, it can still occur. Will it happen to you? Probably not, but there is no guarantee. For a good discussion on sexual transmission read the post "living the nightmare" below.

We know it isn't contagious from hugging, kissing, sneezing, drinking from the same glass, or sharing utensils.

So, be careful with blood and body fluids, but you don't have to be obsessed about transmitting it to others in your environment.

I hope this helps,

thanbey

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jonar · 10-24-2001, 11:02 AM

I do not know of any validated research that gives clear evidence it is possible to transmit Hepatitis C sexually. An Australian study did note that long term partners of positive patients had a slightly elavated probability of being positive themselves, but it also found that in each case other risk factors were present so it was entirely inconclusive. I'm sorry to add more uncertainty to the equation, but I object to definitive statements 'We do know Hep C is sexually transmitted' - quite simply we don't.

Dori · 10-24-2001, 11:37 AM

Thank you Jonar. Now someone is making sense. Good for you.

agree to disagree!!!!!

[This message has been edited by moderator1 (edited 10-26-2001).]

thanbey · 10-26-2001, 08:57 AM

Hello Jonar,

There are very few cases of chronic hepatitis C that do not have multiple risk factors. Almost no one knows for certain just how they contracted the disease. Even IVDU's usually have at least one other risk factor.

I saw a convincing presentation yesterday in Atlanta where the speaker concluded that transfusion is not the high risk factor we thought it was.

The fact is, we simply cannot separate risk factors easily and there is going to be difficulty constructing truly elegant studies to look at it properly.

If you wish to argue the point with someone, here is the email for Miriam Alter at the US Center for Disease Control, Hepatitis Branch: malter@cdc.gov. I have done no study on this personally, so she is the one regarded as the expert.

Please let us know how it goes. If the information changes, so will the messages I give. Until I can be sure it is absolutely impossible to transmit this way, the doubt goes to the side of giving out safe messages, rather than one that potentially results in another infection.

Telling anyone something is safe and/or risk free is simply not possible for me unless I know it to be a fact. I am told repeatedly, and hear in conferences from the experts that it is sexually transmitted. Under what conditions and how often, is still unclear.

Thanks for your input and welcome to this board.

thanbey

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