HI Ashley,

so glad your own tests came back negative.

i was wondering how your relationship would survive as the truth began to erupt here and there. I am so glad he is no longer your boyfriend. 

One of the regrets of my life is that I thought I had enough of whatever it took - time, energy, love, money - to help people who did not reciprocate that care at all. People like your boyfriend who was quite happy to risk infecting you without telling you. 

My advice for what its worth is to make decent friends, who are capable of admiring all the qualities you have shown us you have here - strength, honesty, generosity forgiveness. People like your ex looking so, helpless and needy, end up sapping you out.

Disengage yourself emotionally from him and other drainers. Look after yourself - not too many others do if that's the sort of company you keep. (Not even talking about drugs here). 

Sorry, I ended up having a preach!! 

Take Care.

Syd

Hi Ashley,

I'm glad to hear that you tested negative for the virus, that has got to be a relief for you. Just keep it that way by using common sense precautions with your boyfriend. If he has no interest in finding out his status and degree of liver damage, it's difficult for me to provide solutions. He has to want to rid himself of this disease and foremost, he has to be concerned for those around him.

This virus is passed on through blood to blood contact. There are a number of ways that can occur, avoid them and let him know why you're choosing to protect yourself from the potential exposure, if the possibility presents itself. Don't use any of his grooming items, nail clippers, toothbrush, etc. The literature is available for both of you to review. Make sure he reads it if possible. High risk behavior has to stop before he can ever hope to rid himself of the disease and to prevent spreading it to others. IV drug use, unsterile tattooing, piercings, or any contact with blood is dangerous. You need to think about yourself and your future health. Many here made mistakes in our past lives and it took years or decades to rid ourselves of this disease. Hopefully he'll come around sooner than later and want to do something to rid himself of this progressively destructive disease. The sooner he starts, the less damage his liver will suffer. Try to educate him any way you can. In the end, it's up to him.

Testing can be performed at most county health departments for free or very reduced cost. Since he has no insurance, I would ask them for information on costs. 

Good luck to you both....

I got my HCV rna results and it came back           Not detected           so that is a relief. Liver panels also good  My boyfriend who I believe has not been honest with me and is kind of no longer my boyfriend has not had this test.

After I got him tested through an online lab and told him he was positive (antibody) he did not seem that surprised, just upset that I knew. I now believe he was hiding other things from me as well, like a really shady past.

Anyway, I still care about him and want to help him.  He is acting very unconcerned about his diagnosis. Anything I can do? Is there any financial help for further testing etc.?

Thanks u soo much for the straightforward answer wendyo!! Thanks for the reassurance Sydhanrahan and thaks to everyone who replied!I will go get those tests

Ashley,

To ease your mind, go get some blood work done. A liver panel and the RNA test that others mentioned will show your liver functions too. I have never transmitted hep C to anyone I was in a relationship with and most the members here that are in long term relationships / married, their spouses/partner do not have it. I did not pass it to my kids either. 

Read some of the links that Tig sent you too.

Wendy

Hi Scared, 

i know it's easy for us to say get tested but in the meantime be reassured that the risk of getting Hep C from sexual contact is extremely rare. It really is a disease that requires blood to blood contact like needles or transfusions. I had it for 24 years before I knew I had it. In the meantime I had 4 kids and several marriages - i had transmitted it to no one else.

There is also, I think, a 25% chance that your boyfriend had it briefly and that his own immune system beat it. The presence of antibodies shows only that he had it in his system, not necessarily that it is still active. So you may never have been even exposed to it. Having Lyme disease must be scary but don't be scared by this. Even if your boyfriend does have it is now easily cured and SO unlikely to affect you in anyway.

Take care,

Syd

I have already been tested. I'm negative. I am just not sure if it's been long enough, I have chronic lyme disease.  It was when my health suddenly took a turn for the worse and I started having chest pain, weakness, etc I asked him to get an std panel. I have become practically house bound, I don't know what getting hep c would feel like, esp. if you already have one illness.

i just want to know if there is a test that can tell sooner than the antibody test?

-- Edited by scared on Monday 11th of April 2016 09:38:49 AM

Ashley,  I agree with JimmyK.   Based on your exposure , It's highly unlikely you have HCV. You could have your boyfriend tested everyday the rest of your life and it won't answer your basic question, Do I have  hcv??  Get tested and get it behind you.  RC

Greetings.

Please don't be scared. You are fine really. Just relax some.

The folks here for the most part had direct blood to blood contact and THEN had an Immune system that did not win the battle.

You sound like a youngster and that is great. You continue with questions based on fear and they are hard for me to answer as I would like to as this is not a Christian Forum.

He should be tested yes. You not likely at all but let this experience be one from which you learn.

Keep yourself for one who will place themselves before all else but God and you will never have to take a screenname like "scared" again in this life. This is not coming from someone anyone can consider "good".

You do not have Hep C but that is not a position taken by this forum. It is the personal belief and observation of me and me alone. Get tested and get rested.

Your friend.

JimmyK

Hello,

Welcome to the forum. First, try to relax, it will just mess with your mind to worry at any stage, but especially now, before you have a clear understanding. Even if he is positive, the treatments are far easier than ever before. People can be infected for decades and not know about it. If you're young, the chance of serious liver problems are unlikely. But it's important to follow through with testing and if he doesn't have insurance, there are public health services that can assist you in getting tested. Get on the phone and do some checking. 

We can help you with links to education and provide knowledgeable opinions. We all have been where you are right now and understand your anxiety. Don't let it eat at you, try to get educated and with knowledge you'll gain control of those fears. Let us know if we can answer any questions. It seems daunting right now, but it's something that has available solutions today that weren't as effective just a few years ago. First, lets get those tests performed and go from there. All the what if's and why did this happen, can be explained or understood better later. We'll be here to help you. There are lots of knowledgeable people here, more than willing to help!

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/PDFs/HepCTesting-Diagnosis.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/index.htm

He is going to have the RNA test.

How soon after exposure will the RNA test show positive if you have it?

Greetings,

The antibody TO a Virus is not the virus itself. This is not a thing that one can say what one's chances are. Only an RNA test can determine if you have an active virus.

Don't guess, get tested.

JimmyK

Thanks Jimmy k

I will look into that.  What do you think my chances are of having it and it just not being detected yet? If the immune system dealt with it would he not be contagious?

Is there a blood test I can take that will give me a conclusive result even though it hasn't been six months yet?

-- Edited by scared on Monday 11th of April 2016 12:47:18 AM

Greetings,

Testing positive for the Anti Body is not the same as testing detected for Hep C.

He may have at one time been infected and his own Immune system dealt with it. One positive for the anti body always positive and you cannot be a blood donor.

However that test does not say he is detected for the virus itself.

Don't be scared. Get educated.

Your boyfriend should be tested for Hep C via RNA. That will tell him if he indeed has Hep C.

All the best

JimmyK

Shadowfax, the std panel included tests for hep c. That is how I know he has it.  I posted his results in the post before this. By the way I live in the United States.

Here is his test result

HCV Antibody Hep C Virus Ab                        >11.0   High

s/co ratio 0.0 - 0.9 01

Negative: < 0.8

Indeterminate: 0.8 - 0.9

Positive: > 0.9

My hep c result was 

<0.1

Once again it had been 3 months since last exposure.

Can you have symptoms of hepc if you aren't testing positive yet?

Welcome to the forum

You will find many people will respond here and answer your questions.

Hep C is not spread as easily as some others but to put both your minds at ease, you should get a blood test done for it. Just tell you doctor you may have been exposed. It's a simple test and at least you can feel better about that.

STD test has nothing to do with Hep C and would not in the best of my knowledge indicate he was. He must have been tested specifically for C. You should ask about the tests done, get a copy of the reports and even post them here. Remove your name as we don't want to need to see your private information and this is a public forum. That is a good start.

Regarding support and insurance, the latter is best answered by someone who lives in the same country as you do and you have not indicated that.  Support, you will get lots here and perhaps he might join you as well for ideas as to what you do next.

Glad you found this place.

SF

-- Edited by Shadowfax on Sunday 10th of April 2016 11:06:47 PM

I just discovered my boyfriend has hep c. We both just had an std panel done. mine was negative for everything. There was one time of sex without protection but he didn't ejaculate, one instance  of giving him oral sex and he ejaculated , a kiss when he had a  fever blister but  don't think it was bleeding, he gave me oral while he had a fever blister on his nose but i don't think it touched my area and wasn't bleeding.

The test I took was 3 months after my last exposure. The ones listed above

Should I be worried?

Is there another test I should get that will give me a conclusive answer?

What can I do to help and support him?

He does not have insurance.