My mother has just found out that she has Hep C. I am not to sure how this is
transmitted. We live with her and I have a 8 year old son who I am scared
might get this. I know that I might sound nieve but I keep reading different
ways that one could get this Hep C. She doe not know how long she has had it
and my step father was tested and was negitave. I have to know should my
family(sisters, and our children) be tested?
>My mother has just found out that she has Hep C. I am not to sure how this is
>transmitted. We live with her and I have a 8 year old son who I am scared
>might get this. I know that I might sound nieve but I keep reading different
>ways that one could get this Hep C. She doe not know how long she has had it
>and my step father was tested and was negitave. I have to know should my
>family(sisters, and our children) be tested?
Transmission of HCV is much more difficult that you must imagine. It really
does appear to require blood-to-blood contact - nobody I know of or have read
about believes they contracted it through any other route. Not one monogamous
couple with one HCV+ partner I know or have read about has infected their
spouse through years - decades even - of sexual contact.
Testing for HCV antibodies is fairly cheap and quick, so if only for your own
reassurance, getting tested might be worth it. Otherwise, unless you can
identify some possible blood-to-blood contact - shared needles, shared razors
or toothbrushes, etc - you really don't have much reason to be concerned.
Cheers
/greyhackles