Am I at risk

[genupworrier]

I  am a 44yr old male & have discovered that my partner has Hep C level 3 and was worried that I may be at risk even though when I have attended appointments with her I have been asked to leave the consultation room due to patient confideniality. We have an active sex life &  I was wondering if I was at risk due to partners condition as her doctors havent even spoken to me let alone advised me or reassured me.

[copyman]

use a condom and avoid sex during her menstrual cycle. also avoid anal or rough sex that may involve blood. don't share tooth brushes or razors.

[Trinity4]

Correction:
People ARE NOT usually forthcoming about their sexual history.

[Trinity4]

I think condom use is good advice for any short term relationship because people are usually forthcoming about their sexual history and there are a number of infectious diseases which can be contracted through sex.  As one of my dear friends Trish once said, "you don't ride in my car unless you wear your seatbelt"  Makes sense.
Trin

[mkp13]

First, I'm very surprised at the attitude of the doctors.  My partner is welcome at any of my appointments.  I particularly appreciated him being welcome at the first one when the nurse and doctor explained what this was all about and what I was in for if we decided to treat it at this time.  Perhaps if your partner wants you there and tells the docs that, they'll include you in the process more.

Second, it's true that the risk of transmission during sex is very very low.  Just so long as you're not doing anything that involves blood.  I'm skeptical of the medical advice to use condoms in short-term relationships.  It sounds like prejudice to me, because I can't see any reason the risk would be more there than in monogamy.  My guess is that they say that just because if by chance a non-monogamous person *does* become infected, they've got a larger pool of other partners to spread it to.  Other than that, the risk should be the same.

Since blood is what matters, I'm more careful than I used to be when I have cuts on my hands or mouth (such as bleeding gums).  I no longer share nail clippers.  But that only affects my current relationship.  As far as I know, my earlier partners, even in multi-decade relationships, never got infected.

Really, you're pretty safe, so long as you don't do anything foolish.

[Trinity4]

Hepatitis C is transmitted primarily by exposure to blood infected with the hepatitis C virus. Transmission rarely occurs from exposure to other infected body fluids, such as semen.

If you're in a long-term, monogamous relationship with a partner who has hepatitis C, your risk of sexual transmission is 0 percent to 0.6 percent per year. For monogamous couples, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn't recommend routine condom use to prevent transmission. But couples should avoid sharing razors, toothbrushes and nail clippers.

The risk of transmission is slightly higher — about 1 percent per year — if you're involved in a short-term sexual relationship with someone who has hepatitis C. This risk increases if your partner is also infected with HIV. Under these circumstances, the CDC recommends routine condom use to reduce your risk of transmission.