Needle stick

[texasarmadillo55]

If you suffer a needle stick from a known drug user (no AIDS Thank the Lord) does that mean you have a geno type 1 or 2 or what? I have been in denial for 3 decades, had 2 children what should they be tested for?

[texasarmadillo55]

Thank you willbb, so inspired to hear from all of you, this is a terrifing disease!
I feel  like a lepper! I have now been divorced many years dont look forward to relationship, too ashamed and I would have to tell him, alone is lonely. I love my life, my profession, my children and grandchildren and my God!!

[texasarmadillo55]

I was positive for hep c, my concern is for my last 2 children, I contracted the disease after my second marriage he was a user of illict drugs, hid it very well until I stuck myself with a needle in a drawer. He denied it for years until I saw him injecting himself, the marriage was over at thay point, we had one son, vaginal birth, my last child different marriage ( and last one) she was c-section, these 2 are my concern. I will have to get them both tested. Thank you so much for the responses, I am new here and so happy there is this community of hep c people to chat with.

[texasarmadillo55]

Thank you for you response JennyPenny, I stumbled across this site last night in wee hours of morning, I do not sleep well anymore, not sure if it is just stress or from the HEP C. My feet have been really painful lately especially my toes, and the plantar (bottom of my feet) I feel like I am walking on blisters, no swelling at ankles but I had to go to a bigger shoes size to accomodate my painful feet. Not sure where to start with doctors...md...gastro....hepatologist any ideas?  

[willbb]

The data shows that it is a possibility of "vertical transmission" however as the above have mentioned it is rare.

Welcome to the group
Will..

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hcsp/articles/HERRINE.html

Estimates of the prevalence of HCV infection in pregnant women vary widely among studies, ranging from 0.1% to 4.5%. Because the identified risk factors for HCV seropositivity in this group are identical to those of the general population, it is reasonable to conclude that the true seroprevalence in pregnant women is quite similar to that of the general public, or about 1.8%.

The rate of vertical transmission of HCV has also been estimated with widely varying results. The difficulty of obtaining accurate measurement of vertical transmission risk includes persistence of maternal antibodies in the newborn, failure to identify all infected mothers and loss of infants born to HCV(+) mothers to follow-up. This being said, the best estimate of the prevalence of vertical transmission of HCV is in the range of 5%. Although HCV/HIV co-infection appears to increase the risk of vertical transmission, other risk factors have not been consistently identified. Even the identification of the timing of such transmission between intrauterine versus intrapartum exposure has not been satisfactorily delineated.

[hondapatches]

Your children will not have it if they were born c section and mostly not at all with reg birth. My daughter was born c section no hcv, my son I tried to have him natural and when he was trying to come out they kept sticking him in the head so his blood and my blood mixed and he has hcv. I really wish I would have gone c section. But can't change the past. The way you got it Im thinking your talking about hcv, doesn't matter what type you end up getting. God Bless
Patches

[JasmineT]

If you have it, there is a small chance you passed it to your children.  Before stressing on this or stressing your children, just get yourself tested.

Even if you did get hep c, 20% of the people who get it, their systems successfully fight it off.

There are two tests.  The first to see if you have the antibodies.  Positive for antibodies means you had the disease and may or may not still.  You need a second test then to see if you have a viral load.  If the virus is detected, then your antibodies did noy successfully fight it off and will not. If no viral load detected, then you would have fought the virus off in the first 6 months after exposure.

Just get tested and put your mind at ease.

[JennyPenny]

If the virus was transmitted to you, your genotype would be the same as the person who transmitted the virus. It is unlikely that your children have caught the virus from you. But if you want to know for sure they will need a hepatitis antibody panel.