Hepatitis B and C and Relationships
Sadly many people diagnosed with Hepatitis B or C think they have something a bit like HIV and become depressed in sexual relationships and scared of starting them or failing if already in one. This is wrong Hepatitis B is mainly caught by children and Hepatitis C is mainly caught by healthcare patients.
Neither Virus is anything like the HIV sexual disease, with Hepatitis C there is no evidence of it being sexually infectious or even in the sexual fluids and with Hepatitis B only 1 in 10 people have a high enough viral load to have infectious sexual fluids.
Over 10 years of running a national helpline for hepatitis patients I have spoken to thousands about the relationship aspect, for Africans especially the problems of HIV are often what they are thinking. So always remember Hepatitis C is not in sexual fluids in monogamous couples the risk has been defined as none by medical studies. It is a blood virus and it needs to be transfused into someone, only sex involving blood such as bleeding anal sex, or sex during menstruation, or sex with sores or wounds to the genitals, wherein blood can be transfused from one wound to another is a risk. Domestic violence or sharing razors are far more serious real risks.
America - No Evidence of Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis C among Monogamous Couples: Results of a 10-Year Prospective Study
The risk of sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was evaluated among 895 monogamous heterosexual partners of HCV chronically infected individuals in a long-term prospective study, which provided a follow-up period of 8,060 person-years. Seven hundred and seventy-six (86.7%) spouses were followed for 10 yr, corresponding to 7,760 person-years of observation.
One hundred and nineteen (13.3%) spouses (69 whose infected partners cleared the virus following treatment and 50 who ended their relationship or were lost at follow-up) contributed an additional 300 person-years.
All couples denied practicing anal intercourse or sex during menstruation, as well as condom use. The average weekly rate of sexual intercourse was 1.8.
Three HCV infections were observed during follow-up corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.37 per 1,000 person-years. However, the infecting HCV genotype in one spouse (2a) was different from that of the partner (1b), clearly excluding sexual transmission.
The remaining two couples had concordant genotypes, but sequence analysis of the NS5b region of the HCV genome, coupled with phylogenetic analysis showed that the corresponding partners carried different viral isolates, again excluding the possibility of intra-spousal transmission of HCV.
The authors conclude, “Our data indicate that the risk of sexual transmission of HCV within heterosexual monogamous couples is extremely low or even null. No general recommendations for condom use seem required for individuals in monogamous partnerships with HCV-infected partners.”
Reference
Carmen Vandelli and others. Lack of Evidence of Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis C among Monogamous Couples: Results of a 10-Year Prospective Follow-Up Study. American Journal of Gastroenterology 99(6): 855-859. May 2004
With Hepatitis B it is even easier, tell any potential partner there is a totally effective vaccination,
it really is that simple. Then when the children arrive get them vaccinated too. Using condoms is advised for HBV patients but never a substitute for getting a partner HBV vaccinated.
This how we got hundreds of couples married. Certainly there are people with phobias who will run away from us but we have noted nearly all partners are most happy to get vaccinated and safe from Hepatitis B and most partners realise the science that Hepatitis C is not a sexual disease at all.
It is always best to be honest, but we find the problem is often the patient with hepatitis has not studied or understood it properly and then the partner ends up googling and thinking whatever they can work out.