Hepatitis C v HIV

[spunxter]

Is having Hepatitis C more difficult to live with than having HIV?

The reason for asking is because I saw an advertisement for a BB party

prohibiting folks with Hep C, but not HIV. In other words why do we

choose to chase after one disease over another?

[rawTOP]

My understanding is that some people have a horrible time with Hep C - far worse then HIV, and the treatments for Hep C aren't as good as they are for HIV. Also I think HIV+Hep C can be a rough combination.

[pozbottom]

With the variety of ARVs available mow most people can find a combination that works and doesn't cause too many side-effects (not everybody, of course - some people still have a fucking shit experience of ARVs). With Hep C there's only one available treatment - some variety of interferon - and virtually everybody gets appalling side-effects from that.

I took it as an experimental treatment for pre-cancerous anal, um, things - tissue changes. I was told that the injections would make me feel "a bit fluey". In fact that made me feel very sick and in great pain throughout my body. And, unlike with many HIV meds, the side-effects don't reduce as your body adapts. Every injection wipes you out.

And the treatment isn't effective anyway, for many people with Hep C.