Got HEP C from barebacking and I'm devastated

[Spunkinmyarse]

1 hour ago, rawfuckr said:

 There seems to have been an important swift just  recently (3-5 years) from being super selective of who to treat to "if you have hep C you are treated". 

 

I think there’s a W.H.O. push in various countries across the world to come down hard on Hep C and ‘eliminate it as a significant public health risk’ by 2030. This is what you may be seeing in the US. Certainly in the UK, the NHS is actively trying to identify and treat people infected with it across the board: hence making it a standard part of the STI screening process for gay men.

[ellentonboy]

3 hours ago, viking8x6 said:

If she was a bit older, she might have been referring to patients who had HepC before the modern antivirals came out. Interferon treatment is rough.

Well she seemed to be in her late 30s or 40s.  The other comment she made was that is was sad to see patients coming into the office who were losing their hair.  I don't know if interferon causes hair loss but that may have been what she was referring to.  She said something to the effect that I was fortunate to have medication (and it was one pill a day) that would treat the situation in twelve weeks.  They didn't ask questions which I appreciated, and neither did my doctor, who is rather reserved and older.  However, he has been  excellent in other areas where I have had issues, getting me to the right specialists, for example.  Finding out which providers who will take my secondary insurance, which is not known to be great (I have Simply Healthcare) when it comes to specialists.  He's close to 70 now and currently  has a young physician assistant  (probably in his 30s)  working for him, who I am hoping will take over once the doctor retires, or at least remain part of the practice.

[ellentonboy]

As I read some of the other posts regarding  Hep C, I find it surprising that almost all of the posters feel they got it from bottoming.  I know we are not supposed to discuss "substances" but I had been bottoming on a weekly basis, in group settings, and I didn't have many STD situations for maybe 15 years.   I am firmly convinced, at least in my situation, that I got HEP C through substances, without being graphic here.  I really don't think it came from all the dick.  I recalled prior to the color of my urine changing a situation at my house where there were four of us, and there have been some confusion regarding whose items belonged to whom.  I went so far as to call the friend who organized that play group, and asked about one of the individuals as he wasn't exactly careful with what he was doing.  I asked my friend if he knew if the guy had recently developed Hep C and my question was received with silence.  Sadly, I had known that guy for over 20 years, I had hooked up with him at least 100 times, yet he would not give me an answer to, what I thought, was a fair question.

I know it's not consider kind to "rat" someone out.  But I had been friends with this guy for all these years, have met his family, spent long periods at his home, he was not some random trick off the internet.  I sort of expected better from him...

 

[viking8x6]

46 minutes ago, ellentonboy said:

Well she seemed to be in her late 30s or 40s.  The other comment she made was that is was sad to see patients coming into the office who were losing their hair.  I don't know if interferon causes hair loss but that may have been what she was referring to.

Yes, hair loss is one of the (many many) side effects of interferon. It also can have some really serious ones like heart damage and irreversible high blood pressure.

The new drugs have only been available since 2014.

[PozBearWI]

@ellentonboy presumably you had him aside with some privacy when you asked him?

[ellentonboy]

32 minutes ago, PozBearWI said:

@ellentonboy presumably you had him aside with some privacy when you asked him?

Of course I did....

[rawfuckr]

Update. Got my SVR12 (sustained virological response at 12 weeks) test back, and I'm still hep C undetectable after 12 weeks of stopping the pills so that gives me the official "cured" diagnosis. 

Overall incredibly grateful to whoever developed these hep c drugs as they are night and day from what we had just a few years ago. I'm so lucky to have caught this at this time. 

Edited September 5 by rawfuckr

[NordicBtm]

8 hours ago, rawfuckr said:

Update. Got my SVR12 (sustained virological response at 12 weeks) test back, and I'm still hep C undetectable after 12 weeks of stopping the pills so that gives me the official "cured" diagnosis. 

Overall incredibly grateful to whoever developed these hep c drugs as they are night and day from what we had just a few years ago. I'm so lucky to have caught this at this time. 

Truly grateful for modern medicine allowing gay sex. I must admit it scares me to read the is thread to see how many were infected in Berlin and at Folsom now that I’m heading there next week 😅😅😅😳

[rawfuckr]

On 6/5/2024 at 6:56 PM, ellentonboy said:

As I read some of the other posts regarding  Hep C, I find it surprising that almost all of the posters feel they got it from bottoming.  I know we are not supposed to discuss "substances" ....

 

OP here. Just to make it super clear , and people can do whatever they want with this info, I got hep C strictly trom getting fucked bare. I've never done drugs (other than alcohol and poppers) and I know with complete certainty I got Hepatitis C from getting bummed, with the number of partners and group sex being a factor. 

[BootmanLA]

To clarify: Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood contact. That can be via sharing needles for drug use, unscreened blood transfusions, or sexual practices where blood may be involved.

Given that it's not uncommon for there to be small tears in the rectal lining from anal sex, and that small amounts of blood are not uncommonly seen there, it's not shocking that Hep C can and does get transmitted that way.

Hep B, on the other hand, can be transmitted not only by blood, but by semen, vaginal fluids, or even saliva. 

That's why Hep B is *generally* considered the "sexually transmitted one" and Hep C the "shared needles one" - because unless one practices anal sex, the chances of Hep C contact if you don't use drugs is pretty slim.

[JamesL100]

From what I recall, STI consultants were surprised 15 years ago that many HepC detections were from guys who had no IV or FF experiences, though had been to many of the sleazy pig parties. Theory is that bb tops can transfer the virus from the arse lining of infected btms through a gangbang or orgy situation. Without symptoms and little testing back then, most HepC carriers were unaware, at least until late stages maybe decades on. Nowadays it's part of the standard routine blood testing for poz people.

[viking8x6]

1 hour ago, JamesL100 said:

Nowadays it's part of the standard routine blood testing for poz people.

For sexually active gay men in general, at least where I am. It helps that antibody testing is a *lot* cheaper than it used to be. Not that you would believe that from seeing the list prices on the tests.

[PozBearWI]

To the question of retreatment here in the US.  My understanding of taking Preexisting conditions off the table is that if medically indicated you would be covered for retreatment.  What I don't know is whether a second round of treatment is harmful.