Hepatitis C testing?

[svengandhi]

I've been reading about the CDC's recommendation that all baby boomers get tested for Hep C. I'm just wondering what others think about it. By way of disclosure, I was tested at a public health clinic in a very bad neighborhood a number of years ago. My H (who lost his "D" after this episode) cheated on me with a non-baby boomer infected with Hep C. I sought out a free clinic so my employer wouldn't know I went for the test. Fortunately for H, I was negative. If I'd been positive, I'd probably be a widowed jail inmate. I forced him to get tested as well and he was also negative.

When my friends have asked, I've said I will get the test when insurance covers it even though I see no reason to take it again. Their interest in taking the test generally coincides with how wild they think their youth and that of their spouse was.

I was somewhat surprised to learn that so many boomers are at risk. I know only one boomer who has it and she was diagnosed about 20 years ago. She shot up about a half dozen times in the late 70's and early 80's and that was apparently enough.

So, my fellow boomers, are you planning on getting a Hep C test and what will you do with the knowledge?

 

[Hound dog]

Had to have it for nursing, otherwise no. by the way mine came out neg too.

Says a lot I suppose about the 70's and early 80's........

 

[InsaneCdn]

No need to, in our case. But I can see where anyone with "history" should probably be tested.

 

[Marcie Mac]

i will see what my doctor says next time I go in but am inclined not to do one. I never played with needles when I was younger, nor did I ever have any blood/organ replacements. But who knows if any of my sleeping buddies were on the squirley side in my younger days (40 some years ago)-you never think about this stuff at the time Seems like I have had a kazillion blood tests recently with my illness - maybe they have already done one as each time I have gone to the hospital they have asked me if I had ever been tested.

Marcie

 

[Hound dog]

Marcie, if you were in the hospital, they tested for it. Standard procedure. If you'd come up positive, they'd have told you. At least around here, anyway. But I would imagine that policy would be everywhere as it protects their healthcare workers and other patients.

 

[muttmeister]

I'm an older boomer and will be on Medicare come December. If they'll pay for it, I have no objections to doing it. Better safe than sorry.

 

[DammitJanet]

Mutt, as soon as you get on Medicare you get a wellness check up. They should do any blood tests you want then.

I dont think I have ever had the Hep C test but they may have done it when I was in with the meningitis to rule that out.

 

[Star*]

I was routinely tested for HIV, AIDS Hep and other things - because of x's behaviors. I was tested every 3 months for 5 years.....then every 6 months for the next 5. Suffice to say I've had all my shots, and I know exactly what is in my blood. I recently had meningitis, lockjaw (tetanus), strep and mono all in one whack -----I know I was tested for evertyhign under the sun - and then got a CDL and got re tested for everything under the moon.

Would I go if I was not positive? YOU BET.

 

[tiredmommy]

This is one of those things where a person's behavior isn't the only factor. You're also testing for every partner's behavior (and their partner's behavior, and so on...). It's much like AIDS testing in that way. Also, surgical patients should be tested if they received blood products. Or if you have any tatoos from before tighter regulations were instituted.

 

[witzend]

No need to, in our case. But I can see where anyone with "history" should probably be tested.

Being from Canada you may not have seen the HIV ad that they used to run in the 1980's when we could still discuss sex without being told that we were going to rot in he//. It was a couple hand in hand, they were so cute and preppy. They were having unprotected sex because they were "good clean people". Then you saw their past partners, and all of their past parthers' partners. There were more "good clean people", men in drag, toothless junkie women, blood donors... there were about 40 people following them around.

Your "history" is only as good as anyone you've ever shared bodily fluids with and everyone they've exchanged bodily fluids with up until you and they got together.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Your "history" is only as good as anyone you've ever shared bodily fluids with and everyone they've exchanged bodily fluids with up until you and they got together.​

Read more: http://www.conductdisorders.com/forum/f10/hepatitis-c-testing-49987/#ixzz23xc8MDQD​

Witz.... correct. But there are still some of us out there with NO "history". We both were virgins when we got married... and have been 100% faithful. Neither of us ever did drugs, or even dabbled in alcohol.

Having said that... I've been tested "by default" - we were trying to figure out a fatigue issue, and were running out of things to test for, so the doctor ordered that one and several more that were "extremely unlikely", mostly because it gave us access to certain specialists. (and everything was negative...)

 

[DammitJanet]

Well I am sure then due to my history, I have been tested for everything under the sun ..... lol. Though you know, to my knowledge I dont know that I have ever had an AIDS test. Maybe when pregnant but Im not sure they did that routinely back then. I think they do that now. I know now that they test for all sorts of things when you go to jail. Now.

I had to sign a paper when I had to have my endoscopy about getting blood if I should need it. I cant remember what it said but I know it said that the blood banks screen for Hep but those things can get missed occasionally and you wont hold them liable.

 

[witzend]

Witz.... correct. But there are still some of us out there with NO "history". We both were virgins when we got married... and have been 100% faithful. Neither of us ever did drugs, or even dabbled in alcohol.

I think that you are quite literally two in two million. I'll assume that neither of you have ever had a blood transfusion. I think it's probably safe to say that the vast majority of people can't have your confidence.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I think that you are quite literally two in two million. I'll assume that neither of you have ever had a blood transfusion. I think it's probably safe to say that the vast majority of people can't have your confidence.

Oh, there are hundreds of others... lots of our friends are the same. And that's just the ones WE know about... but as a % of the population... probably not statistically significant.

And yes... you are correct again: neither of us has ever had surgery, nor required a blood transfusion. Medical procedures do carry risks, including risks of blood-borne pathogens. Many people are not aware of this.

 

[witzend]

Oh, there are hundreds of others... lots of our friends are the same. And that's just the ones WE know about... but as a % of the population... probably not statistically significant.

Well, a study in 2006 say that 95% of Americans are not virgins when they marry. So that would be about 20 in a million who consider themselves virgins. But you'd be appalled at what teenagers think is "not sex" in this day and age, so far as how you might pass on a social disease.