Protecting Others From Hepatitis C

[Guest guest]

http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/hepatitis-prevent-10/hepatitis-c?ecd=wnl_hep_0217\

11

Viral Hepatitis: Help Protect Your Family

This content is selected and controlled by WebMD's editorial staff and is funded

by GlaxoKline.

Protecting Others From Hepatitis C

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed By Venkat Mohan, MD

If you've just been diagnosed with hepatitis C, you may worry about passing on

the virus to a loved one. If you've had the disease for a long time without

knowing it, you may dwell on every little incident in the past where you might

have accidentally exposed a family member to the disease.

" Worrying about passing on the disease is pretty common, " says Alan Franciscus,

executive director of the Hepatitis C Support Project in San Francisco. " I see a

lot of people who are HCV positive who are more worried about transmitting the

virus than their loved ones are. "

It's important to remember that hepatitis C isn't easy to catch. If you take a

few precautions, it's almost impossible to pass the disease on to someone else.

How Hepatitis C Is -- and Isn't -- Spread

Hepatitis C is spread only through exposure to an infected person's blood. It

cannot be spread through:

Coughing

Sneezing

Hugging

Kissing

Breastfeeding (unless nipples are cracked or bleeding)

Sharing utensils or glasses

Casual contact

Shared food and water

As you can see, everyday contact is not risky. " The transmission rate between

people in a household is probably just a little above zero, " says J.

Worman, MD, associate professor of medicine at Columbia University's College of

Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

However, hepatitis C can be spread through blood. So follow these common

precautions:

Don't share razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, or anything else that could

have your blood on it. Cover any open wounds or sores with bandages.

Carefully dispose of tampons, sanitary napkins, tissues, used bandages, and

anything else that might have your blood on it.

If you're using injected street drugs, get into a treatment program. At the very

least, don't share needles or equipment with anyone else.

Don't donate blood, organs, tissue, or semen.

What About Sex With Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C can spread through sexual intercourse, but it's rare. And it's

extremely rare among monogamous couples. In fact, the CDC considers the risk of

sexual transmission between monogamous couples so low that it doesn't even

recommend using condoms. There's no evidence that hepatitis C is spread by oral

sex.

However, if you have multiple partners you should take precautions. Using

condoms will not only protect your partners from hepatitis C, but they will also

protect you from other dangerous diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis B.

Can I Pass Hepatitis C to My Baby?

It is possible for a pregnant mother to spread the virus to her baby, but the

risk is low. The CDC believes the transmission rate from mother to child is

about 5%. The virus is spread at birth, and there's no way to reduce the risk.

There is no evidence that normal breastfeeding poses a risk. However, if a

mother's nipples are cracked or bleeding, her child could conceivably become

infected from her blood.

Encouraging Others to Get Tested for Hepatitis C

While the odds of passing on the hepatitis C virus are low, you should still

tell anyone at risk that you have hepatitis C. You should tell sexual partners,

spouses, and family members. Your infection may be difficult to discuss, but

anyone at potential risk must know. That way, they can get tested and treated if

needed.

WebMD Medical Reference

View Article Source

SOURCES:

Berk, MD, Professor of Medicine and Emeritus Chief of the Division of Liver

Disease, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City; Chairman of the Board of

the American Liver Foundation.

Alan Franciscus, Executive Director, Hepatitis C Support Project and

Editor-in-Chief of HCV Advocate, San Francisco.

Thelma King Thiel, Chair and CEO of the Hepatitis Foundation International.

, MD Professor of Medicine, s Hopkins School of Medicine,

Baltimore, MD.

J. Worman, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Anatomy and Cell

Biology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City.

The American Gastroenterological Association web site.

The Centers for Disease Control web site.

The Hepatitis Foundation International web site.

The HCV Advocate web site.

The National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases (National Institutes

of Health) web site.

WebMD Medical Reference in Collaboration with Healthwise: Health Guide A-Z:

Hepatitis C. "

WebMD Medical Reference: " Newly Diagnosed: Hepatitis C. "

Reviewed by Venkat Mohan, MD on September 27, 2009

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

[Guest guest]

http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/hepatitis-prevent-10/hepatitis-c?ecd=wnl_hep_0217\

11

Viral Hepatitis: Help Protect Your Family

This content is selected and controlled by WebMD's editorial staff and is funded

by GlaxoKline.

Protecting Others From Hepatitis C

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed By Venkat Mohan, MD

If you've just been diagnosed with hepatitis C, you may worry about passing on

the virus to a loved one. If you've had the disease for a long time without

knowing it, you may dwell on every little incident in the past where you might

have accidentally exposed a family member to the disease.

" Worrying about passing on the disease is pretty common, " says Alan Franciscus,

executive director of the Hepatitis C Support Project in San Francisco. " I see a

lot of people who are HCV positive who are more worried about transmitting the

virus than their loved ones are. "

It's important to remember that hepatitis C isn't easy to catch. If you take a

few precautions, it's almost impossible to pass the disease on to someone else.

How Hepatitis C Is -- and Isn't -- Spread

Hepatitis C is spread only through exposure to an infected person's blood. It

cannot be spread through:

Coughing

Sneezing

Hugging

Kissing

Breastfeeding (unless nipples are cracked or bleeding)

Sharing utensils or glasses

Casual contact

Shared food and water

As you can see, everyday contact is not risky. " The transmission rate between

people in a household is probably just a little above zero, " says J.

Worman, MD, associate professor of medicine at Columbia University's College of

Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

However, hepatitis C can be spread through blood. So follow these common

precautions:

Don't share razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, or anything else that could

have your blood on it. Cover any open wounds or sores with bandages.

Carefully dispose of tampons, sanitary napkins, tissues, used bandages, and

anything else that might have your blood on it.

If you're using injected street drugs, get into a treatment program. At the very

least, don't share needles or equipment with anyone else.

Don't donate blood, organs, tissue, or semen.

What About Sex With Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C can spread through sexual intercourse, but it's rare. And it's

extremely rare among monogamous couples. In fact, the CDC considers the risk of

sexual transmission between monogamous couples so low that it doesn't even

recommend using condoms. There's no evidence that hepatitis C is spread by oral

sex.

However, if you have multiple partners you should take precautions. Using

condoms will not only protect your partners from hepatitis C, but they will also

protect you from other dangerous diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis B.

Can I Pass Hepatitis C to My Baby?

It is possible for a pregnant mother to spread the virus to her baby, but the

risk is low. The CDC believes the transmission rate from mother to child is

about 5%. The virus is spread at birth, and there's no way to reduce the risk.

There is no evidence that normal breastfeeding poses a risk. However, if a

mother's nipples are cracked or bleeding, her child could conceivably become

infected from her blood.

Encouraging Others to Get Tested for Hepatitis C

While the odds of passing on the hepatitis C virus are low, you should still

tell anyone at risk that you have hepatitis C. You should tell sexual partners,

spouses, and family members. Your infection may be difficult to discuss, but

anyone at potential risk must know. That way, they can get tested and treated if

needed.

WebMD Medical Reference

View Article Source

SOURCES:

Berk, MD, Professor of Medicine and Emeritus Chief of the Division of Liver

Disease, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City; Chairman of the Board of

the American Liver Foundation.

Alan Franciscus, Executive Director, Hepatitis C Support Project and

Editor-in-Chief of HCV Advocate, San Francisco.

Thelma King Thiel, Chair and CEO of the Hepatitis Foundation International.

, MD Professor of Medicine, s Hopkins School of Medicine,

Baltimore, MD.

J. Worman, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Anatomy and Cell

Biology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City.

The American Gastroenterological Association web site.

The Centers for Disease Control web site.

The Hepatitis Foundation International web site.

The HCV Advocate web site.

The National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases (National Institutes

of Health) web site.

WebMD Medical Reference in Collaboration with Healthwise: Health Guide A-Z:

Hepatitis C. "

WebMD Medical Reference: " Newly Diagnosed: Hepatitis C. "

Reviewed by Venkat Mohan, MD on September 27, 2009

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.