Need a kick start?

When the topic of hep C comes up in conversation, I'm often asked,

   “is that the one that you get from having sex?”

or

   “is that the one that makes you turn yellow?”

       or

             “what can you take to get rid of it?”

     The answers:

                        no, nope, & pretty much nothing. 

Here's the straight up ...

   ... Hep C is a
                blood-borne disease.

... meaning the virus thrives in blood.  It has to go from blood, to blood.  It's a lot like a fish needing water.  If you put a goldfish in a jar of milk & bring it over to my house, you're gonna have one dead, milky goldfish. 

   Ya with me here?

Straight up, Hep C is not sexually transmitted – unless infected blood meets an open wound. 

However, hep C can be transmitted by:

•  unsterile hospital conditions, or 
   equipment,

•  inoculation process by the
   government, if you're a Vietnam-era
   Veteran,
•  used to do - or are doing - recreational
   drugs, and
  • sharing needles
  • or straws (less likely);
• blood transfusions, and
• having received tainted blood products.

  ... but, back to sex ....

The Centers for Disease Control, and other U.S. government agencies publish ballpark statistics ranging from 2 to 8% that hep C cases are from sexual transmission – or from people who “have multiple sexual partners.”  But this has not been proven – it just hasn’t been ruled out.  Go figure.

Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted.  Hep B is a lot like the mumps or chicken pox. A person becomes infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV, for short), and usually their body’s immune system develops an antibody, beats the virus and basically they won’t get it again.  But this isn’t always the case.  In some people, hep B can become chronic (meaning it won’t go away). 

There are treatments and a lot of research going on to help people beat chronic hep B.  But, that’s not our focus here.

  ... so, how in the hell do ya get hep C?

Get the straight up on hep C Transmission -

  ... and why's it so hard to get rid of?

a.k.a. "Chronic." -

The Straightup is Hep C won’t make you turn yellow … jaundice does. 

Jaundice is a pretty typical symptom of Hepatitis A.  This is the strain of hepatitis that a person can get from eating raw or undercooked seafood, or drinking contaminated water, or straight up, coming in contact with human feces (yea … shit).

Jaundice can also be a symptom of advanced hep C, or end-stage liver disease.  ... of if you're still drinking alcohol, you may become jaundiced on & off.  It's your choice, but the straight up on booze & hep C, is that it's pretty much like playing russian roulette with half the chambers loaded.  Know what I mean?

The Straightup is that there's no sure cure available for Chronic Hepatitis C right now.

No sure cure, but there are 3 FDA approved treatments out there: Pegasys, Peg-Intron & Infergen.  The first two are pretty much considered standard of care, with the 3rd being positioned as something to try if one of the pegs don't work - but the jury's still out on that one (meaning, it's still in clinical trials).

So … will it work? 

Current data - sloppily cited here - shows that ya have about a 40 to 50% shot, if you're genotype 1. 

The decision to try treatment is a serious, life-changing one.  Ya definitely want to have lots of information when considering it - information you're entitled to.

To treat, or not to treat ... Get the straight up.    

It may not be pretty, but it’s the Straightup.   

Any questions

  ... alright, alright .... You and a bunch of other people.  If you're wondering something, then chances are about 20 other people are, too.

So, c'mon over to

        Hep C Q & A - Straightup. 

Feel free to submit your questions.  Read other people's questions. Anything you ever wanted to ask about Hep C, you can ask here.  If we don't know the answer, we'll find out for ya.

Real important ...

          ya gotta be able to laugh. 

Hepatitis A, B, & C
are the most common strains of hepatitis in
the U.S.  But, there are several strains identified by the medical establishment today:

      A, B, C, D, E, F, & G

Got Hep C? 

       Don't Know?   

                     So ...

Get Tested,
Knucklehead!

Hey baby ... what's your
          genotype?

This is something real important for you to know.  Genotypes 1
& 4 are the hardest
to beat; 3's a little better; and genotype 2's the easiest.

There are genotypes
1 through 4.   About 75% of those infected in the U.S. are genotype 1, so says the CDC. 

The blood test that confirms your hep C diagnosis will also tell ya your genotype. 

So ... ask your doc.  If they don't tell ya, then it's definitely time to seek a second
opinion.