Nurses with Hepatitis

Hoozdo, ADN · Feb 1, 2009

I am not only HCV positive, but have undergone a liver transplant because of it. I did two years of interferon treatment post-transplant, but converted back to positive within 2 weeks of stopping. :cry:

Whether you do treatment or not depends on many factors. If you are genotype 1B I wouldn't even bother to do treatment since the success rate is so low.

I am not so sure I would disclose at work. Depends on what the nursing culture is like on the unit you are working. I do disclose just to promote organ donation. No one would ever guess I had a liver transplant 9 years ago.

Feel free to PM me or talk here with questions.

Leonardo99 · Mar 2, 2009

Hey there. I have hep c and have been a nurse now for 4 years. I have not undergone treatment yet and if I am honest the whole thing scares me to death. I'm still very healthy and wouldn't even know I had it if I didn't do a routine blood test a few years a go. I think if you are in a good frame of mind and have lots of support you will get through your treatment, but from what I have heard it can be really tough. Supposedly its not so much the physical side effects but the emotional and mental. depression is huge with interferon/ribavaron treatment. How do you go with discrimination at work? I personally do not disclose as I find so many nurses are ignorant of hep c and very judgmental of patients with it. Let me know how you go.

Leo:wink2:

lrennie86 · Apr 12, 2009

Hi everyone, my partner of 4 years has had Hep C for about 10years, when it started to attack his liver last year he began interferon and ribaviron last Sept, within 4 weeks he was negative although he has to continue with the treatment for the whole 48 weeks. I dont think I have contracted it from him, although Im due to be tested.

However I am due to start my Nursing degree at Univeristy this Sept and wondered if they test you for Hep C? I am paranoid that if I have it, I can be prevented from doing nurisng, either studing nursing for 3years and then from beginning my career? I know you have to do a medical to begin nursing, do they test for Hep c, and if so and if positive can you be suspended as you may pose a risk?

Kind regards, Laura#

PS. Dont worry about the treatment, it can be hardgoing but as long as you have support. My partner was alwasy a happy person but is now on 2 kinds of anti-depressants, but this is solely due to the treatment physically causing a chemical imbalance in the brain, which is rectified and balanced again when treatment is finished.

Hoozdo, ADN · Apr 12, 2009

However I am due to start my Nursing degree at Univeristy this Sept and wondered if they test you for Hep C? I am paranoid that if I have it, I can be prevented from doing nurisng, either studing nursing for 3years and then from beginning my career? I know you have to do a medical to begin nursing, do they test for Hep c, and if so and if positive can you be suspended as you may pose a risk?

No worries. No, you are not tested for Hep C (HCV).

lrennie86 · Apr 12, 2009

Really, Im relived? Is that both sides of the Atlantic? Im not sure where people on this forum are based, Im Scotland UK

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 12, 2009

Really, Im relived? Is that both sides of the Atlantic? Im not sure where people on this forum are based, Im Scotland UK

Can't remember being tested for anything when I was a student except TB but was a long time ago.

May want to ask this question in the UK forum under the International section (region tab above) as we have a few students that post.

Leonardo99 · Apr 13, 2009

When I was wanting to move to the UK and work (I live in Australia) I was asked to provide a blood test for hep c. I don't know how it is anywhere else. In Oz there is no testing but all health professionals with a blood born virus must be aware of there infectious status and may not perform exposure prone proceedure (EPP's). This is more in place for dentists and surgeons so don't worry, you are not putting your patients in danger by nursing them. That is even if you have contracted hep c, which is highly unlikely to occur in a long term monogamous relationship.

crickett85 · May 1, 2009

It is ignorant and predjudiced to state that it is unlikely that you will contract hepatitis c if you are in a long term monogamous relationship. Wynona Judd's mother was a nurse and she contracted it from a dirty needle stick. I contracted hep c from a dirty needle stick in 1993. I was pregnant at the time and I thank GOD that my child has always tested negative. I'm thankful that advances in safety procedures since then have dramatically decreased the chances of nurses being exposed due to dity needle sticks. However; I am sick and tired of the ignorance of others who insinuate that hepatitis (A, B, C, D, E or F) can ONLY be contracted through risky sex and/or drug use. It is this type of predjudice that interferes with really educating people in the importance of being tested and receiving proper treatment post exposure let alone admitting to testing positive.

Please properly educate yourself about the many ways of being exposed to and contracting infectious diseases before making ignorant, predjudiced statements. No one needs their misery added to by the ignorance of others.

lrennie86 · May 1, 2009

It is ignorant and predjudiced to state that it is unlikely that you will contract hepatitis c if you are in a long term monogamous relationship. Wynona Judd's mother was a nurse and she contracted it from a dirty needle stick. I contracted hep c from a dirty needle stick in 1993. I was pregnant at the time and I thank GOD that my child has always tested negative. I'm thankful that advances in safety procedures since then have dramatically decreased the chances of nurses being exposed due to dity needle sticks. However; I am sick and tired of the ignorance of others who insinuate that hepatitis (A, B, C, D, E or F) can ONLY be contracted through risky sex and/or drug use. It is this type of predjudice that interferes with really educating people in the importance of being tested and receiving proper treatment post exposure let alone admitting to testing positive.
Please properly educate yourself about the many ways of being exposed to and contracting infectious diseases before making ignorant, predjudiced statements. No one needs their misery added to by the ignorance of others.

Nobody is being ignorant and far less being prejudiced. You have misunderstood what we were discussing. Official health professionals and my doctor included, have said it is less likely to contract hep c through sex when in a long montaneous relationship - and this is said, because this is based on it being more likely to contract hep c through sex if you are likely to sleep around using no protection (because in this instance one would be more prone to STIs). If these are STIs where raw sores are present, then there can be open wounds and more likely to contract hep c. Because it is believed that this is the main reason hep c can be contracted thru sex, this is all one means in stating it is LESS likely to contract hep c when in a monotonous relationship

Anyway all of this I'm sure you're aware of. And yes you're right, nobody should insinuate that you can ONLY contract it through risky sex. But I wasnt aware anyone was insinuating this anyway.

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Originally I was only asking because I couldnt get my head around why any sources I ever find state it is rare to contract hep c thru sex - what I didnt understand was is it rare because it's rare for 2 partners to bleed in the first place................ Or is it rare because if both partners did bleed, it is still rare to contract because there would need to be suction into a wound (but when bleeding there is pressure pumping the blood out)

ANYWAY, since pondering all of that, I found out the info i needed from my doctor and from my partner's nurses at the hep c clinic at Stirling Royal Infirmary. And I was tested 2weeks ago, I'm clear and also heard back from uni, I got in so start in Sept, cant wait :yeah: My partner's treatment coming to an end soon and he's negative now so it's a relief, I was originally worried at the beginning that if in case I had it, I wouldnt be able to study nursing, but that too isnt a worry now either as the uni have explained you do not get tested anyway.

Leonardo99 · Jun 14, 2009

Wow! Crikket88 that would have to be the first time that I have ever been called ignorant, prejudiced and uneducated. I think I have been very misunderstood. I am more than aware of the various ways a person can contract the hepatitis c virus and I know that it is not ONLY contracted through risky sexual activity. Everybody knows that! But thankyou for the insult. You sound very angry and I really hope you learn to let go of that. I would never encourage someone to not be tested if they were concerned that they had contracted hepatitis! I was only trying to comfort someone through a very frightening stage in their life. You should try it sometime. Why don't you look it up its called compassion. And maybe thoroughly read something before you attack someones intelligence.

Thankyou Irennie86. You sound like a very intelligent and lovely person. So happy to hear you and your partner are doing well. We need more nurses like yourself.

vwde · Jun 14, 2009

If anyone still wants to know about hep c treatment, email or pm me . I've had some experience.