Hepatitis Forums
Hepatitis C Prevention, Transmission and Testing => Am I Infected? => Topic started by: Rc1993 on January 04, 2015, 10:41:09 am
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Hello there,
on October 18th I had an oral sex exposure, it was receptive and insertive. 1 month post exposure I tested negative for antibodies. On January 19th of this month I'm going for a 3 month post exposure antibody test.
My question is, will this test be conclusive, or would it be advisable to test at 24 weeks as well?
I have another question, it's more of a concern than anything else.
I went for a blood test for HIV, syphilis and other infections this past friday and the nurse didn't wear gloves during the procedure.
It shouldn't annoy me, but I became paranoid that I contracted something from the blood draw. I know it's silly, but shouldn't gloves be mandatory for all phlebotomists?
Thanks in advance.
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Hi Rc,
1. Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from a person infected with the Hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. Did you have any open cuts or did your partner have bleeding that would make you think you were/are exposed? It might be a good idea for you to read about Hep C so you understand it a little better. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/c/cfaq.htm (http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/c/cfaq.htm)
Honestly there are many many married couples on here and they haven't transmitted the virus to their spouses even before they knew they had Hep C.
2. I would think that all phlebotomists would wear gloves. I have never had a blood draw without one. I would look up or call the state health agency and ask them myself. If this person isn't following the guidelines that's not a good thing. I wouldn't want or let anyone put a needle near me without gloves on.
None of us are physicians, we are all just people who have ourselves or family members/friends with HCV. Anything we suggest is just from our own experiences or from reading about HCV.
Mel
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Hey there, thanks for the reply.
I did not notice any cuts in the area. There is minimal risk, but it was a risk nonetheless, frankly, I'm more worried about hiv than anything else. But I'm being tested for hcv because you never know.
As for the nurse, I'll call the health center and let them know. Since the needle was new and she washed her hands, I feel like the risk is minimal and I realize that the gloves are primarily put in place for the health practitioner's safety. But you can never be too careful and she was absolutely careless in that regard.
Thanks for the reply, I'll let you know what the results are in a couple of months, just to let the folks stuck in a similar situation know the outcome.