My drug addict sister has Hepatitis C. I have a few questions.?

My sister just found out she has Hepatitis C. I have a few questions about it.

1- She says there are different strands of Hep-C, she has a strand that is "curable". Is that possible?

2- She says she gave it to herself by using the same needle to inject heroin. Can you "create" hepatitis C? Or is she lying about it?

I'm 37 weeks pregnant. I'm afraid to have her around my baby because she is so irresponsible. What would you do?

If she is doing drugs that just sounds like trouble i would stay away and keep my baby away and never leave them alone together

Unless she is working a program of recovery,
IN MY OPINION,
I'd keep her as far away from your baby as I could keep her.
There is a difference between "being in recovery" and working a program of recovery.
If she is an addict, keep this in mind, (like you don't already know)
she is
manipulative
lies
irresponsible
angry
warm
self-centered
steals
compulsive
weak
loving
impulsive
unpredictable
scary
needy
compassionate
It's hard. I know.
You are that baby's provider and protector. Not your sister's.
If you haven't heard of "tough love", as hard as it is, you may have to start practicing that very action.
I'm not saying to completely severe all ties with your sister, after all, she is your sister, just don't leave her alone with your baby.
Get in touch with a doctor, you might even ask your obstetrician about the Hepatitis. Google it. I was told something a long time ago: Knowledge is power.
Empower yourself.
Good Luck and may God bless.

Hepatitis C is not curable but can be managed with medications. You can go to WebMd.com and type in Hepatitis C and read up on this condition and recommended treatments. How she got this was the sharing of blood on the needle from another person using it first that had Hepatitis C. She probably was telling the truth about injecting the heroin but she neglected to tell you that someone before her had already used the syringe and then she used it - that is how she got Hep C in the first place. Talk with your OB doctor about your risk factors but unless you are going to share some body fluids with your sister, the risk is fairly low on transmission to others - this is a blood borne type transmission.

1. There are different strains of hep c. Some of them respond to treatment better than others. Some people are able to get to a point that the virus is not detectable in their blood. However, Hep C is not curable. She will always have the virus, even if it is undetectable.

2. Hep C is often transmitted by sharing needles for drug use. You can get Hep C this way only if the person you are sharing a needle with has Hep C. Hep C does not appear just because you share needles with someone. From your description, your sister got Hep C by sharing needles for drug use with someone who has Hep C. (When she said "same needle" she meant that she shared the needle with someone.)

Hep C is transmitted by contaminated blood, such as sharing needles for drug use, and sharing razors and toothbrushes, with someone who has Hep C. Rarely, it is transmitted through sexual contact. It is not transmitted by casual contact or by saliva.

1) hepatitis C is uncureable, but she might have hepatitis a or b which are cureable

2) she cannot create it. what happened is the person who she shared teh needle with had it, when their blood touched she caught it!

3) having her around your baby is your decision, but under no circumstances expose yourself and your baby to her while she is bleeding or doing drugs.

Hepatitis C is NOT curable period. She could have gotten if from sharing needles or drinking after someone. You should keep your distance being that you are pregnant, she is irrresponsible, and probably still on drugs. And for the life of me keep her away from your baby. Not that she would mean to do anything on purpose but you can never be too careful especially when it comes to your child.

Stephanie - laid it out perfectly for you.

I would be more worried about your sister's irresponsibility than her giving you or your child Hep C.

I too am "cured" post treatment 5 years (age 36). Genotype 1b...my ex wife was with me for seven years and never got it from me. So getting infected through normal household interactions is pretty difficult.

Although as stated the doctor will not do the treatment if your sister continues to do heroin. There is no point, because the treatment will not work if she continues to destroy her liver that way.

Get her help if you can, but this is something that she will have to decide if she wants to fix in her life. More than likely though you and your baby will be fine...I wouldn't let her babysit though, not because of the HCV, but because she doesn't sound like she can handle real life if she needs heroin to fall back on.

It's not the HCV status you should worry about.....

it's her drug addict behaviour that you should worry about.

as for "creating" your own virus as in hcv, the only way one can acquire hcv is if someone elses infected blood got into her bloodstream...your sister has a high risk factor and that is injection drug use- the main reasons for new cases of hcv. somewhere along the line, she used someone elses needle/syringe or even not sharing the needle/syringe with anyone, the other things to make their drug of choice are shared, which can be cross contaminated with infectious blood.

there are different "geno-types" of hcv. hcv is considered CURED in response to antiviral chemotherapy if a person remains sustained a year post treatment or longer.

although her genotype is "curable" or "substainable" the issue is that no doctor will bother treating her until she is clean and sober at least 6 months and same goes for liver transplantation should she need a new liver. (she is headed that way if she continues to abuse drugs!)

Last, but not least....it is not always druggies who have HCV infection. A person can get hcv in seemingly innocent ways, like, getting your nails done or sharing a razor or toothbrush- abrasive items like those or knives...things that are sharp...like item tagging guns. Any surgery no matter how minor before 1995....even snorting cocaine through straws or money shared by others....the only blood needed is unseen to the naked eye to transmit into someone elses bloodstream. Even sharing ear jewelry....if the person had blood from infection and you wore them after and had an open wound from your jewelry or close to the area the earring goes into, you can get hcv.

last but not least, everyone has one risk factor for hcv infection. most do not know it because they "feel fine". get tested. :O)

not to worry about your sister being infectious around your baby....hcv is only, repeat only transferred by infectious blood and that blood would have to enter the direct bloodstream....

not blood to mouth, not tears to an open wound....only blood to blood.

best of luck to you, your pregnancy and to your sister.