Is Hepatitis C And Herpes The Same Thing

How To Know Which Type You Have

Its not always easy to tell. The ideal way to know that its herpes and which type it is is to test at the time are active with PCR testing, says Dr. Handsfield. PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, testing is done on cells or fluid from herpes sores and requires a prompt visit to the doctor because tests will remain positive only for a couple of days, he adds.

Blood tests can be less reliable, but they may be helpful if PCR testing is negative or if a person doesnt have an active outbreak at the time of testing, Dr. Handsfield adds.

Its important to know which type of genital herpes you have because the risk of transmission is usually much higher with herpes simplex virus 2.

RELATED: Why Herpes Isn’t as Bad as You Think

The Outlook For Hepatitis C And Hiv Coinfection

Hepatitis C treatment is currently provided in specialised centres by hepatologists. To expand access, treatment will need to be provided by non-specialists in primary-care clinics. Large numbers of healthcare workers will need training in the clinical management of hepatitis C.

Shifting to this public health approach is one of several ways in which simplified and standardised procedures could help bring hepatitis C treatment to scale provided the costs of drugs and monitoring is reduced.

There remains a long way to go before the world will be on track to reach the WHO target of eliminating hepatitis C as a major public health threat by 2030. Reaching this goal means diagnosing 90% of people living with hepatitis C and putting 80% on treatment, while drastically reducing new hepatitis C infections.58 For this to happen, efforts in each of these areas will need to be greatly accelerated. But until political and financial support for integrated hepatitis C, harm reduction and HIV diagnosis, treatment and care becomes a global health priority these targets may remain unreachable.

How Do You Treat Hepatitis C

People with acute infection do not always need treatment, because their immune system may clear hepatitis C on its own. If you test positive during the acute stage, your doctor may ask you to come back after a few months to re-test and to see if you need any treatment.

If people develop chronic infection, they will need treatment to help clear the virus. Where available, treatment with drugs called direct-acting antivirals can cure hepatitis in most cases. These are usually taken for 8-12 weeks. Your doctor will also check your liver for any damage.

If youve had hepatitis C in the past, youre not immune to future infections which means you can get it again. You can also still get other types of hepatitis, and having hepatitis C together with another type is more serious.

If youve already had hepatitis C, its advisable to have the vaccination against hepatitis A and B to protect your liver from further damage.

Whether you have symptoms or not, dont have sex until your healthcare professional says you can.

Read Also: What Are The Long Term Effects Of Hepatitis C

How Is Herpes Simplex Treated

Although there is no cure for herpes, treatments can relieve the symptoms. Medication can decrease the pain related to an outbreak and can shorten healing time. They can also decrease the total number of outbreaks. Drugs including Famvir, Zovirax, and Valtrex are among the drugs used to treat the symptoms of herpes. Warm baths may relieve the pain associated with genital sores.

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The Complete Guide To At

STDs remain a socially taboo subject, but getting tested regularly is more important than ever the STD rates in the U.S. have been rising rapidly, with an estimated 20 million new cases each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and antibiotic-resistant strains of gonorrhea and chlamydia are becoming a real risk.

Despite the increased importance, one in four sexually active adults has never been tested for an STD, according to a survey conducted by Nurx, a birth control delivery and at-home STD test service. Why?

“I think some patients are scared or in denial, especially in the younger population who’ve never really been sick before,” says Jennifer Butt, M.D., a gynecologist with Upper East Side OB/GYN. “Some patients may decline testing, citing that they’re in a monogamous relationship. Or sometimes patients are afraid to ask their new partners .”

It’s true: Fear and anxiety over the results are some of the main reasons people don’t get tested more often, and the process itself can leave you feeling embarrassed and just uncomfortable. Not to mention, it can be expensive, especially if you don’t have adequate health insurance.

“I think these home kits will provide access to some individuals, who for various reasons, may not be able or comfortable going to a doctor’s office or clinic to get tested,” says Dr. Butt.

Recommended Reading: When Was Hepatitis C Discovered

How Are Hepatitis B And Hepatitis C Spread From Person To Person

Like HIV, the hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses spread:

• From mother to child: Pregnant women can pass these infections to their infants. HIV-HCV coinfection increases the risk of passing on hepatitis C to the baby.
• Sexually: Both viruses can also be transmitted sexually, but HBV is much more likely than HCV to be transmitted sexually. Sexual transmission of HCV is most likely to happen among gay and bisexual men who are living with HIV.

The Science Behind The Hunt For A Herpes Cure

Wilder: I read that you started thinking up a possible cure for herpes around 10 years ago.

Jerome: Well, that was when I first became aware of what today has become an area of research that we call gene editing. A lot of your readers may have heard of a particular type of gene editing protein called CRISPR. Its made a lot of news over the past two or three years — including the lay press, not just the scientific literature. But, actually, CRISPR is only one type of protein for gene editing. There are other types, as well.

When I first became aware of that, I realized that gene editing proteins have the unique capability of very specifically looking for the DNAthe stuff of lifeof, in this case, a virus, and ignore everything else. I realized that gene editing proteins could actually find an infectionwhether it was HIV, herpes, or hepatitis Bdestroy that DNA, and leave the rest of the body alone.

Remember that these sleeping viruses that I mentioned are long-lived forms of DNA within the body. So if we could destroy the viruses in a very selective manner, we might have a possibility to think about cure.

Wilder: As you mentioned, the current drugs that are prescribed dont get rid of the latent virus. What is it about this virus that makes it so challenging to eliminate?

Jerome: Once the virus goes to sleep in the nerve cells, it coils itself up into a little circle. In a lot of ways, that little circle looks a lot like our own DNA.

Read Also: How Do You Treat Hepatitis A

Contaminated Needles And Infected Blood

You can get hepatitis C from sharing contaminated needles, syringes and other injecting equipment during recreational drug use. Banknotes and straws used for snorting may also pass the virus on.

Being exposed to unsterilised tattoo and body piercing equipment can also pass hepatitis C on. Occasionally, you can get it from sharing a towel, razor blades or a toothbrush if there is infected blood on them.

Hepatitis C infection is also passed on in healthcare settings, from needle stick injuries or from medical and dental equipment that has not been properly sterilised. In countries where blood products are not routinely screened, you can also get hepatitis C by receiving a transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products.

You can prevent hepatitis C by:

• never sharing needles and syringes or other items that may be contaminated with infected blood
• only having tattoos, body piercings or acupuncture in a professional setting, where new, sterile needles are used
• following the standard infection control precautions, if youre working in a healthcare setting.

How Do You Test For Hepatitis C

A simple blood test carried out by a healthcare professional will show whether you have the virus. You may also be given an extra test to see if your liver is damaged.

If youve got hepatitis C you should be tested for other STIs. It’s important that you tell your recent sexual partner/s so they can also get tested and treated. Many people who have hepatitis C do not notice anything wrong, and by telling them you can help to stop the virus being passed on. It can also stop you from getting the infection again.

Read Also: What Are The Symptoms Of Having Hepatitis C

Who Should Be Vaccinated

Children

• All children aged 1223 months
• All children and adolescents 218 years of age who have not previously received hepatitis A vaccine

People at increased risk for hepatitis A

• International travelers
• Men who have sex with men
• People who use or inject drugs
• People with occupational risk for exposure
• People who anticipate close personal contact with an international adoptee
• People experiencing homelessness

People at increased risk for severe disease from hepatitis A infection

• People with chronic liver disease, including hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• People with HIV

Other people recommended for vaccination

• Pregnant women at risk for hepatitis A or risk for severe outcome from hepatitis A infection

Any person who requests vaccination

There is no vaccine available for hepatitis C.

Treating Hepatitis C In People With Hiv Co

DAAs have good outcomes for people previously considered hard-to-treat. This includes people with HIV co-infection. The outcomes of treatment in people with co-infection are comparable to those in people with hepatitis C alone – rates of sustained virological response are over 95%, even in individuals who have not responded to previous treatment and people with cirrhosis.38There is no longer a need to consider HIV/HCV- co-infected patients as a special, difficult-to treat patient population, WHO states in its 2016 guidance.39

The key issue that remains, WHO emphasises, is the potential for drug-drug interactions between medications for HIV and hepatitis C. When these may occur, the regimens for either infection may need to be altered.40 However, modern HIV medications rarely have the harmful effects on the liver that characterised some older drugs. Hepatitis C treatment is generally provided to people who are already taking HIV treatment.41

Read Also: Rash Caused By Hepatitis C

Stages Of Hepatitis C

The hepatitis C virus affects people in different ways and has several stages:

• Incubation period. This is the time between first exposure to the start of the disease. It can last anywhere from 14 to 80 days, but the average is 45
• Acute hepatitis C. This is a short-term illness that lasts for the first 6 months after the virus enters your body. After that, some people who have it will get rid of, or clear, the virus on their own.
• Chronic hepatitis C. For most people who get hepatitis C — up to 85% — the illness moves into a long-lasting stage . This is called a chronic hepatitis C infection and can lead to serious health problems like liver cancer or cirrhosis.
• Cirrhosis. This disease leads to inflammation that, over time, replaces your healthy liver cells with scar tissue. It usually takes about 20 to 30 years for this to happen, though it can be faster if you drink alcohol or have HIV.
• Liver cancer. Cirrhosis makes liver cancer more likely. Your doctor will make sure you get regular tests because there are usually no symptoms in the early stages.

Learn more about the stages and progression of hepatitis C.

Nurx Sti Home Test Kit

Referred to as “the Uber of birth control”, Nurx is providing women with accessible medical care once again. This time around, it’s in the form of a STI Home Test Kits.

They offer three different options: the Full Control Kit tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis C, and HIV, and requires a throat, rectal, and urine sample the Healthy Women’s Kit tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, syphilis, and HIV, and requires a throat and vaginal swab the Covered with the Basics kit can test for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, and only requires a urine sample.

All three kits home STD kits are delivered directly to your front door and include everything they need in order to collect their samples, including a prepaid envelope to ship them back. After the test is analyzed, a clinical physician from Nurx will reach out to you within seven business days to discuss their results. Whether you pay with or without insurance, you’ll also be charged a $15 medical consultation fee, which includes unlimited access to the Nurx medical team. If you test positively, a Nurx medical provider can prescribe you an antibiotic treatment. For STIs that require in-person treatment , Nurx will do a “warm handoff” to make sure they get connected with a nearby clinic.

The quickie facts:

• Available:Nurx.com

Read Also: How Would You Know If You Had Hepatitis C

How To Avoid Spreading Hsv

Theres no cure and no way to 100% prevent spreading herpes. But there are effective antiviral drugs which, when taken daily, can shorten outbreaks, lower recurrences, and even reduce the risk of transmission to a partner.

There are also drug-free ways to prevent the spread of herpes, but theyre not foolproof, especially considering that many people dont even know they have the virus.

There is an aspect of prevention that requires cautious sexuality on everyones part, says Dr. Handsfield. That means never putting areas of your body that have an active herpes outbreak in direct contact with other peoples mouths or genitals, he says. People with an active oral herpes outbreak shouldnt kiss anyone or perform oral sex on a partner . Latex condoms can help prevent the spread of genital herpes, but they dont eliminate the possibility of transmission because the sores can occur in areas that arent covered by a condom.

Its also possible to spread herpes to different parts of your own body. Try not to touch any active sores, and if you do, wash your hands immediately. Dont touch another part of your body after touching a sore or fluid from a sore without first washing your hands.

Doctors will often treat pregnant women who have herpes with medication during the last month of pregnancy to prevent an active outbreak when she goes into labor, says Dr. Handsfield.

Can You Get Rid Of Hpv Once You Have It

In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause any health problems. However, in the case that it does not go away, HPV may cause genital warts andâdepending on the type of HPV infectionâcancer.

While there is currently no cure for HPV, there are treatments available to help manage your symptoms if you do have the infection.

If you are sexually active, consider getting tested for HPV and regularly screening for other STIs to catch any infection as early as possible. To screen for high-risk HPV genotypes from the privacy and convenience of home, you can take the Everlywell HPV Test.

Recommended Reading: Hepatitis A Causes Symptoms Treatment

How Do You Get Herpes

Herpes is easily spread from skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the virus. You can get it when your genitals and/or mouth touch their genitals and/or mouth usually during oral, anal, and vaginal sex.

Herpes can be passed even if the penis or tongue doesnt go all the way in the vagina, anus, or mouth. You dont have to cum to spread herpes. All it takes is some quick skin-to-skin touching. You can also get herpes from kissing someone who has oral herpes.

The skin on your genitals, mouth, and eyes can be infected easily. Other areas of skin may get infected if theres a way for the herpes virus to get in, like through a cut, burn, rash, or other sores. You dont have to have sex to get herpes. Sometimes herpes can be passed in non-sexual ways, like if a parent with a cold sore gives you a peck on the lips. Most people with oral herpes got it when they were kids. A mother can pass genital herpes to a baby during vaginal childbirth, but thats pretty rare.

You can spread herpes to other parts of your body if you touch a herpes sore and then touch your mouth, genitals, or eyes without washing your hands first. You can also pass herpes to someone else this way.

Herpes is most contagious when sores are open and wet, because fluid from herpes blisters easily spreads the virus. But herpes can also shed and get passed to others when there are no sores and your skin looks totally normal.

Hepatitis C Symptoms & Treatment

FAST FACTS:

• Hepatitis C is found in infected blood. It is also rarely found in semen and vaginal fluids.

• Hepatitis C is mainly passed on through using contaminated needles and syringes or sharing other items with infected blood on them. It can also be passed on through unprotected sex, especially when blood is present.

• You can prevent hepatitis C by never sharing needles and syringes, practising safer sex, and avoiding unlicensed tattoo parlours and acupuncturists.

• Hepatitis C will often not have any noticeable symptoms, but a simple blood test carried out by a healthcare professional will show whether you have hepatitis C.

• In the early stages, some peoples bodies can clear a hepatitis C infection on their own, others may develop chronic hepatitis C and will need to take antiviral treatment to cure the infection.

• Without treatment, chronic hepatitis C can lead to permanent liver damage.

Hepatitis C is part of a group of hepatitis viruses that attack the liver.

Its mainly passed on through contaminated needles, either from injecting drugs or from needle stick injuries in healthcare settings. It can also be transmitted sexually, especially during anal sex or other types of sex that may involve blood.

Some groups are more at risk of getting hepatitis C than others, including people who use drugs, people in prisons, men who have sex with men, health workers and people living with HIV.

Recommended Reading: How To Cure Hepatitis A