Hey Clovers,

I have Hep C now for 22 years...I have 3 children 15,14 and 11..

I have had my wife and children tested...All clear..

I still have normal sex with my wife...

None of my family use my shaver,tooothbrush,tweasers or anything else of the nature...

It is blood to blood,so if you take responsible precautions,it wont be a problem..

I kiss hug cuddle my kids as normal..

BUT I am very careful with my blood being in any contact with anyone....Please dont stress about it.

My kids are 30, borne 11 years after I got hcv, which is about 42 years ago

Neither they are my wife have hep.

Harley and Levicah are right. This is not a disease spread by contact or close proximity. It is not pink eye or strep or chicken pox

If you once cut your finger and asked your kids to kiss the bleeding boo boo you might have a problem, but normal interaction, including a kiss or sharing a drinking glass is not dangerous

And why would you deal with it better if your son was a child. If he does have hcv he possibly didn't even get it from you. And if he has it, he's old enough to take treatment and get it eliminated

I'm sure as a parent I am guilty of something, but it's not that I gave my kids hcv

Guys let me rephrase I'm not concerned that I gave or could give my son hcv thru every day normal interactions, I was concerned about passing it during child birth... I thank you guys for your responses you have truly made me feel better, thank you for taking the time to help.

I had to go read my post, I see that I'm going to have to be a lil more careful with my wording should have said passing the virus during childbirth.. because of all the body fluids that are involved...
@ Joemz20, I may be naive about many things.. but I am not crazy under no circumstance even if I wasn't sick would I ask my kids to kiss any boo boo I may have especially if its still bleeding come on... be nice..
I hope I did not make anyone uncomfortable or upset anyone not my intent... peace and love to everyone and again Thank You, for making me feel better....

I do not have any kids over 25 but I do have I have a 4 year old, and have had Hep C for at least 15 years, I was terrified when I got her tested, but she was Negative..Woo-hoo! Its actually a REALLY, REALLY miniscule chance to pass vertically from Mother to child 5% chance, if you are HIV pos. then slightly higher chances of passing it. Im sorry it sounds like a difficult situation but the odds are very much in your favor that he will be virus free. Prayers for you.

Clovers, sorry about the boo boo remark.

An easy way to know your sons status without getting him nervous about hcv is to find out if he's donated blood. The blood bank would automatically test him.

I have a son that is 35 and one that is 27. They are both clear even though they have both parents with HCV. I wouldn't worry too much about it Clover. Just do as Joe suggested. have them try to donate blood.

Were hear for ya Clovers. I will prayer to give him wisdom and take the news as not your fault. You know they say that if only he useed your dirty razor or possible tooth brush so don be down on yourself touch much. :)

Hi Clovers- sorry you are having a rough time of it right now. Everyone has already answered you well, with one exception.

I do not agree with the "try to donate blood to find out if you have hep c" theory. There are plenty of clinics that will test for free or little cost. Here is a link by state:

http://www.hepcchallenge.org/map/usa_county/index.php

Just as a side note- Joemz wasn't being ugly- he has used that example several times, and it is a good one, IMHO.

I have 5 kids and have the same worries. When I was diagnosed, my hep doctor said not to worry about your kids. I know for sure that 2 do not have it, as they were tested specifically. My daughter was ill at one point in her life and was tested for everything known to man, including viral infections, so I am pretty sure that she is clear. Two other sons have not been tested. I will have them tested at some point. I asked my doctor while I was being treated and essentially was told that they can be tested if you want but because the risk is so low, they don't routinely recommend it. They also said that as young adults, if they did have the virus, they most likely contracted on their own. I will always worry about this until I know for sure though. They are strong and healthy, but I realize that doesn't mean much. I asked my 23 year old to have himself tested and will talk to the doctor about it at my 16 year old's next visit. With my children in mind, I am praying fervently for a better treatment. I would hate to see my kids go through this hell.

I use denial to deal with this problem. At some point, I may spontaneously change my mind. For now, I do not test out of fear that there will be pressure to treat, and I am a supporter of wishful waiting.

If your son knows that you are sick, he should understand the risks. There is no easy way, if you want to know, just tell how it is.

My kids are 30 and 31. Since neither one has ever had an abnormal blood test I am not worried about either having it. Neither has chosen to be tested.
Every mother on here has had the same worry, but it is very rare for it to be passed from other to child.

Clover, it is a good thing if they get tested. The probability that you passed this to them is almost nil. But, they could have gotten it some where else. My whole family was tested, I am the only one who had it.