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Hep C Discussion Forum -> General Discussion -> The stigma
Post Info TOPIC: The stigma
BJ


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RE: The stigma
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Gidday Everyone,

Sadly there is a stigma attached to those with HepC in todays society so if you are going to tell everyone as it where, I would advise you to think about that for a few days before you do, because that unfair stigma exists.

It won't be helpful, in fact it could be very harmful, coming up against people who are too scared to help you, because they know you have HepC while you are on tx, particularly if you having HepC won't hurt them.  On top of that, even though the stigma is born out of ignorance, it shouldn't be borne upon you to have to fight or defend yourself, while either suffering from HepC and or say struggling while undergoing tx.

You will discover unfortunate things about people you think you know, because of becoming infected, I know I have as have many others, but you will also like many discover some really nice qualities in people who will surprise you.

Disclosure to those who need to know is probably the best way to go, if that entails get offended by friends or relatives I guess you've got to be willing to tell them the truth about HepC, because most people's biases about HepC are based on crap.

Cheers,

Brendan.



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Geno 1b 72wk tx (Sept '09- Feb '11) Tx sucks, Sx's suck, but no one quits on my watch.   Pre-tx VL - 7.6 Million - Wk 4 - 480,000 - Wk 12 - 19,000....Wks 24, 36, 48 and 72 PCRs were all - negative :-))))Achieved SVR August 2011 

hrsetrdr


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sunny77 wrote:
I can't help but wonder if my supportive friends still have a bit of fear in the back of their minds about whether or not I can infect them or their family. And it just hurts so bad to have to feel that way. no Yuk. So anyway... I hear ya. Welcome to the stigma club, I guess.

Yea, I worry about my daughter's reaction, am a little hesitant to tell her, for fear that she might be afraid to have me around my grand-daughter.   shrug.gif

My son won't have a problem, he's had to battle stigmas in his life, and is aware of the medical facts, on various life threatening diseases.



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"hrsetrdr"=Tim

Treatment halted on Aug.8,2012 due to vision problem.  6 month post tx labs

Aug.2013 SVR

Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared, and humble when you are victorious.
- Unknown

 

 
sunny77


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I just found out that 4 days ago that I got Hep C  8 weeks ago when a patient threw his IV insertion needle at me, and it lodged in my leg.

I'm a blabby girl so keeping this a secret just wasn't something that I felt I could ever do, so I made up my mind to be open and honest and let those that are close to me know. I figured that I'm gonna be getting pretty sick when I start treatment anyway, so they'd be asking questions if I didn't tell them. I have already told many dear friends and everyone has been devestated but more than supportive. (They all knew about the assault anyway)

But I too, can't stop thinking about the stigma associated with this disease! This happened due to absolutly no faut of my own...in fact I was merely helping to save this guy's life when he threw his needle at me. But now I will have to live with the fact that many people will be afraid to hug me, let their kids come to my kid's house to play, or let me hold their babies.

I can't help but wonder if my supportive friends still have a bit of fear in the back of their minds about whether or not I can infect them or their family. And it just hurts so bad to have to feel that way. no Yuk. So anyway... I hear ya. Welcome to the stigma club, I guess.

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hrsetrdr


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I searched this forum, and came accross nikki's excellent thread  regarding the Social stigma that those that have contracted Hep C have to deal with.    

Basically, I see limiting the number of people to those on a "need to know" basis, which for me are: my closest family members. 

However, my wife and I both work for the same employer and are at the same site(corrections facility for large L.E. agency), and she did tell her supervisor @work, but we are personal friends.   I don't expect her supervisor will tell anyone else, unless she feels duty bound, for some reason.   Personally, I do not feel any such duty to inform my employer, even though it's quite likely that I contracted the Hep C there, on the job.  I don't plan on making this a "worker's comp case" because: quite frankly, how are you going to prove it?

But, if word gets out, <sigh> I'm just not going to 'sweat it', and will probably find out who my real friends are...and aren't.













__________________

"hrsetrdr"=Tim

Treatment halted on Aug.8,2012 due to vision problem.  6 month post tx labs

Aug.2013 SVR

Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared, and humble when you are victorious.
- Unknown

 

 
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