Might be of concern?

[Moose]

While 16, I dated a guy whose mother had Hepatitis C. I inquired about whether or not it was passed down to him, and he said it was not. However, I'm still concerned (I am now almost eighteen, if that matters, and am no longer dating him.) The farthest we ever went was oral sex, and I know very little about the transmission of the disease. Am I at risk?

[Heather]

Since this was in the past, at this point, all you can really do is just get regular general healthcare and report any troubling symptoms, of anything, like you hopefully already do. You can also ask for a Hep C antibody test.

Really, concern about Hep C should be one everyone has, and it's one healthcare providers do too, so you can know that anyone who shows symptoms of what may be Hep C will have that considered. But again, while it wasn't likely this guy picked up Hep C from his mother (more on this and Hep C here), if you'd feel better getting tested, by all means, you can ask for that.

[Moose]

Thank you very much for the swift response. I'm going in for my first gyno visit within the next year, so I'll absolutely ask for a test then. I hope you have a good day <3

[Heather]

Sure thing!

Hep C tests, just for the record, are general health tests, not sexual health tests, since Hep C isn't classified as a sexually transmitted infection. A GYN can usually do that test too, but if you didn't want to wait, asking a general provider is also a way to go.