Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is more and more found in men who have sex with men (especially HIV-positive men). Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccination, and even if you already had an infection with hepatitis C, you‘re not protected against a reinfection. The disease is often detected much too late and can lead to severe liver damage.

The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted through blood, especially when doing drugs (including sharing tubes for snorting). It can also be contracted through sexual and other practices involving blood. You bleed pretty easily when you get fisted, use large dildos or if the fucking is particularly hard and long (cock piercings, Viagra & Co., ...). The less you feel when getting fucked (due to alcohol, poppers, Special K and Co.), the higher the risk of an injury. Hepatitis C is mainly passed on where many men (in a group or one after another) have rough sex with different partners.

How to protect yourself

• There is no vaccination against hepatitis C, and even after a cure you can still get infected again. You can protect yourself through the following measures:
• Put on a new latex glove for each partner when fisting, so that no blood from one gut gets into the next. Do not share lubricant containers!
• Condoms protect during anal intercourse. When you get fucked without a condom, you should at least use more lube than usual and less poppers - you won't bleed so easily.
• After surgery in the anal area (for example after the removal of genital warts) or on the cock (for example after circumcision) take your time until the wounds have completely healed - then you can have relaxed sex without the risk of reopening your wounds and getting hepatitis C on top of things.
• When you have more than ten sex partners a year and/or are into hard sex practices, get tested for hepatitis C once a year.
• When you inject anabolic steroids or other substances, do not share the needle with others. This also applies to razor blades and toothbrushes. Make sure that hygienic standards are observed for tattoos and piercings.
• When doing cocaine or speed, draw your line only through your own tube. Cocaine and speed affect the nasal mucous membrane and cause small bleedings - a tiny amount of blood on the tube is enough for an infection with HCV!

How hepatitis C presents itself
In more than three quarters of all cases, an acute hepatitis C does not get noticed at all, i.e. there are no or only mild symptoms and no discomfort. In about 10 to 20% of cases, flu-like symptoms occur, and sometimes the eyes and skin may turn yellow. On average -  hepatitis is only discovered during a blood test.

About three quarters of all infections become chronic. Most chronic hepatitis C infections continue for years or decades symptoms or with only a few symptoms (with fatigue, abdominal pain, lethargy and recurrent temporary increases in liver values), and even a chronic hepatitis can heal spontaneously.

Approximately one third of untreated chronic infections lead to an aggressive course with liver fibrosis. In about 20 percent of those infected the cirrhosis occurs after years or decades with increasing loss of liver function and increased risk of hepatocellular cancer.