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 A CAUTIONARY TALE continued
The treatment regimen wreaked havoc on our health (I cleared the virus in 2005) and on our family. The guilt of having caused my son to go through it made it harder for me to heal. The thought that my son might have to suffer through this again is devastating. While we await his annual blood work results to assure he hasn't been reinfected, my hope is that others will learn how to prevent the chance that this could happen to them.
Hepatitis C Reinfection
If you become infected with hepatitis C infection and then clear the virus, it is still possible for you to become infected again. The chance of another infection with hepatitis C (reinfection) is much, much less than the chance of a first-time infection, but it is not impossible. Having had hepatitis C once does not make you "immune" from getting hepatitis C again. Research is ongoing, but for now, preventing re-exposure to the hepatitis C virus is the only sure way of avoiding infection and reinfection with hepatitis C.
Safe Tattooing Guidelines
Never get a tattoo anywhere except in a clean, reputable tattoo shop. Remember, the amateur tattoo is not only permanent, so is the hepatitis C you may contract from dirty equipment. A clean shop should have several sanitary measures in place to ensure a safe procedure. For example, artists should be gloved and needles should be new and taken out of a sealed package right in front of the client. Inks and any other equipment should also be new. All needles should be run through an autoclave, an equipment cleaning machine which utilizes steam and pressure to sterilize equipment. The work area will likely be separated from the shop and should be sanitized after every use.
Some questions to ask include:
- Does the artist wash his or her hands?Though artists should always wear gloves, they must also wash their hands before putting gloves on and after taking them off. Make sure they do not re-use the gloves.
- Is the equipment sterilized? Sterilized is different from being clean. By wiping over something with a towel, the instrument will look clean, but it could still be infectious. Sterilization involves applying chemicals or heat, killing bacteria and viruses.
- Are work surfaces clean? Make sure the work area is cleaned and sterilized. You don't want your clean tattoo needle to be exposed to germs from the table surface or other equipment.
Prevention Practices
Because the risk of tattoos causing hepatitis C is so prevalent, infection-control guidelines for tattoo artists and clients, and enforcement through inspections, reporting of adverse events and record keeping are vitally important. Prevention programs should focus on young people who are most likely to get tattoos as well as prison inmates, who live in environments with a higher prevalence of hepatitis C.
For now, my son's tattoo is here to stay. I once thought that the hepatitis C virus I gave him through birth might be permanent, and never thought he might have to repeat the treatment that cleared the virus in 2006. Now I realize the dangers associated with tattoos and the possibility of reinfection, especially when you're dealing with the teen-aged mindset. To avoid first or subsequent infection from amateur, unsanitary tattoo practices; make sure the teens and young adults in your life are aware of the risks and to always follow safe tattooing guidelines.
For information about the Hepatitis C virus, click HERE. Back to Top ________________________________________________________ FREE AND CLEAR continued
Hired to work with Spanish-speaking clients part-time, Emily quickly acquired a full portfolio and
began working full time. Through self-study on her own time, she also developed HCV resources and became a fantastic internal reference on the disease and treatment. Researching for others, she found and entered a drug study, getting the one treatment that can help rid the body of HCV. As it is a long term and difficult process, not always successful, Emily counts herself "lucky to have been working at The Wright House. Everyone was so supportive; Leah Graham [Executive Director] and Michael Laster [her Case Manager and supervisor] were completely understanding, never judgmental. It was wonderful, therapeutic to be able to work with clients at the same time."
Working with Casey Nelson of Austin Travis County Integral Care - CARE Program at the time,
Emily co-founded a still ongoing interagency Support Group for those with HCV. Casey had social work/public health experience and degrees, while Emily facilitated the Group, developing relevant activities at the time she herself was undergoing her interferon regimen. "It was great to be able to get others to talk about their concerns and fears, especially around treatment; to tell them--I am doing it and you can too."
It was "kind of rough" but now Emily is hardly detectable. She still tests annually. Feeling healthy enough to pursue her dream of law school, she left The Wright House in 2011 to study at Northeastern in Boston, a top-ranked public interest law school. And she is eyeing a dual degree in public health at Tufts.
Emily left The Wright House Wellness Center much-enriched in its ability to assist those with Hepatitis C and we are grateful.
EMILY'S PREQUEL
A long term IV drug user, Emily tells us her mother had bailed her out a number of times-many times-before finding a center in Pennsylvania and convincing Emily to go for help. While she wanted to leave prior to completing finishing treatment, she was convinced to stay. And this time it worked. She made a commitment to sobriety and began to deal with her issues. That brought her to The Wright House.
EMILY'S SEQUEL
She still goes to regular meetings and has a sponsor. She admits she has a problem and knows she must continue to do this to see continued success in her life. She repeats the steps, using the tools she learned. Emily both has a sponsor and is a sponsor, finding it a "matter of survival," but in truth, she is thriving.
She is planning to take part in a National Court Competition focused on gender and sexuality at UCLA and hopes to edit a documentary on AIDS prevention and education for a nonprofit in Providence, Rhode Island for young Spanish-speaking sex workers there.
Emily feels strongly that "very good people can do very bad things" and she "believes in second, third, ninth, twelfth chances." She seeks a project humanizing young people who engage in behavior that makes others consider them less than deserving of another chance for change.
She got that chance and wants others to have it too.
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I'm sure you have noticed that people of all ages are sporting body art, with designs ranging from a single piece to a full "sleeve," where tattoos completely cover one's arm. A 2010 Pew Research Center report tells us that 38 percent of Americans ages 18-29 have tattoos. Studies also show that people with tattoos were almost three times as likely to have hepatitis C as those without tattoos, which doesn't suggest that "inking" is the cause of the virus but does indicate a strong association between the two. 
