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Hi There I Had An Encounter With A Woman, We
Question: Hi There
i had an encounter with a woman, we did not have sex, no oral sex, just kissing, i wonder what are the chances of contracting Hepatitis B this way?, I have been having lots of joint pain 2-3 weeks later mainly in my fingers, knees, elbows, wrists
I did a test on the 29th day for Hep b it came back negative, is this conclusive? according to the CDC website by the fourth week it would show positive if i had it, the doctor advised me it is rare to contract hep b this way
what could be the cause of this joint pain as i did not have this prior to the encounter
regards XXXXXXX
i had an encounter with a woman, we did not have sex, no oral sex, just kissing, i wonder what are the chances of contracting Hepatitis B this way?, I have been having lots of joint pain 2-3 weeks later mainly in my fingers, knees, elbows, wrists
I did a test on the 29th day for Hep b it came back negative, is this conclusive? according to the CDC website by the fourth week it would show positive if i had it, the doctor advised me it is rare to contract hep b this way
what could be the cause of this joint pain as i did not have this prior to the encounter
regards XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
It is not very likely to get Hep B thought kissing. Some more details on the test results below
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I carefully read your query and understand your concern.
Generally, Hepatitis B has an incubation period of an average of 3 months. In some cases, there may be earlier symptoms but if you had symptoms due to hepatitis B then the tests should have come out positive (it means you are having an active infection- so the blood tests should have shown it).
I also think that you do not need to worry about Hepatitis B with this encounter as there is a very insignificant risk to contract it through kissing.
Joint pain may be caused by many possible causes from simple self-limiting viral infection to more important rheumatic conditions. A good history and examination (in some cases even tests) are needed to better determine the cause.
As for the Hep B test, it shows positive in an average of 4 weeks after the potential contact with the infection but it may vary from 1-9 weeks. This means that there are patients that may take less or more than 4 weeks to show the changes in the blood (HBsAg positive). Thus, for real peace of mind in your case, you may repeat the test after 10 weeks from the encounter (3 months is a good time).
I hope this answers your query.
I remain at your disposal if further medical assistance is needed.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician
It is not very likely to get Hep B thought kissing. Some more details on the test results below
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I carefully read your query and understand your concern.
Generally, Hepatitis B has an incubation period of an average of 3 months. In some cases, there may be earlier symptoms but if you had symptoms due to hepatitis B then the tests should have come out positive (it means you are having an active infection- so the blood tests should have shown it).
I also think that you do not need to worry about Hepatitis B with this encounter as there is a very insignificant risk to contract it through kissing.
Joint pain may be caused by many possible causes from simple self-limiting viral infection to more important rheumatic conditions. A good history and examination (in some cases even tests) are needed to better determine the cause.
As for the Hep B test, it shows positive in an average of 4 weeks after the potential contact with the infection but it may vary from 1-9 weeks. This means that there are patients that may take less or more than 4 weeks to show the changes in the blood (HBsAg positive). Thus, for real peace of mind in your case, you may repeat the test after 10 weeks from the encounter (3 months is a good time).
I hope this answers your query.
I remain at your disposal if further medical assistance is needed.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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