Though Hepatitis B (HBV) is transmitted easily through sexual intercourse, Hepatitis C (HCV) is usually transmitted non-sexually–such as through infected IV needles, shared razor blades or toothbrushes, nonsterile tattoo needles, even shared straws when snorting heroin, cocaine, PCP, or ecstasy. Epidemiologists believe untold thousands of Baby Boomers acquired HCV when they were doing drugs (snorting or injecting) in the 70s and 80s–and they are totally aware of it.
You’re right, Jill: HCV (Hep C) is a major killer–and there is no vaccine and the treatment is marginally effective and prohibitively expensive.
BTW, I love the personals section is newspapers–the ones in which people basically say: “no herpetics!” It’s quite possible that they are silent carriers themselves. Worse are the ads in which first describe themselves: “Herpes, Single Female.”
Sad.