The entire time that I had hepatitis C, I was married (and am still so).  Despite never having to navigate the dating world with hepatitis C, I was sensitive to the issue. Although hep C isn’t usually passed sexually in most circumstances, it can be. Further, there is that big elephant in the room, the one that confronts us with the big question, “When do we tell someone we have hepatitis C?”

Nowadays most of us can be cured and consequently, don’t have to deal with this issue. But what if you are one of the unlucky less than 10 percent of the population who still has hepatitis C despite having been treated? Or one of the millions of untreated adults with hepatitis C?

There is the hepatitis C dating website HepCMatch.com. However, I think that the sexual transmission rate of hep C is so rare, that one need not limit potential dating partners to a field of those with hep C. Plus, hepatitis C can be cured most of the time. This is not always reassuring, but it is in fact, true.

Regardless of whether your potential sex partner is hep C-negative or positive, if the relationship deepens, the issue of disclosing your hep C status likely needs to be addressed. Hep.com has some information about disclosing your status. Whether it is to a new friend or a lover, you may want to read this.

And don’t forget to bring chocolate. Valentine’s Day is a good time to think about what it means to be a loving partner. It may not be the best time to drop the H-bomb about your status, but it is a good time for chocolate. However, if things heat up, you might want to deal with the truth.