Rose,

Hep C is not "contagious" either sexually(very small percentage) or orally or water or air borne...... "mostly" only through needles, blood or unprotected(how do I put this delicately?) "posterior penetration" and even with that it would have to be very often and vigorous. The likelihood of catching Hep C through protected sex is almost nil.

I worked in a hospital for 5 years and I was in contact with blood and tissue constantly. I was exposed to HIV, Hep C, Hep B(the nasty one), syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis and god knows what else. Once, I accidently dropped a tube of a patients serum and some of it splashed on my face and a bit splashed up underneath my glasses into my eye......terrifying, I got to say. I had to undergo needlestick protocol and I came up fine.

I wore gloves, and safety glasses and a lab coat but exposed to open blood products all the time. I was inoculated against hep B but no vacc for Hep C.
If you are sensible you will be fine.......

As for asking a person about their tattoo......I would just come out and ask......it is your health in question here. I have a tattoo and my partner asked me when we met if I had had "testing" since getting it, and I had(sorry delisquese, Life and working in a hospital has made me a bit blunt!!).

Honesty is the best policy..........

P.S. My sons father had Hep C from using unclean needles........he did not tell me that he had it and I took him at his word when he told me.........and when I met him, he started on the methadone program........I got pregnant, AND thats when he decided to tell me.......I was so angry and scared for my child .......but after talking to a couple of virologists.......I was told that Hep C as very hard to transmit through sex(you would have to have ALOT of it unprotected, high percentage in sex workers) and does not transmit to the child in utero unless the mother has a case of Hep C. Just wanted to clear that up.......thought I should explain why I should know so much about it........did ALOT of research.