Dealing with Herpes

LegacyUser

Hi All

Basicly worried. Have herpes & panicked/stressed since finding out. I can't think about anything else & Ive noticed I'm losing concentration in work.

I go in and out of getting really panicked - I'm only happy when I temporarily forget. Have found hair on my desk recently so I must being suffering stress.

I'm pretty young - 22. I'm scared I'm going to become depressed & go mad.

So anyone with any help on dealing?

LegacyUser

Hi, I found out over a month ago I had herpes. In truth I havent really been unduly worried by it since but I understand why one might be.
Out of interest, what is the basis of this panic that sets in. Is it just fear?
All I can say is that herpes is nothing to get too anxious about. In fact I was told that most sexually active people have it without knowing.
Obviously things are going to be slightly different with it but I certainly dont see it as a life-changing ailment.
Whatever the situation, youre certainly not alone in worrying about it though.

emm relax about it, I know your stressed !
I don't know much about myself but I read gossip magazines and apparently a good few famous people suffer from it (not meaning to sound dumb or anything)
I mean your human and error(like unprotected sex) is allowed from time to time
Some just suffer the consequences more than other's but i'm a firm believer in the fact that people can overcome any obstacle put in their way if they just be positive
Just think of other's less fortunate that you who are suffering with much worse illnesses
I'm not too sure of the in's and out's of the STI herpes exactly but if it doesnt kill you it will make you stronger
and for god's sake adapt a more reserved approach to sex as in from now on only when your in love and have shared your secret with someone you fully trust !

cornbb

Educate yourself about your illness, find out about how other people have coped with it and take solace from the fact that millions of people have herpes and live fairly normal lives. If you learn about the disease it might not seem so bad after all. If you've only been diagnosed recently, I'm sure the panic and stress will naturally subside after time. Oh, and practice safe sex in future :cool:

Steyr

coolsmileygirl wrote:

I'm not too sure of the in's and out's of the STI herpes exactly but if it doesnt kill you it will make you stronger

Are you serious? Nobody in their right mind will sleep with you if your riddled.

WellyJ

Steyr wrote:

Are you serious? Nobody in their right mind will sleep with you if your riddled.

Dude, not helpful at all :mad:

easyontheeye

forgive the ignorance, but is herpes uncurable? are you like stuck with it?

Faith

easyontheeye wrote:

forgive the ignorance, but is herpes uncurable? are you like stuck with it?

Yes, it's a virus that remains in your system for the rest of your life. As long as you practise safe sex, you should be okay. Herpes can be contracted from oral sex, though, so sexual contact should be avoided during an outbreak.

easyontheeye

man thats a tough break, i googled it there, and aparently like 70% of people have it, does that mean if you ever got a cold sore on your face, then you have herpes for life? and if the op wants to have kids, hes gonna end up infected his partner?

chump

easyontheeye wrote:

man thats a tough break, i googled it there, and aparently like 70% of people have it, does that mean if you ever got a cold sore on your face, then you have herpes for life? and if the op wants to have kids, hes gonna end up infected his partner?

that's the danger of 'stats' in the hands of the simple

HSV-1 or HSV-2 or both? Or do you even understand the distinctions? And location of infection?

Faith

chump wrote:

that's the danger of 'stats' in the hands of the simple

HSV-1 or HSV-2 or both? Or do you even understand the distinctions? And location of infection?

Do you? Seeing as easyontheeye already confessed to not knowing much about herpes, I think you can safely assume that s/he won't understand your questions.

easyontheeye - Yes, if you have a cold sore on your face, it means you have the Herpes Simplex Virus. It will continue to reoccur throughout your life. Herpes is extremely contagious, but only when there is an outbreak. So, if you have the tingling feeling on your lip, or a full blown coldsore, you're contagious. You should be vigilant about not touching your mouth and always wash your hands after you do.

The partner of somebody who has herpes can remain free of infection of both parties are careful. When there is an outbreak, activities like kissing and oral sex should be avoided. If there is a genital outbreak, sex should be avoided entirely, as even a condom is not guaranteed to stop you getting infected. Herpes on the mouth can be transferred to the genital area, and vice versa. However, that does not mean that if you suffer from coldsores on your face, you also have genital herpes.

easyontheeye

Faith wrote:

Do you? Seeing as easyontheeye already confessed to not knowing much about herpes, I think you can safely assume that s/he won't understand your questions.

easyontheeye - Yes, if you have a cold sore on your face, it means you have the Herpes Simplex Virus. It will continue to reoccur throughout your life. Herpes is extremely contagious, but only when there is an outbreak. So, if you have the tingling feeling on your lip, or a full blown coldsore, you're contagious. You should be vigilant about not touching your mouth and always wash your hands after you do.

The partner of somebody who has herpes can remain free of infection of both parties are careful. When there is an outbreak, activities like kissing and oral sex should be avoided. If there is a genital outbreak, sex should be avoided entirely, as even a condom is not guaranteed to stop you getting infected. Herpes on the mouth can be transferred to the genital area, and vice versa. However, that does not mean that if you suffer from coldsores on your face, you also have genital herpes.

cheers for the info, that really opened my eyes, i always thought herpes was curable. Hey OP I hope you get the piece of mind your after.

Steyr

You can indeed pass on herpes from your mouth to a persons Vagina/Penis via Oral sex, if you kiss someone with a cold sore then you have it too, and visa versa...Feeling horny for a one night stand now are ya guys and girls?:rolleyes: :eek:

Nevyn

http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-Herpes.htm

What is genital herpes?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.

How common is genital herpes?

Results of a nationally representative study show that genital herpes infection is common in the United States. Nationwide, at least 45 million people ages 12 and older, or one out of five adolescents and adults, have had genital HSV infection. Between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, the number of Americans with genital herpes infection increased 30 percent.

Genital HSV-2 infection is more common in women (approximately one out of four women) than in men (almost one out of five). This may be due to male-to-female transmissions being more likely than female-to-male transmission.

How do people get genital herpes?

HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found in and released from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between outbreaks from skin that does not appear to be broken or to have a sore. Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected.

HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips, so-called "fever blisters." HSV-1 infection of the genitals can be caused by oral-genital or genital-genital contact with a person who has HSV-1 infection. Genital HSV-1 outbreaks recur less regularly than genital HSV-2 outbreaks.

What are the signs and symptoms of genital herpes?

Most people infected with HSV-2 are not aware of their infection. However, if signs and symptoms occur during the first outbreak, they can be quite pronounced. The first outbreak usually occurs within two weeks after the virus is transmitted, and the sores typically heal within two to four weeks. Other signs and symptoms during the primary episode may include a second crop of sores, and flu-like symptoms, including fever and swollen glands. However, most individuals with HSV-2 infection may never have sores, or they may have very mild signs that they do not even notice or that they mistake for insect bites or another skin condition.

Most people diagnosed with a first episode of genital herpes can expect to have several (typically four or five) outbreaks (symptomatic recurrences) within a year. Over time these recurrences usually decrease in frequency.

What are the complications of genital herpes?

Genital herpes can cause recurrent painful genital sores in many adults, and herpes infection can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems. Regardless of severity of symptoms, genital herpes frequently causes psychological distress in people who know they are infected.

In addition, genital HSV can cause potentially fatal infections in babies. It is important that women avoid contracting herpes during pregnancy because a first episode during pregnancy causes a greater risk of transmission to the baby. If a woman has active genital herpes at delivery, a cesarean delivery is usually performed. Fortunately, infection of a baby from a woman with herpes infection is rare.

Herpes may play a role in the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious.

How is genital herpes diagnosed?

The signs and symptoms associated with HSV-2 can vary greatly. Health care providers can diagnose genital herpes by visual inspection if the outbreak is typical, and by taking a sample from the sore(s) and testing it in a laboratory. HSV infections can be difficult to diagnose between outbreaks. Blood tests, which detect HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection, may be helpful, although the results are not always clear-cut.

Is there a treatment for herpes?

There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication. In addition, daily suppressive therapy for symptomatic herpes can reduce transmission to partners.

How can herpes be prevented?

The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including genital herpes, is to abstain from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

Genital ulcer diseases can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of genital herpes only when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected. Since a condom may not cover all infected areas, even correct and consistent use of latex condoms cannot guarantee protection from genital herpes.

Persons with herpes should abstain from sexual activity with uninfected partners when lesions or other symptoms of herpes are present. It is important to know that even if a person does not have any symptoms he or she can still infect sex partners. Sex partners of infected persons should be advised that they may become infected. Sex partners can seek testing to determine if they are infected with HSV. A positive HSV-2 blood test most likely indicates a genital herpes infection.

iguana

I was googling and found this UK support group. http://www.herpes.org.uk/index.html

I never knew that so many people could have herpes and not know it. Do you have to be having an active outbreak during a standard sti test for it to be diagnosed? Or do they check for it in the same way as they do for chlamydia.

Both my husband and one of my friends get cold sores. Apparently a while after catching the virus the immune system learns to deal with it and outbreaks become less and less frequent. My friend said she used to get a cold sore every three months when she first contracted it, after a couple of years she was getting them every six months or so. Then every year and now she gets them every 18 months or so. According to her doctor over time they will fade to every 3/4 years. When we first met my husband got them annually but he hasn't had one in 3/4 years now. I think genital herpes works in a similar way. As long as you stay healthy your body will learn to deal with it.

biko

I think there was a thread about oral herpes here about a week or so ago and OP would get cold sores "at the time of the month".