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Archive for the ‘herpes’ Category

Top 10 Myths about Herpes

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

BY MICHELLE SOBEL

Greek mythology is full of sex.  Zeus was notorious for his love affairs, conquests, infidelities and nymph seductions.  Likewise, myths about herpes have been long-lived, undoubtedly spawned during ancient times.  We’re here to present the facts about herpes and unwind the myths.

Here are the facts.

Here are the myths:

Myth #1 Once you have herpes, you’ll have itchy rashes forever.
Not true. You may have an outbreak of itchy sores, but it does go away. Some people get occasional outbreaks. And some people live with herpes without any signs, itching or symptoms at all.

Myth #2 You can catch herpes from toilet seats.
It’s highly unlikely. The microorganisms that cause genital herpes can’t survive outside the human body on a surface like a toilet seat for very long.

Myth #3 If your partner gets herpes, he or she must be cheating.
Don’t jump to conclusions on this one. Your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse may have been infected for years and not have known it due to mild or no symptoms.

Myth #4 People with herpes can’t give blood.
According to the American Red Cross, people with genital or oral herpes may donate blood as long as they’re feeling healthy and don’t have any other restricted infections.

Myth #5 People get herpes from sleeping with too many people.
While having unprotected sex with multiple partners raises your risk for contracting an STD, it only takes one unsafe exposure to contract genital herpes.  Having herpes is so common.  It doesn’t say anything about a person’s promiscuity.

Myth #6 You can’t have sex again if you have herpes.
Of course you can have sex again if you have herpes.  There are ways to manage outbreaks and ways to protect from transmitting the virus.  It’s not a life sentence of celibacy.

Myth #7 My doctor routinely screens me for herpes.
No she doesn’t.  There are no current guidelines for routine herpes testing.  If you want a herpes test, you need to ask for one.

Myth #8 You can’t get herpes from oral sex.
Herpes is spread from skin to skin contact.  Even if your partner isn’t having an outbreak, it’s possible to transmit the virus.  Unless you’re using a condom or dental dam during oral sex, you’re not practicing safer sex.

Myth #9 It’s shameful to have herpes.
This is the myth we’d most like to bust.  Herpes is incredibly common.  Let’s stop stigmatizing this common virus.

Myth #10 When you have herpes, you know it.
80% of people living with herpes don’t know they have it.  Symptoms may not appear or can be very subtle.  The only way to know if you have herpes is to get tested.  If you’d like to know if your status, get tested.  We can help.

Posted in Cultural Attitudes, STD Myths, herpes | 1 Comment »

“Jersey Shore” and the Herpes Stigma

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Jersey Shore and herpes

Gossip blogs lit up this week with talk about the reality show “Jersey Shore”, quoting the show’s creator about the STD status of the cast.  In a round-table discussion of reality show, Sally Ann Salsano was quoted to say, “We hand [Valtrex] out like M&Ms! ‘Hey kids, it’s time for Valtrex!’ It’s like a herpes nest. They’re all in there mixing it up.”  Herpes nest?  While it’s not difficult to imagine the fist-pumping, hard-partying cast with names like Snooki, The Situation, and J-WOWW behaving irresponsibly, we’re not thrilled with the stigma surrounding herpes that continues to get played out in the media.  Here are some facts:

  • Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections around the globe.
  • The vast majority of people living with herpes don’t know it.
  • Multiple studies have shown that Herpes 2 infection increases the risk for HIV infection by at least twofold
  • It’s spread by skin-to-skin contact, so you don’t necessarily have to have intercourse to spread it or catch it
  • There’s no cure but there are anti-viral medications available to manage it and live a happy, active life

The only way to know if you have genital herpes or any other STD is to get tested.  The continual negative messaging around sexual health and stigmatizing herpes doesn’t help.  After the show’s creator blasted about “herpes nests”, the cast felt the need to tell the press that they don’t have herpes.  Your sexual health is private.   Know your STD status.  Share this private information with your partners.  No need to alert the media.  That’s the Situation.

Posted in STD Myths, herpes | 1 Comment »

CDC: Herpes rises to 16% of U.S. Adults

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

How many people between the ages of 14 and 49 have genital herpes in the U.S.?  Take a guess.  1%?  5%?  The CDC released data today that as much as 16 percent of the U.S. population between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes.  And that’s just the reported cases.  The CDC estimates that more than 80 percent of the people who have the herpes simplex 2 virus have no idea they are infected.  Many people never have symptoms or outbreaks, or those symptoms are mild and mistaken for something else. Worse, genital herpes can be transmitted during skin to skin contact even when the infected person is not having any symptoms or showing visible sores.

Are you concerned that you may have been exposed to genital herpes? Getting a type-specific herpes test for HSV-1 and HSV-2 is the only way to learn if you have the infection or if you do not.  We’re here to help people get tested for herpes, HIV and other common STDs.  Doctors are available 7 days a week to discuss the results and followup with treatment, if necessary.

“This study serves as a stark reminder that herpes remains a common and serious health threat in the United States. Everyone should be aware of the symptoms, risk factors and steps that can be taken to prevent the spread of this lifelong and incurable infection,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.

Of the people who have genital herpes infections, women and African-Americans top the list for the highest rates. According to the CDC data, 1 in 5 women is infected with genital herpes or HSV-2.  The infection rate was almost twice as high among women — nearly 21 percent — than among men, at 11.5 percent.

For African-Americans, the prevalence of infection was 39.2 percent — more than three times that of whites, at 12.3 percent. Black women are most affected by the disease, with an infection rate of 48 percent.

Fenton said the high rates of herpes among African-Americans is most likely contributing to the high rate of HIV in that community. In fact, statistics show that people with herpes are two to three times more likely to get HIV if exposed.

CDC experts say there are a number of barriers to treatment, including poverty and lack of access to care. They say young women often don’t get tested for STDs because of misinformation and stigma.

And, according to CDC experts, while African-American women and men are often unwilling to get tested, doctors are often reluctant to discuss sexual health with their patients — particularly with black male patients.

Posted in Risk, STD Statistics, STD Testing, herpes | Add Your Comment »

HOTLINE: Herpes 1 and 2: What’s the Difference?

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

We get this question a lot.  If you have HSV-1, does that mean you’re going to get genital outbreaks?  And what does it mean if you get a positive test result for Herpes 1 (HSV-1) and a negative result for HSV-2?  Okay…let’s break it down.  HSV-1 is super common and is often associated with cold sores.  More than half the adults in America have HSV-1.  HSV-2, also common, is most frequently associated with rashes down below.  But…and here’s the tricky part.  HSV-1 can cause genital symptoms but it’s less likely to cause frequent, recurrent outbreaks.  The HerpeSelect test that we offer is a type-specific test. That means you can know which HSV type you may be dealing with.

A note about your negative test result for HSV-2.  HerpeSelect detects antibodies to HSV so if you just had an unsafe exposure yesterday, the antibodies will not have formed.  Practice safe sex and get tested again in 3 months to confirm your negative result.

Have a Herpes question?  Ask away or call our counselors for a free consultation!

Posted in Seroconversion, herpes | 20 Comments »

HOTLINE: When is the right time to test?

Monday, November 30th, 2009

This may be the #1 question we hear.  The short answer?  If you are sexually active and have not been tested for HIV or other STDs in the past 12 months, the right time to get tested is right now.  It’s possible that you may have an STD and simply do not know it.  That’s why the CDC and other organizations want everyone who has sex to get a yearly STD test as part of their normal health routine.

Now, if you want to try to “time” an STD test based on what you think was a recent unsafe experience, there is a more nuanced answer.  Let’s say that up until yesterday you were a virgin and never had any sexual contact — vaginal, anal, oral or other.  And yesterday you got busy in an unsafe way with someone who told you, after having a robust night of lovemaking, “Wow, that was great, but I should tell you that I have genital herpes.”  Or HIV or Hepatitis C or another STD.  In that instance, you need to get yourself checked out and think about the timing of the test.

Viral infections like Herpes (HSV-2) and HIV may not develop detectable antibodies to the virus for up to 3 months.  This is called “seroconversion.” The HIV DNA by PCR test will look for DNA cells as early as 28 days after a possible exposure because it’s not looking for antibodies.

This is getting technical but diagnostic screening is simple.  Haven’t been tested in 12 months and you’ve had unsafe sex?  Get tested today and then wear condom.  Enjoy sex responsibly!

We’d love to hear from you.  Do you get tested regularly?

Posted in HIV, Seroconversion, Timing, herpes | 2 Comments »

Alec Baldwin and “Dormant” Herpes

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Enjoy this Valtrex commercial spoof from SNL.  It’s one of our favorite videos because it gives us an opportunity to address the herpes crazy talk that’s lighting up twitter feeds across America.

Herpes is so misunderstood.  First, you can’t get herpes from bathtubs, toilet seats, towels, or MySpace.  Genital herpes (HSV-2) is spread from good, old-fashioned skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the virus.  Here’s the problem.  Millions of people have herpes and don’t know it.  One study showed that up to 60% of infected people don’t know it because they don’t have the typical sores.  With a visual exam, doctors can often mistake herpes for jock itch, vaginitis, razor burn, or ingrown hairs.  Herpes can play hide and seek and is a master of disguise, so getting tested is the only way to know for sure.

We love it when Alec tries to tell Amy that “oftentimes the virus went undetected in tests.”  Yeah, good one, but that’s not true.  Type-specific blood tests, like the FDA-approved Herpeselect, differentiates between HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies and is one of the most sophisticated tests on the market.  Herpeselect is highly sensitive (91%-100%) and specific (93%-100%) for HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection, even when there are no symptoms. If you test soon after an exposure and the results are negative, be sure to repeat the test 4 to 6 weeks later for confirmation of your results.

So, yes, Amy Poehler, you can have herpes and not know it.  But don’t believe Alec when he says that it can go undetected in tests.  With 60% of infected people unaware they have herpes, please do “get caught up in all the logic”.  Get tested and take control of your sexual health. Because?  Because…it’s important, that’s why.  There’s really no need to overthink it.

Posted in STD Myths, herpes | 5 Comments »