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New Herpes STD Information

Herpes Defense: Implementing Tactics to Halt Spread

This is important new STD information that you need to know if you are sexually active. Please read!

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. There are two types of the virus, HSV1 and HSV2. (Herpes Simplex Virus)

HSV1 is called oral herpes. HSV2 is called genital herpes.

DON’T SPREAD HERPES

50% of new cases of genital herpes is the oral type, which means people are getting herpes on their penises and vulvas from oral sex.

Having herpes gives you a 2-3X greater risk of contracting HIV if exposed, due to the way your immune cells shed the herpes virus.

You do not need to have a cold sore or outbreak to give someone herpes.

The outbreak is called a zoster or lesion. If you click here you can see a picture of a herpes zoster on a man’s butt cheek.

Herpes zosterKnow What A Herpes Outbreak Looks Like <=== Disgusting But Important Picture

The lesion does not always present on the penis, vulva or lips. Herpes can breakout on a person’s face or on their back or butt cheeks.

85% of people are unaware they even have herpes because not everyone shows external signs of the virus, even though it’s still active.

The picture here shows what a herpes zoster looks like on a man’s butt. He thought this was a pimple because it was on his butt, but it was an active herpes breakout.

If he had sex with someone with this active zoster, they would have gotten the virus.

The virus is spread through skin to skin transmission, not through blood.

The only way you can know if you have it is to get the HSV1 and HSV2 blood tests.

If you have herpes, you can somewhat lesson but not completely control the outbreaks with an anti-viral medication. There are three available and two are generic, which cost less.

There is no way to prevent getting herpes except to not have sex, because so many people have it but don’t know they do.

You can have “safer” sex by consistently using a condom, but even then, unless you also use a dental dam or condom for oral sex, you could end up with oral herpes (HSV1) on your genitals.

As the population ages, a greater percentage of people have it because it’s incurable.

A common factoid mentioned in most articles is that 50-75% of unmarried women age 45-50 have herpes.  Logically, an equal or even higher percentage of men of that age group also have herpes.

What can you do?

Be informed.

Get tested. Know if you have herpes or not.

WHAT STD TESTS TO GET <=== Testing Advice

And if you have sex with another person, have them get tested and show you their test results too.

You can reduce your potential for transmission by half with consistent use of barrier methods (dams, condoms).

It all starts with knowing whether you are a carrier or not.

Get tested.

Be informed.

Many couples are able to have sex for years without the person who has herpes giving their partner the virus just by abstaining when they can sense the virus is active or they have an outbreak.

But not if you’re not informed.

Here is a link to an NPR Science Friday interview where you can learn more about HSV1 and HSV2:

science friday

The truth is that we humans love to have sex with each other. And having many partners can be exciting, fulfilling and grow us as human beings.

There are many ways to protect yourself. Get informed. Get tested.

Here is a link to our Safe Sex Guide too. <=== Conscious Safe Sex Guide

Get Tested Be Informed,
Susan

P.S. There are multiple links in this email to inform you. Here they are again all in order:

Safe Sex Guide
STD Testing Advice
Picture of Herpes Zoster
Herpes Interview

11 Responses

  1. Susan, “pussy shores on a hairy man’s buttocks”, you mean sores right? What is added by stating on a “hairy man’s”, is that necessary, many men who have lots of body hair are particulary sensitive about it, it’s is their genes and they can’t do a thing about it, short of expensive removal methods. In this day and age many women have rather unrealistic expectations of the amount of body hair on men, finding it disgusting when of all things it’s natural. On the other hand many women are so vain they shave, creme or laser treat every last hair follicle including the butt cracks and privates. Not nice Susan, as an author you are supposed to be sensitive to every word you put on paper. Shame, shame.

    1. Ted,
      The reason I said “hairy butt” was as a warning to those who would prefer have the choice of knowing what they were about to see.
      There is no shame in having hair. We are all human animals.
      I apologize if my verbiage made you think I was denigrating men’s hairiness. That was not my intention.
      In the future, perhaps you might consider refraining from using the words, “Shame. Shame. Shame.” to shame others?
      There is no place in our world to add to shame.
      Let’s make it a shame free discussion all around. Shall we?
      With Respect and Appreciation,
      Susan

  2. I thank you for posting this. I am amazed at the amount of uneducated people there are out there. Also it needs to be said that just because it’s common doesn’t mean it is ok or not a disease. TV commercials are telling us it’s ok to have a cold sore. Yet it can be transferred to be on the genitals. Wake up people! If AIDS became common does that make it ok?
    The fact that it can be transferred even when not completely a sore also needs to be known out there. It is lack of education and caring on the part of those that have it to not let others know and to continue to pass it on. That is why it is so common. Like AIDS or HIV, it slowed down transference because of education and those with it becoming responsible people.

    Thank you for helping to educate. Great article.

    1. Seriously? HIV passed to another can cause a disease that might eventually kill you. Herpes is an annoying skin condition that will not kill you. To compare them is ridiculous. 85% of people don’t know they have HSV either because they’re asymptomatic or they attributed the sore or pimple to an ingrown hair or jock itch.
      Many became infected before the days of HIV and therefore weren’t using condoms, as not getting pregnant was the main focus of birth control.
      My husband gave it to me 20 years ago before we married. He had no idea he had it- he had seen a small sore but thought it was from masturbating too much. 20 years later I get maybe 1 mild outbreak a year if that. It’s a non-issue. Drug companies want you to fear herpes. It sells a lot of Valtrex, which to be fair, reduces viral transmission rates by 50% if taken regularly. Protect yourself, by should you get it, you’ll survive just fine.

  3. Herpes… gotta love it. First wife came home with it after five years together, yay!
    Some things I’ve learned from experience and study…

    Stress triggers this disease, but it can be controlled.
    Stress has an impact on the immune system, if you can control the amount of stress in your life you will do well.

    I can usually feel it as a tingling sensation before the outbreak.

    I’ve heard that some have the disease and don’t know it, but I don’t buy that. The symptoms are there, you know it…be careful

  4. While this is an important issue, I’m surprised to see the use of the word ‘disgusting’ about it. The only difficult thing about herpes is that it remains in the body. 80% of people have the oral herpes virus in the western world. It’s normal!
    Herpes can be annoying, even painful, though over time the episodes get less frequent, less painful and less irritable.
    There are dietary changes that help, you haven’t mentioned anything about how manageable it is.
    I’m amazed to see you adding to the stigma of something that, while better to avoid, isn’t that big a deal. Many people hide in shame once they discover they have herpes, though they are the same people they were before they knew. Get some perspective here!!
    Using such a judgmental and vindictive word as ‘disgusting’ for a process that is so common we could consider it normal goes against everything this site claims to represent. Given the statistics, more of your own subscribers have herpes than don’t! So learn some respect and kindness, and honor your claimed role as educators, not pornographers.

    1. Hi Rosie,
      I appreciate your comments. The reason I used the word, “disgusting,” is because I wanted to presence the fact that when a reader of my email clicked on that thumbnail of the herpes outbreak they were going to see herpes sores on a hairy man’s buttocks. I’ll let others comment here whether they think that kind of image might be classified as disgusting and appreciate the warning and choice to see it in more detail.
      Please understand that I didn’t mean in any way to infer that people who have herpes are disgusting.
      And thank you for the great idea to do an article on managing herpes. I’ll add that to my list of ideas.
      I am publicly apologizing to anyone who took offense at my use of the word disgusting and applied it to them, instead of to the photo itself.
      My aim is to remove shame, fear, lack of knowledge and replace it with options, connection, understanding and love.
      I think you were a little excessive yourself in your use of pornographer… so we all live and learn.
      With Love,
      Susan

    2. I have to say that this is a sensitive issue, and it requires empathy as this is something you can unknowingly get despite the best precautions.

      I feel that using the word disgusting is inappropriate as this is happening to real people with feelings and there is so much stigma attached to this that the shame and embarrassment one feels is not easy to shake.

      The buttocks is also quite a common area to have a lesion, so it is important to treat it thoroughly and with care. I found colloidal silver as a cleanser and using silver healing plasters once applying the ointment worked well.

      I found this article to be very informative otherwise and it will help me deal with how I handle this in future.

    3. Herpes may become less painful over time for some, but definitely not all people.
      Again, I am not saying people with herpes are disgusting. I am saying that the disease is disgusting, frustrating, painful, and creates a lot of unintended shame… as you can see from these painful replies.

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