Protect Yourself From Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is one of the most contagious diseases. It is a STD- Sexually Transmitted Disease. Any sexual encounter with an affected person can get you genital herpes. Genital herpes flare-ups are quite painful and this disease takes a big toll on the psychology and affects relationships. Let us find out about how to prevent it.

Genital Herpes- how does it spread?

The herpes virus lies dormant in those who have got it. Suppose you have unprotected sex with somebody who is in dormant state, you may still get it. If you have sex – protected or unprotected with any body that has active sores of genital herpes, you may get it. Sometimes those who have contacted herpes may not be aware of that. That complicates the situation because they will unknowingly pass on the virus to you. Let us find out about what you can do?

Genital Herpes-protect yourself

To protect yourself from genital herpes you should avoid multiple partners. There is no way you can guarantee that one of your many partners is not having genital herpes. Have monogamous relationship. If you have a new partner, try to find out if she/he has had any symptoms of genital herpes. This may sound difficult, but there are no easy options. Use latex condoms. Avoid oral sex because that is always unprotected. Herpes never leaves you once you get it. Please protect yourself.

What Is Herpes?

Herpes, an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus, is estimated to be present in 50 to 80 percent of the American adult population. 20 percent, over 50 million people, are infected with genital herpes, also caused by the herpes simplex virus, and the majority of these cases may be unaware they even have it. Studies show that more than 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with genital herpes each year, and the largest increase is occurring in young teens.

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!

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.

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.

Living with genital herpes can be a hassle. When you have a herpes outbreak, it can feel like it takes days out of your life. And, you have questions about spreading genital herpes to a partner.

Herpes symptoms can come and go, but the virus stays in the nerve cells of your body even after all signs of the infection have gone away. In most people, the virus becomes active from time to time, creating an outbreak. Some people have herpes virus outbreaks only once or twice. Other people have many outbreaks of herpes each year.

Scientists don’t know what causes the virus to become active, but the number of outbreaks a person has tends to go down over a period of years. Some women say the virus comes back when they are sick, under stress, out in the sun, or during their period. There is no cure for herpes to date. Supporting your immune system should be your first goal. A weakened immune system is more prone to outbreaks.

How To Deal With Herpes Rejection

He or She Just Aint That Into You.

If you have herpes and have the integrity to tell someone about it before you get sexually involved and they reject you because of it, it is one of the most devastating forms of rejection imaginable. Just as bad as being rejected because of your race, or physical disability or anything else not under your control, and just as ignorant and intolerable.

When the people I treat tell me their rejection stories I feel for them. Some are so shaken by it that they stop dating for years or ghettoize themselves to only dating others with herpes.

What I say to them is that “He or She was Just not that into You”. No one who really wants a person, and I do mean want the person, the whole person and the package that comes with them, will reject them just because they have herpes. Who would want that kind of superficial love anyways?

Herpes is a great litmus test to let you know who really cares about you and desires you.

It reasonable for someone to want the risks and consequences explained to them. It’s reasonable for someone not to be enthusiastic about you having herpes- who would be? But anyone who really loved or or though you were sexy before finding out about your herpes will still think so afterwards.

When you further explain to them that you are managing your herpes with herbal medicine or drug therapy and that you practice safer sex with a condom and an anti-viral gel there should be no reason for them not to want to sex you up right then and there.

What it all comes to is fear. Do not be afraid of being rejected because of having herpes.

Dear member of the Herpes Nation: Hold you head up high. Remember who you are. How special you are. How deserving you are of love and all it’s fruits. Don’t let anyone diss you or make you feel less than. Anyone who wants you must accept the whole package of your life. Don’t settle for anything less than that.

If you’ve been rejected or made to feel less than. Remember that although you cannot control what happens to you in this life you can control how you choose to react to whatever happens. You are still a prize and whoever is fortunate enough to be in your life is blessed.