by thomas on November 2, 2009
Although its not news that condoms can protect against herpes, the news is how seldom people take it to heart, considering that genital herpes has no cure for those who catch it. A new study has found that risk of getting genital herpes is reduced by 30% when using a condom during sexual activity.
While it’s general knowledge that condoms are essential to protect against HIV Aids and other STD’s, they aren’t typically not thought of as herpes preventers. This is because herpes can be spread by skin to skin contact, in additional to genital to genital contact.
Despite that, if herpes molecules are on the genitals, a condom will protect you. In fact, the study which observed 5384 men and women who did not have herpes to begin with, followed up after 12 to 19 months, and verified that those who used condoms 100% of the time they had sex contracted herpes 30% less often that the group who didn’t’ use condoms.
The study’s author Emily Martin of Seattle Children’s Research Institute points out that condoms can hold water or air, which both consist of teeny tiny molecules. The molecules of a virus are much larger, so it stands to reason the herpes virus will not penetrate through a condom.
The prevention factor with condom use is not as high for herpes as for other STDs. If an infected person is shedding herpes from a section of skin not covered by a condom, the condom won’t help. But 30% more protection from herpes is worth using a condom.
Find out much more about herpes at the website for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
by thomas on October 6, 2009
Is it worth the gamble to keep herpes a secret?
To tell or not to tell, that is the question. The answer depends on certain factors. A big one is, how long ago did you first get herpes? If you have had it and it has been inactive for 10 years or more, then not telling your date might be a gamble worth taking.
Consider this: Herpes can be present in one or both partners, without them knowing about it. They may be carrying HSV, which causes herpes, and never had an outbreak…Therefore they could transmit herpes, without knowing it. And this does not mean that they have been unfaithful, because there is no way of knowing when they got it or how. It can be contracted by using utensils of an infected person, from kissing, or from oral sex or genital to genital contact.
There are so many grey areas. The fact is that you are contagious from the start of an episode until the healing of the last ulcer. In this case, you should not have sex or kiss someone, unless you are totally uncaring about what happens to them. You should abstain from contact, period. You don’t have to say why, if you feel that telling the person would upset them greatly.
Every date does not include sex or kissing. Why should you tell your date, if the two of you are meeting to play tennis, and that’s all?
It is complicated. If you don’t have an active outbreak, you can still transmit the disease, but only 5% of days, so risk of transmission is pretty low. If you have known a person long enough to be in a committed relationship, then tell them you have it, regardless of how long ago it was contracted or how long ago you last had an outbreak.
This is one person’s opinion, but you may chose not to tell a new partner, if you have had no outbreaks for 10 plus years and if you first had it 10 or more years ago. That is the gambling decision you must make.
Don’t listen to someone else’s opinion. Get all the facts and then decide what is right for you. If you feel uneasy or dishonest, then you’ve made the wrong decision.
