herpes health insurance

In some states it is legal for insurers to deny selling you a health insurance if you have a sexually transmitted disease like herpes. There are still companies that would provide you coverage but there are those that will decline to do so.

What is herpes?

It is caused by viruses of HSV-1 or HSV-2, millions are affected all over the world. Herpes could be asymptomatic. Some do not even know that they have it. They can pass it through their saliva and through oral sex and close contact. Major symptoms can be found near the eyes, rectum, genitals and lips. They can last for 2 to 3 weeks and then dry up and can be triggered by stress, depression, menstruation and they could sometimes recur for no reason at all. There is still no treatment for herpes.

What is the effect of herpes?

The herpes simplex virus cannot be felt by some people who are infected. They hardly know that it is there. But once it gets worse there are physical signs like blisters and there is also what we consider as psychological effects due to the social stigma. It can make a person lose confidence and feel stressed. Pregnant women can pass it to unborn children which are why it would be best to have a caesarean section to avoid transmitting it. Herpes is also strongly linked to HIV virus. There is a higher chance of acquiring HIV when you have herpes. It makes the body weaker.

Is herpes considered a serious medical condition for insurance policies?

health insurance herpes

The insurance company has a legal right to deny coverage based on your existing medical condition and yes they can deny you a health insurance if you have herpes. However, you have to tell the insurance company that herpes cannot cause death. It would only provide blisters. It is considered as an irritating skin irritation. Many do not know the difference and assume immediately. You have to find a way to enlighten them regarding the real effects of herpes. However, you do have to remember that they might still deny you the coverage due to the expensive medication of herpes and the treatment that is needed to reduce the pain. Many states allow insurance companies to deny insurance once sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed. They would want to avoid exorbitant prices that are related to the treatment especially if you are pregnant.

female genital herpes vaccine

People who have genital herpes suffer not only from the physical and excruciating attacks. There is so much more to that. The social stigma is unbearable it can cause someone to withdraw from people that they really like and respect.

People who contract this do not even have an idea that a trusted partner has passed it on to them. There is still no known cure for herpes. You can only lessen the symptoms which is why researchers are working on new treatments to solve genital herpes. Researchers want to find a vaccine that can solve the problem.

There are new vaccines that can prevent the transmittal of the virus for women. However, the vaccine that was released in 2000 cannot cure the existing problem. This leaves the problem of transmission still potent. There are still more people who are in danger of contracting the virus. This new vaccine is not even effective for men.

What are microbicides?

Microbicides are another option being explored by scientists. It contains chemicals that can protect against infection by killing the microbes before they can even enter a person’s body. One promising microbe is the BufferGel. It can be applied to the female sex organ and it has been known to kill the herpes virus and other sexually transmitted viruses. However, this drug is not yet available in many developing countries and it costs a fortune.

female genital herpes vaccine

Scientists are still finding a way to keep the herpes virus from propagating. They have to find a way to stop if from replicating. Many remain hopeful that a cure can be found someday. It would still be better to stay safe and find a way to build meaningful relationships in life in order to avoid this disturbing virus. Consult your doctor for more information.

herpes

Genital herpes is considered to be a sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by the herpes simplex virus type. Individuals who suffer from it have one or more blisters near the genital area or the rectum.

The blisters are painful they are like ulcer sores that blister and break. They take a very long time to heal and can last up to a month or more. After it heals there will be outbreak in the coming months but most are less severe and shorter.

Herpes is common in the United States, Thailand and many sexually liberated countries. It is more common in women than in men and the transmission from infected male to his female partner is more likely.

How is herpes transferred?

It can be generally transferred through sexual intercourse. It can be through oral genital or genital to genital contact.

What are the signs and symptoms of herpes?

Signs and symptoms would include crop of sores, flu-like symptoms, fever and swollen glands. Some do just have minor signs and think that the herpes are just insect bites or just another skin condition. People who have herpes can suffer from 4 or more outbreaks in one year and this will decrease as the years go by.

herpes

People who have weaker immune systems are going to suffer more psychological distress. People feel guilty that they have it or that they can pass it to their partners. They can also infect babies during pregnancy and can pose serious threat to the life of the baby, if the woman has genital herpes at the time of delivery; she has to undergo a cesarean delivery.

However, the cases of transmission from mother to babies are very rare. People who have genital herpes are more at risk in contracting HIV and other forms of diseases.

herpes vaccine

There is still no known ultimate cure for herpes, but many researchers are taking the time to study the possible ways of cure. One scientist at Springfield’s Southern Illinois University School of Medicine claims that they have created a vaccine that can provide protection against genital herpes.

The researcher is seeking for ways to publish it in a scientific journal and they are already trying to secure a patent for this cure. The creator is not yet willing to expose the details of the research. It would still take several years before this vaccine can be tested for humans, but this finding is a positive one.

A lot of people now have the chance to benefit from this medicine and this could change the way people view herpes. The findings of Halford is guaranteed to be controversial. Many would doubt and delay the approval, but on a more positive note, this is good news. Halford has been reported to use a live form of herpes virus instead of protein forms of the virus.

Why this should be considered as Good News

herpes vaccine

While it is true that the medicine is still being tested and can still be dangerous for humans, the quest of a devoted researcher will pave the way for other scientists to create and add useful data in order to reach better conclusions. The data that he presented in their committee was seen as effective. There is still much research to be done but this is one comforting thought for the part of individuals suffering from herpes. If this research pushes through and becomes successful, herpes sufferers need not worry that they will be infecting their sexual partners.

In the mean time, while real cure has not yet been produced, it is still better to stay safe and use condom to decrease the rate of transmission.

avoid getting herpes

There is still no 100% sure ways to avoid getting herpes, but there are ways to reduce the chances and feel safer. One of the best ways to reduce the occurrence is by using condom during sex. The safest way is to be in a monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.

For people who have decided not to get married, then having a condom with them can reduce or even eliminate the chances of suffering from herpes. Other methods like using spermicide can also kill the virus. The spermicidal foam can be applied to the genitals before the sexual act. Remember that genital herpes can be passed by simply having a skin to skin contact.

For people who have partners who came from abroad, it would be best to protect the self. While it may be true that you can trust them, one can never be too sure. There are hundreds of cases of people getting infected by their husbands and wives. Increase the intake of vitamins like vitamin C and E as well as Vitamin D to boost the immune system. This would also reduce the occurrence of stress and anxiety.

Avoid Getting Herpes: Should you inform your date regarding your herpes problem?

Coming out clean is still the best solution although it would entail a lot of problems for you. This is very important as this could increase the chances of HSV from being carried from one person to the other.

Herpes can be contracted not just through sexual intercourse but from kissing or oral sex. If you care about your partner, then you must tell them. This would also be a test for your current partner. It would be a way for you to check if they can really accept you despite the sickness.

Avoid Getting Herpes: Get Tested

avoid getting herpes

If you are unsure of the symptoms that you are having, then it would be best to visit the doctor and get a diagnosis. They would be able to find it out through visual inspection if the outbreak is just typical and taking a sample of the sores from a laboratory. Blood tests can also be done. There is still no cure for herpes, but antiviral medicines can be taken to prevent the outbreaks.

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.

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.

Dealing with the Stress

With herpes, depression is often complicated by the unfortunate stigma that is attached to having the disease and the stress that having an STD places on a person and their relationships.

The first thing to do is confront the problem and ask yourself to acknowledge your depression. Also the pain (physical and emotional), and whatever psychology issues you are coping with regarding your diagnosis.

Once a person understands that they have a chronic and relapsing illness and has faced whatever social issues occur in people with herpes, the treatment of depression is similar to the treatment of depression in other people.

Medical Help

Often, one of several antidepressants are used, based on the what the patient needs – treating anxiety, insomnia, avoiding impotence (a side effect of many antidepressants), cost and treating pain.

The fact that chronic pain and depression involve the same nerves and neurotransmitters means that antidepressants can be used to improve both chronic pain and depression. In some patients, therapy is recommend.

Exercise is the farthest thing from the mind of most people with depression. But regular physical activity CAN help depression (and decrease pain) – it’s a natural antidepressant.

SUPPORTIVE COUNSELING

When first diagnosed with genital herpes, many people experience depression, guilt, shame, or anger at previous partners, and often want to withdraw from relationships altogether. Though these feelings usually abate or decrease in intensity with time, they can cause considerable interim psychological suffering and disruption of social activity. Counseling may be particularly helpful during this time, obtained through primary care providers or by referral to specialists or local support groups. A reliable source of additional information is the Herpes Resource Center (American Social Health Association).