#1. Herpes
Apr 3rd, 2008 by Navelgazer
“Trust me, you don’t want it.” – Jeff Rosso, Freaks and Geeks
No one does. That’s the point. In the pantheon of social diseases, this is maybe the most universally dreaded. By now, most people in their twenties know that they’ll probably contract HPV at some point, and have chosen to be fine with it. Syphilis is of a bygone era of pirates and mercury poisoning. Crabs and Scabies can be dealt with via a regiment of fire and lye-based shampoo or something like that, and Gonorrhea has a nifty little nick-name (The Clap) just in case it ever gets a role in a silent movie. Even the big, bad daddy of ‘em all, HIV/AIDS, has a seriously twisted and misguided fan club of “bug-chasers.” You know how many people chase Herpes?
Zero.
That’s right. You don’t want it. I sure as hell don’t want it. No one wants it, because no one likes it. It’s painful, itching, burning warts on your most sacred pieces which can lead to Alzheimer’s or, in the worst-case-scenario, Neonatal HSV, which is horrendously damaging to children. No cure exists, so once it’s in you, it’s in there forever. Like “Achy-Breaky Heart” once it gets stuck in your brain. Oh, did I mention Herpes Simplex Encephalitis? That’s where the HVS-1 gets stuck in your brain, except that unlike Billy Ray and his unholy hell-spawn, this not only causes severe neurological problems, but also “rapid death in around 70% of cases.” (Thanks wikipedia!)
In truth, though, Herpes is mostly a minor – albeit recurring – annoyance for most people afflicted with it. You get it only a few times, mostly within the first year after contracting it. You wear a condom or make your partner wear one. You take your anti-virals and topical creams when it pops up and do what you can to prevent passing it on. And then you mostly don’t think about it. In the end, it’s kind of like seasonal allergies. If allergies carried with them a crippling social stigma.
So if you meet somebody with Herpes, and they’re actually brave enough to admit to this fact, be kind to them. They didn’t want this for themselves. Nobody does. But if you sleep with them, involve a jimmy-hat. No one likes herpes.
Herpes Simplex 1 or Herpes Simplex 2? Your picture and your description don’t really mesh.
oh please, like we were gonna put a photo up of genital herpes. well, i guess it fits with the theme. stuff nobody likes: a photo of genital herpes. but, for the record, i think people probably don’t like BOTH kinds of herpes.
I love that all the google ads on this comment page are for photos of genital herpes now.
According to Wikipedia, it sounds like 20%-30% of Americans have HSV-2 and 68% have HSV-1. If I’m not mistaken, I think someone told me that anyone who has ever had a cold sore has HSV-1 permanently. It’s one of the least harmful viruses, actually, which is why it’s so successful. Why do we care so much?
Obama for Vice President in 2008!
…not to mention someone who has active HSV-1 who does oral on a partner can pass it to them…except the partner has it on their genitals. It’s easier spread than most folks realize.
Most people do have herpes, and you can get any strain on your genitals. So while it is irritating and uncomfortable, and it is a bad idea to mess around when you are having an outbreak, it isn’t the end of the world.
I work at a clinic that does a lot of STI screening, and I usually tell people to just make the assumption that they have herpes as opposed to getting tested for it if they don’t currently have any signs of a lesion. If there is a sore present a culture should be done, but it really is an expensive waste of time to do a blood test if someone is asymptomatic. I have it, and I can’t remember the last time I had a cold sore, I think maybe some time before I became sexually active over twenty years ago.
Interestingly, even for accountants :)))))
That’s good man, keep it going.
Good story for me but please more details.
Stunning blog and good article. High 5 for u man !
This is a very good stuff man. But you can be more specific next time. See ya !