Herpes or just pimples?

The ones on your back are actually making me think of shingles. You might want to ask your doctor about that, if you've had chicken pox before and haven't had the Shingrix shot (you would know if you had; you get 2 separate shots spread out over 6 months for Shingrix).

Shingles can be extremely painful, so the earlier you catch it, the better.

And of course if it's not shingles, then your peace of mind is worth it to know either way about that or anything else this could be.

PS I am not a doctor.

The fear of Herpes is completely overblown. It is a minor virus that almost never causes more than a rash. Over 45% of adult Americans have the virus, and most people never know. They CDC recommends that doctors not test for it (even if you ask for STD tests) because the fear is worse than the virus.

It is not a life sentence. It is a rash in an embarrassing place.

Watch this video... from a woman who is pretty bravely fighting the stigma of Herpes (and it really just a stigma).



Then stop worrying. Apart from the stupid stigma and our society's ridiculous obsession and shame about sex, Herpes is not a big deal.

Of course it's a big deal - Herpes is contagious and incurable. It's transmitted via intercourse and you'll have it for life and will need to inform every new partner of it. Everything else is negligent and frankly, if I would get Herpes from my partner without him telling me, I'd kill the bastard!

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus

Did you watch the video Calamity?

The woman in the video actually has herpes. She is saying that this common virus hasn't ruined her life.

The problem is the stigma... a stigma that you seem to be intent in perpetuating.

Here's homework for you Calamity.

If you are a sexually active adult female... you have almost 50% chance of already having Herpes. Even if you have gotten a STD test... you almost certainly have not been tested for it. Go talk to your doctor, and you will find out this is true. They don't test for it because if you have it (and you very well could)... they feel the consequences of the disease is far less than the stigma of the virus.

If you already have Herpes (and it is quite possible you do) without knowing it, your life is fine. If you got the test and found out you had it all along, it would upturn your life.

Viruses are a fact of life. There are tons of viruses that you "get for life". We are a sexually repressed society... which is why the only one we obsess over is the sexually transmitted one.

I want to highlight the hypocrisy here.

1. By CalamityJane's own link... almost 50% of people carry the Herpes virus. Most of them don't know it.

2. Although they are condemning other people, most of these people are not getting tested themselves for the Herpes virus.

They are condemning people for having gotten tested (generally you only get tested if you have symptoms). However almost half of them carry the Herpes virus themselves. I suppose for the people who are happily ignorant they carry the virus... things are just fine?

If you are going to condemn other people to a life of sexual shame for a common virus that rarely causes more than a minor rash... I think you are morally obligated to get tested for Herpes yourself.

The real problem here is the willingness of people to sexually shame others something that may have encountered themselves. For anyone who is a virgin... I retract my comments. Virgins have the right to morally shame anyone. The rest of you should shut up.

It's a very big deal if you are pregnant, especially if you are having an outbreak when it's time for the baby to be born. Babies can acquire Herpes from their mothers and it can cause unfortunate health problems for the child. It's easy enough to look up, just google herpes and childbirth.

At the risk of being called a sex shamer...I would want to know if I acquired Herpes. About 18 months ago I had some pretty complicated surgery to repair a diaphragmatic and esophageal hernia. The surgeon found massive adhesions and scar tissue he wasn't expecting, and while he was trying to tidy up the disastrous insides, my spleen stated to hemorrhage and had to be removed.

When you lose your spleen, they test you for everything and I had to get all sorts of vaccinations (I'm still getting lists of things I need to get vaccinated against). I don't feel different since it was removed but I do know my immune system a'int what it should be anymore. The point I'm trying to make is "Yes, herpes can be a very big problem" for someone like me even if I won't be having anymore children.

Herpes may be more prevalent in the US, but that doesn't mean that everybody has it. If you are diagnosed, and you fail to take precautions to protect your partner, you are a selfish callous person. In cases like these having unprotected sex is an assault on your partner.

Here is the question Glitterbag. Would you be equally hysterical about a common virus that stayed in your system forever if it weren't connected with the word "sexually"? (Hint: if you say yes to this question, I am prepared to name a few).

The reason you are singling out and obsessing over this one virus (and not the multitude of similar viruses) is that this has been labeled a "sexually transmitted disease". If you are going to claim that this is actually a big risk, then give me some numbers. We know that almost 50% of women have herpes, out of 1,000,000 how many babies have complications. If you don't have numbers, it is just scare tactics.

Other viruses that are equally dangerous (i.e. not very) and even more contagious don't seem to get your attention. They may have tested you for Herpes before getting an organ transplant, but I am going to guess they tested you for virus that would have been a much bigger problem.

We are still a society that is ashamed of and frightened of anything that has to do with sex.

This obsessive fear is not rational.

Max, I don't get hysterical. I've had more than my fair share of illness, and as much as you love love love to attach everything to either sexual inhibition, prudish outlooks, others being ashamed of or frightened by sex.....I think you are the wimpy guy who is afraid of being judged as a non-swinger. I just don't like being sick or having to endure surgery if it can be avoided,

But just for arguments sake, I am not singling out or obsessing over this particular STD. Just speaking as a woman who has given birth to children, has followed all of the medical advice on how to avoid damage to your unborn child, and while pregnant received all sorts of unwelcome advice about what I could and could not do. But I have seen children who suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, the first one was the next door neighbor's grandson when I was a teenager. It didn't have a name back then, but there was definitely something wrong. His mother was a heavy drinker, her freedom of choice to drink rendered him disabled. Should she have been more careful? I think so, but maybe I'm repressed.


I'm sure you know that most STD's can be easily treated and eradicated. But you can't simply decide to ignore because you are a free spirit, and not get treatment, just ask Al Capone. STD's in a pregnant woman can cause terrible health issues for the child. Most STD's can be eradicated with treatment. I would never shame you if you acquired syphillis from a faithless partner, but if you realized what was wrong and didn't try to protect a new partner...that wouldn't speak very highly about your sense of fair play. There is no shame in an STD, just difficulty.

I know it makes you feel very macho to assume all the women here are repressed and afraid of sex. I really wish you would take the time to consider that most people just want to stay healthy. Personally, the sexiest thing I can imagine is a man who considers me so special he would never endanger me. The second biggest turn on for me, is making sure my man loves his life and me.

Why do you treat herpes (a latent virus that happens to be sexually transmitted) more seriously than any of the common latent viruses that aren't associated with sex?

That is the question here.

I did a little research,

The infant mortality rate in the US is 579 deaths per 100,000 live births. The infant death rate due to herpes is under 1 death (0.83) per 100,000 live births. Pneumonia and bacterial diseases are significantly more deadly... but they don't have to do with sex so people don't obsess over them.

The hysteria over herpes is not rational.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db355.htm

What link? I have not provided a link, I gave you my feedback. And no, 50 % of people do not carry the Herpes virus - I never even had chickenpox, which is part of the herpes simplex virus, let alone Herpes.

I don't give a **** what you think or have, Max, if you have it and DO NOT inform your potential sex partners of it, then you're an even dirtier louse than I thought.

You cannot cure Herpes and therefore it is of utmost importance that you inform your sexual partner of it. You go and talk to an expert before you tell us this crap here of no importance at all.....
This is utterly disgusting!

Give me a ******* break!

You did provide a link, in the fourth post on this page. Anyone can go see it there. The link you provided was https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus

This is anti-sex hysteria, nothing more.

I am still curious if CalamityJane has had a Herpes test. Given her hypocritical believes, I think she has a moral obligation to get one.

No one can explain why other than sex being shameful, the obsess more over herpes than any other common latest virus.

...and I tell you another thing: I used to be a volunteer at Planned Parenthood and I counseled young women on STDs among other things. There was this youngish good looking guy who had herpes and never told his sex partners about it. Every month he came in with another girl to be tested and found to have herpes. I was so ready to go out into the waiting area and kill that bastard - except he wasn't worth it. Yet, he ruined the lives of so many girls and I wish these men could be prosecuted for bodily injury and assault.

Does Planned parenthood recommend that sexually active people are routinely tested for Herpes?

If not, explain to me why not?

What the ****... "ruined the lives"?

This is both ridiculous and ******* irresponsible. If you don't slut-shame these girls... their lives will be fine. It is a common virus that in the vast majority of cases causes nothing more than minor rash.

Herpes isn't a big deal unless you make it a big deal. There is no reason that you should be putting your stigma on these girls.

I am a responsible person and my gynecologist did test me for various STD's including Herpes and HIV and all were negative. Every idiot can have sex, being a responsible sex partner is the key here.

I looked it up.

Planned parenthood does not recommend Herpes be part of a routine STD test. Unless you ask for it specifically, you won't get it.

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-st-louis-region-southwest-missouri/blog/frequently-asked-questions-about-sti-testing

Not at all - but who in their right mind wants to get an STD? No one!!!