STD?...What Do I Do Now?

[Zorbgoddess]

Hey... I would hope that all I have read is wrong. Until I do find out what is right and what is misinformation I do choose to be cautious. It would be nice of you to be constructive here in helping me figure this out and give me real insight. Does your husband also have it? Have you found it as non-transferable? Do you have children? If so, did having it make the pregnancy a risk (passing it to child). I know you act as though it is no big deal... and maybe it really isn't. Without knowledge and information though it sure as heck appears to be. And...if having it is no big deal, then why are there support groups out there for people who have it? And why even bother to protect your partner (or future partners)?

Seriously...please cut me a little slack here. Right now it is a serious consideration of whether to risk my clients to exposure, or how I may have to end an otherwise healthy working relationship if turns out I have not contracted it yet.

[nuttychick]

Oh hunny I seriously don't want to cut you some slack....
For the reason of this statement......
"For many years it was if I had dodged a bullet. And this past year I felt so grateful that I didn't end up as f-ed up as most of my high school friends. No STDs, no kids out of wedlock, no divorces, a real solid education, and a job I love paying enough to pay bills and support a family"

Yes I have an STD, Yes I had a child out of wedlock, yes I have been divorced...
But hey can't be too f....ed up... I am fully qualified and can well and truley support my family....

Sorry but your snobbery has really got my back up

[nuttychick]

Oh Im sure Brandye will be around to answer some questions
soon

About Brandye
check her out she is great lol

[Brandye]

OK, zorb, relax. You know very little and have transmitted less. It is time for you and your partner to sit down with the doctor together. Having been raised in the most sexually repressive corner of the universe, I recognize your fear and embarrassment. The facts are quite different about who contracts STDs and how.

The county health facility, school clinic, any women's clinic will have information packets on all STDs and their transmittal. Read those and screen out all the crap you have heard from friends and relatives. Perhaps the same clinic can set up a counseling session for the two of you where everything can be logically addressed.

Write out a list of questions you may have and put them all to the doctor/counselor. Get facts and get out of the world of rumour and half-truths. My guess is that you will feel much better about yourself and will discover that the limitations you face are much less than you think. This thread could grow to three miles long dealing with the misinformation in little bits. Sit down with a professional and get it all straight. The diagnoses that each of you have received is very helpful so that your advisor knows exactly what is being dealt with.

You have dealt with "free" information thus far and it has gotten you quite worked up. You can have no more confidence in the free information here than in what you heard in the dorm. Whilst there are knowledgeable people on this Board, there has been some really bad advice over the years. Get the straight information from someone you trust.

[mattc]

I don't know the actual number, but I remember reading somewhere that something like 81% of the population has been exposed to one type of herpes or another. Maybe someone with little more knowledge can comment on this, but simple things like cold sores are actually from a type of herpes.

A few months ago my wife had her annual exam and was reminded when she saw her file that she'd been exposed to herpes in college. She felt horrible for exposing me and not telling me because she'd forgotten....I'm not sure I buy that, but that's a whole other story. My point is, she was exposed, got checked out, never really had a breakout of any kind after the first time, and I have never had a single sign to make me believe I have it.

Take a deep breath and do some research.

[Brandye]

OK. Let us keep this thread under control. We are getting into why it is important to sit down with your doctor and talk this through. mattc is alluding to one family of viruses and the thread is about another.

There is much confusion in the population among HPV, HSP, Warts and a few other things. There is also confusion about what a test showing anti-bodies really means. I do not have the test results, or protocol, and do not know the medical histories involved.

HSV is a small family of viruses, Herpes Simplex Virus. HSV-1 &-2 are the ones involved with cold sores at that end of the body and genital herpes at the other. Lab finding of anti-bodies can be one of several things including a false positive. It can also indicate exposure that has been defeated by the immune system or active disease in its'latent stage. Maybe 25% of the population has been exposed. Some have become active cases and others have been defeated by young, healthy immune systems. They cannot be cured because between active outbreaks they hide in a nearal cortex at either end of the spinal column.

HPV, Human Papilloma Virus, is a very large family of viruses that cause chicken pox, shingles, warts (of various sorts including genital) and cervical cancer. There are over 100 in this family and we know of some of them under a microscope. They have no identifiable clinical manifestations. I have seen studies that do indicate 80% have been exposed by age 50. There are vaccines for those that cause chicken pox, shingles and the four that are implicated in cervical cancer.

Zorb seems quite certain that she is dealing with HSV-1. Do not confuse her with other "facts."

Sit down with the doctor with all test results and be willing to answer difficult questions as well as ask serious questions.