deficiency syndrome (AIDS) involved
Rising number of STD
among youngsters
alarms Lucena execs
By Delfin Mallari Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 11:36:00 08/06/2010
Filed Under: Health, Diseases, Youth
LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Health
officials here have expressed alarm
over the rising number of sexually
transmitted diseases (STD) among
youngsters, an official of the Lucena
City Health Office said Friday.
“As of July we already had 31 cases,
mostly walk-in patients as young as 12
and 13 years old,” Dr. Vincent
Martinez, assistant city health officer
said in an interview aired over dwCT-
FM broadcasting from nearby Tayabas
City.
He said the number of STD cases for
the current year has surpassed the
average number of victims for the past
five years.
Martinez disclosed that what also
alarmed local health officials was the
attitude of the victims.
“When we asked the victims who were
their sex partners, they just said they
didn’t. Nakatuwaan lang ng barkada
[The gang did it just for fun]. Pinilahan
[The whole gang had sex with a
common partner]. And for the victims,
their STD is not a serious matter, just
a joke,” Martinez said.
He also disclosed that most cases of
infection by the human immuno-
deficiency virus (HIV) which causes
the dreaded acquired immune
ordinary people.
“These known HIV cases in the city
were not sex workers but ordinary
people. We could not provide the
exact figures because we believe that
there are more unreported cases,”
Martinez said.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer
interviewed a number of students in
private high schools here who said
that hiring a prostitute for a "one night
stand for the boys” was vas as easy as
renting a computer unit for video
games.
“If you have the money, getting a sexy
bitch to serve as mentor on the world
of sex is quite easy. The ‘prosti’ even
allows a group to have sex with her,
one by one. But not all members use
her. Others were afraid of ‘tulo’ (a kind
of STD),” said one student, who asked
not to be identified by name.
The informant also asked that the
name of his school be withheld.
He said the price of the sexual service
depends on the number of “users” and
the “appearance and age” of the sex
worker.
“But it is cheaper by the dozens.
We’re four and paid P500 each. We
brought the ‘prosti’ the vacant house
of one of the gang members. It’s fun
and educational. We all enjoye the
experience,” he said with a grin.
Regular bar habitués interviewed by
the Inquirer said the proliferation of
night joints and seedy inns inside the
city proper also helped in the spread
of STD.
REACTION:

“Young sex workers, most of them students or pretending to be students, often

transact business inside the bars which serve as their hangouts. Once a deal is
made – from a few hundreds to a couple of thousand pesos, it depends on the
‘quality of the wares’ – a ready inn for a couple of hours is just a couple of blocks
away,” said a college student who often goes on Friday-evening "gimmicks” in
popular bars here.”

Sex infection gonorrhea
risks becoming
"superbug"
By Kate Kelland
LONDON | Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:38pm EDT
(Reuters) - The sexually transmitted
disease gonorrhea risks becoming a drug-
resistant "superbug" if doctors do not
devise new ways of treating it, a leading
sexual health expert said.
Catherine Ison, a specialist on
gonorrhea from Britain's Health
Protection Agency said a World Health
Organization (WHO) meeting in Manila
next week would be vital to efforts to
try to stop the bug repeatedly
adapting to and overcoming drugs.
"This is a very clever bacteria. If this
problem isn't addressed, there is a
real possibility that gonorrhea will
become a very difficult infection to
treat," she said in a telephone
interview.
Gonorrhea is a common bacterial
sexually-transmitted infection and if
left untreated can lead to pelvic
inflammatory disease, ectopic
pregnancy and infertility in women.
Globally, the WHO estimates that
there are at least 340 million new
cases of curable sexually transmitted
infections -- including syphilis,
gonorrhea, chlamydia and
trichomoniasis -- every year among
people aged 15 to 49.
Ison said the highest incidences of
gonorrhea were in south and
southeast Asia and sub-Saharan
Africa, but as yet the WHO has no
breakdown by individual infection
type.
Current treatment for gonorrhea in
most countries consists of a single
antibiotic dose of either cefixime or
ceftriaxone.
But Ison, who is due to speak on the
issue at a Society for General
Microbiology conference in Edinburgh
on Tuesday, said strains of the
Neisseria gonorrhea bacteria were
starting to become resistant and could
soon become impervious to all current
antibiotic treatment options.
"Ceftriaxone and cefixime are still very
effective but there are signs that
resistance, particularly to cefixime is
emerging and soon these drugs may
not be a good choice," she said.
Instances of gonorrhea being resistant
to multiple drugs -- the definition of a
"superbug" -- have started to appear
in Japan, where health authorities had
decided to up the dose to treat the
disease, but stick with the same
antibiotic, she said.
Other reports of rising gonorrhea drug
resistance had also come from Hong
Kong, China, Australia and parts of
Asia.
Ison said the best way to try to reduce
the risk now -- beyond encouraging
the use of condoms which halt the
spread of sexually transmitted
diseases -- would be to treat
gonorrhea with two different
antibiotics at the same time.
This is a technique used in the
treatment of some other diseases like
tuberculosis and one that makes it
more difficult for the bacteria to learn
how to conquer the drugs.
"There are few new drugs available.
So using more than one at the same
time is probably what should happen
in the first instance," said Ison. "We
also need to set up good lines of
communication between countries so
that we can all talk to each other
about what's happening in gonorrhea
and make sure we change treatment
strategies when we need to."
A WHO spokeswoman said its experts
would discuss drug-resistant
gonorrhea at a meeting in the
Philippine capital Manila next week.

REACTION:
“One of the problems that this article fails to mention regarding Gonorrhea is the
same issue faced with other antibiotics: Overuse. I’m in the medical field and far too
often see people getting a prescription for ceftriaxone before they have been tested
positive. They fail to see the importance of STD testing if they can jump
immediately and get the cure. I know that this isn’t the entire issue, but it is one of
the issues.
With limited treatments for Gonorrhea and other infections, we need to make every
effort to limit the widespread overuse of the treatments in order to keep this, and
other bacterias, from mutating into superbugs. There are so many testing options
for STDs out there. If anyone thinks they might be at risk, they need to see their
doctor. If they don’t have a doctor, then please go to a county health clinic. If you
are too embarrased to do either of those, then try one of the many online testing
services that are available. I can think of a dozen off the top of my head and all you
need to do is do a search for “STD Testing Services” and they will all show up.
Those are just a few of the legit ones that are out there, so get tested to know if you
are at risk!”

The Catholic debate on
condoms
By Ted Laguatan, Esq.
INQUIRER.netFirst Posted 06:50:00 03/08/2010Filed
Under: Religions, Government, Health, Diseases
CALIFORNIA, United States—“I don’t get
as much pleasure using condoms, but I
don’t like playing Russian roulette
either.” says Jun who is into massage
parlor sex.
Despite calls for her resignation by
some Catholic Bishops, Philippine
Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral
says: “I’ll keep on distributing
condoms until my term ends.” She
wants to prevent the rapid spread of
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
which causes Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a deadly
sexually transmitted disease (STD).
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles and
other bishops take the position that
condom distribution promotes
promiscuity and that it leads to the
increase of AIDS as the use of
condoms is not an absolutely fail-safe
protection, suggesting that abstinence
is the best policy. The Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)
even wants a total ban on condom
advertisements and condom
distribution announcements, clearly a
violation of constitutionally protected
free speech rights.
Should the government distribute
condoms?
Here’s my take on this issue:
Abstinence is a good policy, but it’s
not the only policy and may not be
realistically workable.
If the objective is to stop the spread of
AIDS and other STDs, in some
circumstances, the abstinence
admonition is clearly wishful
dreaming. Let’s look at two situations.
Thousands of indigent Filipinos work in
the sex industry because of crushing
poverty: Men and women, boys and
girls, some as young as 12 or even
younger all face the likely probability
of being infected with the AIDS virus
or some other equally deadly STDs.
“We now have 4,400 registered HIV
cases out of probably 5,000 victims, a
100-percent increase from 2008,” said
Cabral.
Another situation pertains to married
or unmarried individuals with STD-
positive partners.
In both situations, sex is already an
ongoing fact of life reality.
Admonishing the players to stop and
expect them to obey is about as
realistic as Kris Aquino becoming
Pope. Telling desperately poor sex
workers to quit when neither the
government nor the church is in a
position to provide alternative
livelihoods is like telling them to
starve.
Rather than for people becoming
seriously sick, suffer much, and die
early, a more humanistic and Christian
attitude is to provide protection.
Preventing the spread of AIDS saves
already stretched government health
care resources, allowing for services in
other areas. Educational information
campaigns and condoms will help
prevent STDs more than harsh
lecturing about the evils of sin,
although that also may be relevant.
Government condom distribution is
good policy. Used properly, condoms
protect against deadly STDs and will
prevent the lightning spread of these
terrible diseases. Granting that there
is a 10-percent failure rate due to
misuse or manufacturing defects, 90-
percent effectivity is still very
acceptable.
Whether the easy availability of
condoms leads to promiscuity or not is
a matter of uncertain conjecture.
A promiscuous person will constantly
be looking for sex whether condoms or
other contraceptives are available or
not. On the other hand, a non-
promiscuous person does not
necessarily become promiscuous even
if he or she has a bagful of
contraceptives.
It still boils down to the individual
making a choice. It’s not as if he or
she is compelled to have sex simply
because contraceptives are available.
A non-alcoholic with a bar full of liquor
does not necessarily mean he will be
an alcoholic.
Let’s even assume for the sake of
argument that easy access to
condoms leads to promiscuity and
easy access leads to preventing the
rapidly spreading deadly AIDS disease,
that is a higher good in the order of
discretion priorities.
Consider also that sans condoms, a
good number of pregnancies
inevitably occur with sex worker girls
and women. Some resort to abortion.
It’s better to avoid pregnancies by
having their customers use condoms
than to resort to the greater evil of
abortions.
Many Filipino males lose their virginity
in their early teenage years and it’s
usually with a prostitute. It’s best that
they know how to protect themselves
from AIDS and other STDs than be
infected. They should be made aware
of the use of condoms.
Some anti-condom groups claim that
in Thailand, despite the government
policy of condom distribution, there’s
still a high rate of AIDS incidence.
Consider how much higher it would be
without condoms. It cannot also be
assumed that those who have AIDS in
Thailand used condoms and still got
infected. More likely than not, many
did not use condoms. Many men do
not use condoms because of the
diminished pleasure. As such, they get
infected with AIDS.
The incidence of AIDS in Thailand does
not mean the government condom
distribution policy is a failure. Some
AIDS will always be present in a
country’s population because
unprotected sex inevitably does
happen. Some also live high-risk
lifestyles.
The bishops and their supporters
mean well. They understandably want
to prevent sinful unbridled sex from
proliferating which is of course good,
but I believe they fail to see the bigger
picture. They focus on preventing sin
and not so much about caring for
human beings despite their sin. The
sin we should condemn, but not the
sinner. We do so if we don’t save him
or her from STDs.
Which is more moral or immoral?
Distributing condoms to prevent the
spread of deadly STDs that cause
people to suffer and die or advocating
an unrealistic abstinence policy that
factually absolutely does not work.
I believe God gave us two
commandments: “Love God above
everything else; and love our
fellowmen as ourselves.” He also
admonished us not to fear life,
meaning among other things to have
the courage to use our God-given
intelligence when we are in good faith
even if we have to go against a
sometimes blind establishment. In the
end, it is not the church which will
save us but our own good conscience
and God’s love and mercy.
We cannot have a church that
proclaims love but does not show love
to AIDS-challenged poor and
powerless sex workers. We cannot
have a church that proclaims life but
sows the seeds of death by refusing to
allow the use of effective practical
means against AIDS.
There are those who see God as a
punishing God who brought AIDS into
the world to punish sinners.
There are also those who see God as a
forgiving loving God who gives us the
opportunity and freedom to express
our love helping our AIDS-positive
fellowmen and preventing others from
being infected, and in so doing find
meaning in our lives.
I chose to believe in a loving forgiving
God. And yes I am a Catholic
REACTION:

“What is the purpose of sex? It is a gift from God for us to express our love between
two married couples, and the consequence of this love is a possible offspring. When
two unmarried couples do copulate, it is immoral as these are reserved for the
married partners. When one (or couple) stopped the possible offspring from
happening (contraception), it is stopping the possible of life, which is against the will
of God, thus immoral.
Having sex is giving oneself to the other, and the possible offspring reinforces the
act of this charity, of which charity is essentially love, as God is love. Doing it
otherwise is a selfish act, which is unti-God.”
Contraception is seeking pleasure towards self instead of expressing love and
charity towards a spouse and possible child. That is a selfish act.

From the article, "I chose to believe in a loving forgiving God. And yes I am a
Catholic." Agree, God is a very merciful and forgiving. However, as a Catholic, one
has the responsibility of forming his conscience well. In our catechism, there is such
thing as a sin of presumption, and when one is not careful, he can easily fall into
that.

STDs Aren't Always a
Sign of Infidelity
By Elizabeth Boskey, Ph.D., About.com Guide
Updated January 28, 2010
It's always stressful to find out that
you have a sexually transmitted
disease, but finding out that you have
an STD when you're married or in a
long-term committed relationship can
be particularly devastating. Not only
do you have to deal with the
diagnosis, you have to face the reality
that your partner could be having an
affair and face the consequences of
infidelity. The only thing is that,
sometimes, a cheating spouse isn't
the issue at all.
In general, unless you've been reliable
about your std screening and talking
to your partner about testing it can be
difficult to know who infected you with
an std or when. Even if you had
undergone regular screening, if you
were infected while having sex with a
partner who had not been tested in
years, there is always the possibility
that they were infected
asymptomatically a long time before
you got together - and just didn't know
it. Even when you are having sex with
someone who is infected with an std,
you won't necessarily get infected the
first time you sleep together.
Particularly if you intermittently
practice safe sex, it could take months
or even years.
This issue often comes up when a
person has a first herpes outbreak
years into a marriage. Their first
assumption is usually that they have a
cheating spouse, and that may be
true, but it's also possible that they
had been infected for years but didn't
realize it -- until something changed in
their body that caused them to have
their first noticeable symptoms.
Similarly, when a married woman is
diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory
disease, she often thinks that her
husband must have gotten whatever
disease caused it from "the other
woman," when, unless she was
properly screened, it's also possible
that she had been carrying around an
infection from before they even met.
So what should you do if you find out if
you have an std while you're in a long-
term relationship with a committed
partner? The first, and most important,
thing is to ask your partner to get
tested so that both of you can find
treatment. Then, if your partner is also
infected with the same std and
therefore a possible source, you need
to sit down and talk. The truth is that,
unless both of you were tested before
you had sex, it may be difficult to
know who was infected first, and when
that infection happened. Although
most of the time the presence of
symptoms points to a relatively
recent infection, there are sometimes
exceptions. If your partner insists that
they weren't having an affair, and that
there was no other woman or man,
then you have to use your heart and
your instincts to decide how you want
to move forward into the future.
Remember though, if you want to stay
with your partner but don't completely
trust them, that safe sex is always an
option. It's not a bad idea in any case.
Condoms may not be infallible, but
using them can give you some peace
of mind.
Although there is sometimes a
perception in American culture
that condoms are something you "get
past" once your relationship
progresses far enough, there's
actually no reason for that to be true.
Many married couples use condoms
for the life of their marriage, for both
contraception and disease protection,
without ever thinking about them as
something that eventually they'll get
to disregard. Unless you make it so,
most of the time condom use just isn't
that big of a deal.
REACTION:

“I don't believe in casual sex and that can put you on the outer at Uni. I don't care, I
don't plan on facing abortions, infections and STI's. I take the view no contraception
is 100% and never take sex lightly. I therefore am only interested if I can say that I
won't have regrets sleeping with someone if we don't end up together long term. I
don't do one night stands and went out with my GF for 6 months before having sex.
We had an emotional connection before a physical one. When you jump straight
into sex, an emotional connection may not happen. If my GF hadn't been prepared
to wait, I would have let him walk. My values keep me safe & my life on track. I've
seen many women fall by the wayside, fail exams, drop out...after losing control.”

Having Children When
HIV Positive
HIV Pregnancy
By Elizabeth Boskey, Ph.D., About.com Guide
Updated October 21, 2007
In recent years, almost all HIV
infections occurring in U.S. children
were the result of mother to child
transmission. However, the epidemic
is slowly coming under control. In
2005, only approximately 141 children
were born with HIV, which is less than
one-tenth the number of infected
children born each year in the peak
years of the mid 1990s. Much of this
reduction has been attributed to early
identification of HIV infection in
pregnant women, so that antiretroviral
therapy and other interventions during
pregnancy, labor, and delivery can be
started to prevent transmission to the
baby. This type of therapy, combined
with treatment of the newborn, can
reduce the risk of perinatal HIV
transmission from approximately 25%
to less than 2%.
Unfortunately, in order for treatment
to do be as helpful as possible, women
need to be diagnosed with HIV as
early as possible during pregnancy.
This is why current CDC
guidelines recommend testing for all
women during the first prenatal visit
and then again during the third
trimester. However, even women who
don't get tested during pregnancy can
benefit from testing at the time of
delivery. Treatment during delivery
has been shown to reduce the rate of
HIV transmission to the infant by more
than half.

Knowing is Half The Battle

In 2005, slightly more than one-

quarter of the newly diagnosed HIV
infections in the United States
occurred in women, and many of
these infections were the result of
sexual relationships with HIV positive
men. Furthermore, 80% of the
estimated 120,000 to 160,000 HIV
positive women in the United States
are of childbearing age, and as many
as a quarter of these women may not
know their status. These women, who
don't know their HIV status, may be at
the highest risk of passing the virus on
to their children if they choose to
become pregnant, particularly if they
do not receive HIV testing, and
treatment, as part of timely prenatal
care

REACTION:

“If you become pregnant, it is extremely important for you to be tested for HIV as
early as possible during your prenatal care. Even if your risk of exposure is minimal,
it is better to be safe than sorry. Knowing your HIV status will help with your peace
of mind. More importantly, however, if you are positive, the sooner you start
treatment, the safer you can keep your future child.”
Higher STD Rates
Among Users of
Erectile Dysfunction
Drugs
ScienceDaily (July 12, 2010)

"Anyone who does not practice safer

sex, no matter their age, can contract
an STD," says Anupam B. Jena, MD,
PhD, of the Massachusetts General
Hospital (MGH) Department of
Medicine, the study's lead author.
"Even though STDs are quite rare
among older men -- on the order of 1
per 1,000 individuals -- we found that
STD rates in men who used ED drugs
were two to three times higher, both
before and after they filled their first
prescription."
Jena and his co-authors note that ED
drugs have become popular since
sildenafil (Viagra) was first introduced
in 1998. As early as 2002 it was
estimated that up to 20 percent of
U.S. men over 40 had tried an ED
drug. Studies have shown both that
rates of STDs, including HIV/AIDS, are
rising in older individuals as well as
the general public and that people
over 50 are much less likely than
those in their 20s to use condoms
during sex or be tested for HIV
infection. A survey of primary care
physicians found that they rarely if
ever discussed reducing sexual risk
factors with middle aged or older
patients.
Small studies of men who have sex
with men had associated the use of ED
drugs with higher-risk behaviors and practices among users of the drugs.
increased rates of STDs. But no The data gathered could not indicate
previous study had examined the whether ED drug use itself increased
relationship between ED drugs and STD risk, but the authors are
STD risk in a large, representative investigating that question in a further
sample of privately insured older men. study.
For the current study, the researchers
examined health insurance claims
records covering 1997 though 2006
from 44 large U.S. employers. For
male beneficiaries over 40 who used
ED drugs, the researchers collected
data covering one year before and one
year after the first prescription was
filled. Each ED drug user was matched
with five non-users randomly selected
from the database, for whom claims
data covering the same two-year
periods was collected.
The final study group included about
40,000 men who used ED drugs and
nearly 1.37 million who did not. In
both the year before and the year
after the first ED drug prescription,
users had significantly higher rates of
STDs than non-users did in matching
time periods. HIV/AIDS was the most
frequently reported STD in both
groups, followed by chlamydia. Since
the prevalence of STDs did not
markedly change after ED drug
therapy began, the authors note that
the difference between groups
probably reflects higher-risk sexual REACTION:

“Health care providers need to recognize that their older adult patients who are on
ED drugs are already at a higher risk of having or acquiring an STD,Both the
physicians who prescribe these drugs and the pharmacists who fill those
prescriptions should counsel all patients on the importance of safer sexual
practices.”

“Physicians who prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs for their male patients should
be sure to discuss the importance of safer sex practices, even with older
patients.The analysis of insurance records of more than 1.4 million men over 40
found that those who used ED drugs were more likely to have sexually transmitted
diseases than were non-users.”

Everything You Need
To Know About
Condoms
By Elizabeth Boskey, Ph.D., About.com Guide
Updated May 07, 2009
It's all well and good for someone to
tell you that you need to use a
condom if you're going to have sex,
but it's not quite that simple.
How do you use a condom? How do
you choose which condom to use?
Don't worry. All your answers are here.
Choosing a Condom
• Before You Buy a Condom
When it comes to buying condoms,
there are a lot of choices - possibly
too many. Do you want lubricated or
unlubricated? How about colored or
flavored? Ribbed or plain? This
buying guide has all the information
you'll need to choose the condom
that is right for you, but when in
doubt think simple. In a pinch, any
latex, polyurethane, or polyisoprene
condom will do.
• Where to Find Free Condoms
Short on cash? Don't let that stop
 you from making good decisions
about practicing safe sex. In most
areas of the U.S., it's pretty easy to
find a source for free condoms.
• Choosing a Condom for Oral Sex
Although most people don't like to
think about it,oral sex is not
inherently safe sex. Many STDs can
be transmitted through oral sex,
and so it is important to use
condoms or other barriers. There
are, however, some special
considerations when choosing a
condom for oral sex.
• Condom Size Chart
When push comes to shove, most
men can use most condoms. Still,
there are a few men at either end of
the penis size scale who may
require some special considerations.
Here is a frequently-updated
condom size chart with information
about condom sizes from some of
the major brands.
• Condom Stories
Do you have a favorite condom
brand, or want to know what types
of condoms other users like? Here is
a place for you to share your
stories!
Using a Condom
• How To Use a Male Condom
Using a condom is pretty straight-
forward, but it is possible to do it
incorrectly. Using condoms the right
way will drastically reduce the
likelihood of breakage and other
condom failures.
• How to Use a Female Condom
Often, an individual's first reaction
to seeing a female condom is
"Huh?" Fortunately, they're actually
quite easy, and fun, to use once you
know what you're doing and what to
expect.
• How to Make a Dental Dam
In order to practice safe cunnilingus,
or safe rimming, you need a
different kind of barrier - a dental
dam. Since they are often slightly
difficult to find in your neighborhood
drug store, here are instructions for
how to make one.
• How to Have Safe Sex
Getting your safe sex supplies
together is only the first step... you
have to know how to use them.
Click here for an overview of how to
engage in some of the most
common sex practices -- safely.
• How to Put on a Condom With
your Mouth
If your partner is slightly reluctant
to use a condom for oral sex, or if
you simply want to spice up your
sex life, you can try this trick. It's
fun to put a condom on with your
mouth (although it does require a
bit of practice!)
Condoms and You
• Do You Have a Condom?
One of the most common reasons
people give for not practicing safe
sex is that they don't have a
condom. Find out how to avoid
doing something you'll regret.
• Condom Use Self Efficacy
Young people, particularly young
women, often have trouble
negotiating condom use. Learn
about why... and discover some
ways to make it easier.
• Why Some Women Don't Like
Condoms
It's not uncommon for a man to
hear from his female partner that
she doesn't like condoms.
Fortunately, most of the problems
that women have with condoms can
be solved by helping them choose
the right one.
 • Why Some Men Prefer the
Female Condom
Although they're not as well known
in the U.S., female condoms are
extremely highly regarded around
the world. Why? There are many
reasons why some men prefer the
female condom.
• Thailand 100% Condom Policy
Some people, like Pope Benedict
XVI wonder if encouraging condom
use can really make a difference in
the spread of HIV and other sexually
transmitted diseases. Here is one
country's experience that proves it
can.

REACTION:

“I'm not sure if its the condom, or the user(it being me) but i've never had success
with condoms. I know how to put it on and i know that getting condoms that are to
large causes problems. But as with every condom i've tried (and yes i've tried the
smallest), they fall off during sex. I'm not super well endowed, but i am above
average. Honestly birth control is a life saver for me. I will probably never use a
condom again in my life for this reason. Not worth the chance of getting her
pregnant.”

Living With Herpes

By Elizabeth Boskey, Ph.D., About.com Guide
Updated March 24, 2010
here are some conversations that
change your life. If a doctor has ever
diagnosed you with genital herpes,
you may remember that conversation
as one of them. Genital herpes is a
frightening diagnosis for many people.
Society may have exposed them to
messages suggesting that people with
herpes are dirty or somehow flawed.
However, genital herpes is just a
disease like any other--a disease, in
fact, that affects approximately one in
five Americans.
I've Been Diagnosed With Genital
Herpes! What Do I Do Now?
The first thing you need to do after
you've received a genital herpes
diagnosis is sit down and take a
breath. Do some research and learn all
you can about the disease. You were
probably diagnosed because you
experienced an outbreak. Although it
may have been scary and painful,
don't panic. Since you have had one
outbreak, you will probably have
several more over the next year. Over
time, however, your outbreaks will
become less frequent. There is
medication that you can take to help
relieve your symptoms, reduce the
frequency of outbreaks, lower the
amount of virus in your system,
and make it less likely that you will
transmit the virus to someone else.
If you were diagnosed with genital
herpes because your current or former
sexual partner told you that you might
have been exposed to the virus, it is
possible that you will never have a
noticeable outbreak. The vast majority
of people with genital herpes
have asymptomatic infections. If you
didn't have a symptomatic outbreak
within a month after you were initially
infected, you may never experience
genital symptoms. However, that does
not mean that you can ignore your
infection. Genital herpes can be
transmitted even in the absence of
symptoms, something that you should
realize since that was probably how
you became infected with the disease.
I'm Never Speaking To The Person
Who Infected Me Again!
When you are first diagnosed with
genital herpes, you may want to find
someone to blame. Try not to. Since
most people with herpes have no
symptoms, your partner may not have
known that he or she was putting you
at risk. If, however, you are in a
relationship with a person who knew
that he or she was infected with the
herpes virus and lied to you about it,
you might consider whether or not
they are someone you can trust.
Before you judge your partners,
however, evaluate your own activity.
Were you responsible about STD
testing? Did you always practice safer
sex when it was appropriate? Did you
disclose any sexual health issues
before you had sex with each new
partner and ask about his or her own
history? It's unfair to hold others to
standards you cannot uphold yourself.
What Should I Tell My Partner?
Telling your partner you have genital
herpes may be one of the hardest
things about being diagnosed with the
disease. Whether you have been
together for years, or you're just
starting out, the conversation will be
difficult--but it is one you need to
have. Start by being comfortable with
the information yourself. Know how
herpes is transmitted and how you can
reduce the risk of giving it to your
partner. If you have been together for
a while, recommend that your partner
be tested for the virus. If you are
starting a new relationship, testing is
still a good idea.
Because condoms aren't 100%
protective against herpes, there is
always the possibility that you will
pass the disease onto your sexual
partners. Consistently
using male or female condoms
andother barriers for all sexual
contact, including oral, anal, vaginal,
and manual sex, will greatly reduce
the risk of transmission. So will
taking suppressive therapy, which
lowers the amount of virus in your
system. However, both you and your
partner should remember that you can
transmit the virus even if you don't
have any symptoms.
Will I Ever Have Sex Again?
Herpes doesn't need to be the end of
your sex life. Although safe sex
techniques are not 100% effective,
consistently using condoms and other
barriers, and avoiding sex during
outbreaks, will greatly reduce the
likelihood that you will infect your
partner. You should also avoid sex
when you feel itching or tingling under
your skin or other symptoms that
suggest the herpes sores are soon
going to appear (the prodromal
period before an outbreak.)
It is important to know that herpes can
be transmitted through oral sex. Cold
sores, which are oral herpes, can be
transmitted to the genitals and vice
versa. Furthermore, having oral
herpes does not protect you from
getting genital herpes, and it may be
even more contagious than its
counterpart.
Dating with herpes can be stressful. It
may be more difficult to find new
partners. But when you are open and
honest about your infection status,
there will continue to be people who
want you enough to take the risk.
There are also dating
services specifically for individuals
who have been diagnosed with herpes
and other STDs. Remember, one in
five adults is infected with the herpes
virus. Herpes dating, and finding
someone to love, may not be nearly as
difficult as you think. However, even if
you have both been diagnosed with
genital herpes, it is still wise to
practice safer sex.
What Else Do I have To Worry
About?
You are at increased for HIV and at a
higher risk of transmitting HIV if you
have herpes--another reason to use
barrier protection. Still, herpes is not a
disease that will affect most areas of
your life. Outside of sexuality, the
main aspect of your life that herpes
can cause problems with is child
bearing. Because herpes infections
can be extremely dangerous to
infants, women with herpes should
talk to their obstetricians about how to
minimize the risk to their future
children. The greatest risk of
transmission to the infant occurs in
women who become infected with the
herpes virus during pregnancy, so
people should be especially cautious
with new sexual partners during this
time.
 REACTION:

“I've found this thread heartbreaking. There is so little understanding of risk these
days. I've watched friends "enjoy" casual sex and lots of short-term relationships.
I'm a control freak, maintaining my good health is really important to me. I
remained a virgin...most people assumed I was religious, I'm not...but I could see
what was happening with my friends. Many women go on the Pill and forget about
condoms and men often try to talk women out of using condoms because "it
reduces my pleasure.”

Is Oral Sex Safe Sex?
Oral Sex and STDs
By Elizabeth Boskey, Ph.D., About.com Guide
Updated July 06, 2009
It's all very well and good to say that
oral sex is not safe sex, but how much
of a risk are you actually taking if you
choose to practice unprotected oral
sex? What sexually transmitted
diseases can be transferred from
genitals to mouth, and vice versa?
HIV
Although oral sex is a relatively low-
risk activity, particularly when
compared to vaginal or anal sex, it is
possible to transmit HIV through oral
sex. Using latex or
polyurethanecondoms, female
condoms, or dental dams is an
effective way to reduce your chances
of contracting the virus when
engaging in oral sex. If you don't
choose to use protection for oral sex,
you should know that the risk of HIV
transmission increases if the person
performing the act has cuts or sores in
his/her mouth, if ejaculation takes
place in the mouth, and if the
individual receiving oral sex has any
other sexually transmitted diseases.
The risk is primarily for the person
performing the oral sex. Unless a
partner has significant amounts of
blood in his/her mouth, such as from
dental surgery, oral sex is unlikely to
expose the receptive partner to HIV.
Herpes
Although genital herpes and oral
herpes are usually caused by different
strains of the herpes virus, HSV-2 and
HSV-1 respectively, it is possible for
either virus to infect either site.
Therefore, it is possible to transmit
herpes during oral sex, and the virus
can spread from either partner.
Herpes is contagious even when
symptoms are not present. Even
though prophylactic medications, such
as Zovirax (acyclovir), can reduce the
likelihood of both outbreaks and
transmitting the herpes virus to your
partner, they can not eliminate the
risk entirely. Although they should
greatly reduce the risk of herpes
transmission,condoms are also not
completely effective in preventing
transmission of herpes during oral sex,
since the virus can spread from skin to
skin.
HPV
It is possible to spread HPV through
oral sex, and it is in fact thought that
HPV acquired while performing oral
sex is a major risk factor for throat
cancer. HPV can also appear in the
oral cavity through vertical
transmission (transmission from
mother to child during birth). As with
herpes, it seems likely that the use of
condoms or dental dams during oral
sex should reduce the risk of infection,
but they will not necessarily eliminate
it entirely since HPV spreads via skin-
to-skin contact.
Gonorrhea
In recent years, teenagers with throat
infections caused by gonorrhea have
often been in the news. Gonorrhea can
be transmitted in both directions when
oral sex is performed on a man, and
throat infections with gonorrhea are
notoriously difficult to treat. There is
limited research to suggest that it may
be possible for someone to acquire a
gonorrheal throat infection while
performing oral sex on a woman, but
transmission in the other direction is
relatively unlikely since the site of
infection is the cervix -- a part of the
female anatomy not reached
during cunnilingus. Condoms and
dental dams should be extremely
effective in preventing transmission of
gonorrhea during oral sex.
Chlamydia
It is possible to transmit chlamydia
during fellatio, and both the recipient
and the person performing the act are
at risk. There has been little research
on whether it is possible to transmit
chlamydia during cunnilingus, but
infection risk is probably similar to
that for gonorrhea.
Syphilis
Syphilis is extremely easy to transmit
via oral sex. In fact, in some areas of
the United States, oral sex has been
shown to be responsible for as many
as 15% of syphilis cases. Although
syphilis can only be transmitted in the
presence of symptoms, during the
primary and secondary stages of the
disease, the painless sores it causes
are easy to miss.
Hepatitis B
The research is inconclusive as to
whether or not hepatitis B can be
transmitted via oral sex. Oral-anal
contact, however, is definitely a risk
factor for hepatitis A infection, and it
may also be a risk factor for hepatitis
B. Fortunately both hepatitis A and B
can be prevented by vaccines. If you
practice rimming, you should talk with
your doctor about getting vaccinated.
Vaccination is a good idea in any case,
and the hepatitis B vaccine is currently
recommended for all children and
many groups of adults.
REACTION:

“In summary, unprotected oral sex puts you at risk for numerous sexually
transmitted diseases. If you perform unprotected oral sex on your sexual partners,
you should mention it to your physician. She may want to check your throat when
she is screening you for other STDs.”