How close are we to finding a cure?

[Tainted76]

A couple days ago, my STD test came back positive for Herpes 2. I am devastated, crushed. I can't help but feel like maybe I should just kill myself and get it over with... I'm 22, I can count my sexual partners on both hands, and now.... I'm ****** for life. I've never had an outbreak. EVER. Never an outbreak, and no symptoms. I've been in 3 serious relationships, all lasting over a year. I can't even imagine dating at this point. How in the world will anyone accept this? I doubt I can date anyone new; I mean, I know that if I started seeing a guy, and he confided that he had herpes, he would have to be THE ONE for me to continue seeing him... I know thats vain, but god, there is such a stigma associated with this disease. Like I'm a ****, or dirty or something. Fuckin christ. How can Magic Johnson beat  HIV, while one in four people have to wear a condom for the rest of their ******* lives?! I'm pretty, and smart, and I have a degree............... and now I'm ******. ****!!!!!!

[waringblender]

No cure, sorry. Hell, I'd rather see them try and cure AIDS. Herpes is manageable, and it's no big deal to  millions of folks who have  it.

Would you prefer that Magic Johnson NOT beat HIV?  Jesus, HIV is devastating the continent of Africa. We need a cure for that sucker, and we need it soon.

You'll get over it. Plus you're young. Just be honest with your partners in the future, and most will be fine with it. If they're not, move on and find somebody who is. In the meantime, go work out or something. No point in getting worked up about it. What's done is done.

[gracefromHHP]

More people are accepting of the small risk of contracting a partner's herpes than most folks realize. Everyone seems to think it's a deal breaker until they have to deal with it in their own lives and then they realize just how much of a nuisance more than anything it is. 1 in 4 adults has genital herpes. It's THAT common.  

The first thing I recommend doing is getting a copy of your herpes blood test results and posting the numeric values here - ie hsv1 igg 6. 8 and hsv2 igg 1. 6 or whatever they are. Then we can guide you towards whether you need additional testing or not.  Also if you currently have a partner they too should get tested for herpes to see what their own status is.

The next thing to do is you and your partner should take the time to read the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com.  It's a terrific resource to learn more about herpes, treatments and how to reduce the risk to a partner.  There is also a patient counseling video there to watch too which is beneficial.

So what does this mean for the rest of your life? Well I'm assuming you are a female with male partners. If so - if you go on daily suppressive therapy and use condoms and avoid sex during any genital symptoms - your partner's risk is 1% each year.  Pretty darn low don't you think?  Certainly not enough risk to consider killing yourself over or a reason to suspect that you'll be lonely and miserable for the rest of your life.  That's the same risk per year as getting pregnant while on the pill!!!

grace

[Dr_K]

Since one in 4 to 5 prospective partners ALREADY have HSV II, and you would have rejected them in the past, you now have a vast new supply of possible partners!  The problem is most folks who are already positive don't know it until they do a blood test.

[waringblender]

Interesting perspective. Yep, it's a hell of a lot of folks out there with it. And it's just too common to get bent out of shape about.

[gracefromHHP]

LOL there you go - all those folks you wouldn't have dated before are out there waiting for you. I LIKE IT :)

grace

[wesman27]

HAHA ya exactly, you know im 17 I just recently found out that mi best friend has it, u should have see my face  :O I was so shocked but the more I researched up on it the more common I realized it was, I think its the word that people are so turned off about.... H E R P E S, if they called it good peoples virus people would accept it alot more. I hope they find a cure for it though, maybe a lysine type flu vacination or something like that, hope so!