I put a toe out of the closet. Posted general STD facts on my Facebook this morning.

[bookworm21]

Here's what I wrote. The more education people have the better.

 

 

Found some interesting facts while browsing through the internet today. I believe everyone who is sexually active should get tested fully at least once a year, and here are some interesting reasons why. Go get checked!

 

Did you know that 16.2% of Americans (roughly 25 million) have herpes? Of those 25 million, 80% of them do not know they have it, because some people never have symptoms or their symptoms are mild. Chlamydia and syphilis can have no symptoms as well, but can endanger your life/reproductive organs if it's left alone too long.

 

A regular check for STD's only involves HIV, Chlamydia, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea. Herpes is not tested for because it is so common and most doctors see it as a "irritating skin condition".

 

Chlamydia is still the #1 sexually transmitted disease in the US.

 

If you get cold sores, you have HSV type 1. It is still a sexually transmitted disease and if you have oral sex with another person, you can give it to them in their genital regions.

 

So be careful and go get checked! I'm sure I'll post more random facts about other things later

 

[Aimee (previously baffled1]

I thought HVP and Herpes are the most common std in the US and herpes is the one of the highest in newly reported cases each year. Sadly you can test for HVP. You should note that its not routine for HIV in most states. In fact, its the against the to ask you if you want an HIV test in most states. You have to ask for it.

[bookworm21]

In Ohio it must be different. I've ALWAYS been tested for HIV, it's standard procedure for my doctors office, planned parenthood, and the free clinics. Every area I've researched says that while Herpes is up there, Chlamydia is still #1. Maybe because people can get infected more than once? I'm not sure.

[Aimee (previously baffled1]

bookworm21,

In louisiana, its against the law to ask u for HIV. At which I dont get that. If its a disease that can be passed to each other by contact of any kind it should mandatory testing. Just like its a crime in Louisiana and 36 other states for person to withold their status of a communicable disease;cureable and/or incureable, from potiential partners and/or current partners where or not they infect that person or not.

Louisiana in in the top 5 of states for HIV and HSV current cases and new cases every year. I believe California is #1

[bookworm21]

I will have to look into that! I know that all the blood for the Red Cross gets tested too, and if it's positive then you get notified as well.

 

[Aimee (previously baffled1]

I checked, Ohio only has provisions for HIV/AIDS. But that doesn't mean that OhioOhio eventually wont. Many states are adopting laws. There should in every state. It doesn't matter the reason. A person who lnows they a communicable disease should be legally obiglated to tell potiential partners/partners since some disease are incureabl, life altering and can lead to other serious illnesses.

[HerryTheHerp]

Nicely done. Very good post. It's something your friends needed to hear and it's a huge step from being patient to being educator. :)

 

In the US in 2013, about 776k contracted Herpes. About 1/2 that contracted Chlamydia. I think I saw somewhere around 330k. As far as HPV, almost every American who has ever had sex will end up with that one by the time they die.

[bookworm21]

Thank you :)

 

The site I've been looking on says Herpes is at 776,000 but Chlamydia is at 2,860,000. It says that the rates for herpes are rising increasingly however and by 2025 a full FORTY PERCENT (40%) of Americans will have it. The CDC says Chlamydia was at 1,486,000 in 2006 (they don't have information on herpes that I came across). So there is conflicting information. Whatever the numbers are, they are WAYYY too much. And you are right, HPV blows them both out of the water at 14,100,000.

[WCSDancer2010]

Hmmm - the stats I've seen said HPV is #1 (and everyone usually gets it at some time or other and HSV#2...

 

Also, Chlamydia is not usually tested for here... only HIV, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea.

 

The way I put it is that you *usually* will only be tested for those 3 and you MUST ask what is in the test and/or say you want to be tested for EVERYTHING and look at your bill to make sure everything is covered... BTW, men cannot be tested for HPV (at least, not without a LOT of discomfort) ...thankfully they recently came up with a text for Chlamydia for men relatively recently.

 

Either way - good for you for putting the info out. :)

[victoriaxxx]

I was reading some stats in Washington state where I live and we have the Highest rate for Chlamydea and Herpes..

I am guessing it is because we are a lot more liberal here.

 

I got the preventive care for HPV.. I only know one person with HPV and they were born with it.

[bookworm21]

Dancer, interesting! Where do you live? In Ohio Chlamydia is tested for automatically when they do the swabs, along with the other two. Blood test for HIV.

 

Victoria, I think the rates are up everywhere! My mother didn't let my sister and I get the preventive shot, because it was too new. I just read some things about it not being effective and so on. Maybe you don't know more people because it isn't being tested for? Just running wild.

[WCSDancer2010]

I'm in New York

 

When I went last time to Planned parenthood they did the Oral Swab for HIV.

 

My concern about the HPV vaccine is it only covers about FOUR of the 30 varieties that affect the genitals (there are actually about 100 strains). Mostly the warts (which are really harmless) and the cancer-causing strains.

 

My concern is 2-fold:

 

1) that it will give a false sense of security to those who have it... that they will not know/forget that there are plenty of other STD's they can catch.

 

2) That in all reality, even the cancer causing strains are "controllable"... in that (and I was told this by an OBGYN) 30% of abnormal pap smears will clear up on their own, 30% will clear up with supplementation with Folic Acid, and 30% will become cancerous BUT it takes about 4-5 YEARS for it to become dangerous...ie, if you have regular pap smears you should catch it plenty early enough.

 

And BTW, although they can catch HPV in a Pap Smear, you actually need to also ask for the HPV swab test because the Pap is only 65% successful at picking up HPV as opposed to 95% for the HPV test.

 

There is a GREAT website for HPV (not IMO as good as ours ...and I just noticed the support forum is disabled :( ) but it has a LOT of good, SOLID info for anyone who wants to learn more:

 

http://www.thehpvsupportnetwork.org/index.html

 

Their FAQ page is a great place for fast info. for you folks to pass on to your friends :)

[bookworm21]

Mostly the doctors here take our blood. Maybe they just like seeing me flinch at the needle :D

 

While I'm concerned about HPV, I also know that I have to get checked for cervical cancer at least once a year. It runs in my moms family. I've argued with a dr who told me it was not genetic (almost EVERY woman in my moms family has had it). I think that after I have my children, I'm going to get everything removed as a precaution. That way the chance is less. Especially with my mother having it.

[WCSDancer2010]

I'd get some really solid (ie, at least TWO opinions) on that.

 

I was told by a Dr years ago that "abnormal Pap smears" have become over-treated because of the stats i mentioned earlier (ie: 2/3 could have been treated without insulting the cervix with freezing or cutting stuff out). He had actually studied under Dr Papanicolaou who created the Pap smear.... and it was meant to detect full on cancer but, like Herpes, it has been used to scare women into getting treated for every little abnormality on their cervix. Once again, Big Pharma and the Doctors created fear and stigma about something that isn't as complicated as they have made it out to be. :(

 

Funny thing was, a few years later I had an "abnormal Pap" with 3 spots in question. Same Dr automatically wanted to freeze them off. I said I'd wait (remembering what he said) and went to a Naturopath. She put me on the Folic Acid supplementation and a few other supplements. 6 months later, my Pap was clear. Went back to the OBGYN who scoffed when I said what I did and said Naturopaths didn't know how to do a Pap smear. I told him "Well, then get down there and have a look for yourself" . LOL. Sure enough, he had to admit I was clear.

 

Before you do ANYTHING, get yourself educated and get some solid opinions. AND so much changes every year. But you remove all that stuff, you can create a whole other mess of issues and need hormone replacement which can cause other issues MUCH worse than an abnormal Pap that needs to be frozen off.

 

(((HUGS)))

[victoriaxxx]

OMG.. Yeah the shot I got was to prevent cancer.. I heard that most people get HPV at some point in there life, but I never thought there was over 100 strains.. That kind of scares me, but just like this or anything else you do its a chance..

 

My doctor has never said I have had an abnormal pap.. But that was how he found out that I had a cyst in my ovary.

 

I really need to get educated more myself.

[bookworm21]

Thank you for your advice. You are both wonderful :)

 

I wish I could stop freaking out about this all :(

[WCSDancer2010]

For ALL you young ladies/women out there, get acquainted with Dr Christine Northrup. She's one of the leading doctors in this country on Womens Health. She looks a the WHOLE body and how our bodies have an innate way of telling us what we need to change... and how those things that are negative in your life will affect you physically and WHERE.

 

http://www.drnorthrup.com/

http://www.drnorthrup.com/womenshealth/healthconditions/

 

She has several great books .. I always try Ebay for a second-hand copy of anything I want to read... you can often get them for next to nothing.

 

Womens Bodies Womens Wisdom

The Wisdom of Menopause

 

Victoria and Bookworm... this will be a great place for you to both start to learn about how your bodies work....

 

(((HUGS)))

[victoriaxxx]

This is very good. Thanks for giving me these links. I started to look up menstrual cramps and I am learning a lot of things about them. ((:

 

Thank you ! -hugs-