Good morning. Some news: Oral swabbing for oral herpes and HPV at the dentist

[victoriaxxx]

So this isn't exactly a general Herpes discussion, but I found out some cool news from the dentist..

They are going to start doing an oral swab in the dentist for oral herpes and oral HPV.

What are your thoughts on that ?

[WCSDancer2010]

I think its a GREAT idea!!! Long overdue! Can you get him to give you some info on it so we can pass it on here?

[HerryTheHerp]

Oh, great. As if people weren't already afraid of going to the dentist as it is.

 

"Well, let's see Mary. You have a cavity, we're gonna need to do a root canal, and oh yeah, you have a potentially cancer causing STD and an incurable skin condition." Yeah, that's going to make people feel even more comfortable...

 

Actually, it's not a bad idea. It's good for people to know, and it's good for people to get tested. But, boy, is it going to make a lot of teenagers leery of going to the dentist with their parents...gonna have to explain what they've been doing at band camp...

[victoriaxxx]

Of course they aren't just going to do it.. You have to set it up and ask for it to be done. Just like they have this new ultra sonic test or something... That checks your mouth and throat for cancer.. Well the test is to see if it is caused by HPV.

Which I think is kind of cool, because I am going in next week to see if I have any signs of oral or throat cancer. They didn't spot anything, but this test is to see if there is anything fairly minor that they can take care of. (( I still don't have any cavities btw. )) && the thing is I think it is good for the Dentist's because then they will have more knowledge about HPV themselves.. Instead of just having to use the doctor all the time.

 

Honestly I think it is a good idea, because also there are a lot of people out there who have oral Herpes and it is not active, but when put under stress at the dentist it can cause a breakout. I remember asking them why did they need to know if I had herpes. That is what they told me. I was so embarassed... The Dental Hygeinest and the Dentist and the other ladies all told me they had it too. Crazy..

 

@WCSDancer2010 Next time I go in I will get a brochure and I will highlight everything and make a post about it.

 

[HerryTheHerp]

Like I said, it's a good idea for people to know, and a dentists office is usually a lot more comfortable than a gynecologists. Still, I can foresee a lot of awkward conversations with teens and their parents on the horizon. That said, those are awkward conversations parents need to be having with their kids long before anything shows up on blood or swab tests.

 

And, oral herpes isn't that big of a deal in our society. It's so common that it's like air. Of course, genital is the same thing, just has that damned stigma attached.

 

On a side note, I was reading up on seroprevalence rates yesterday. 68% of women in Greenland have HSV2.

[victoriaxxx]

Yeah I know oral isn't that big of a deal, but in a dental facility or any facility for that matter it is a thing that needs to be known, because the stress on the body can cause outbreaks.. Oral and Genital..

 

They were telling me they have genital.. && some of them are in the two for one deal.. Made me feel a lot better about my situation, even though I have came to accept it.. It is still kind of hard to come out and be like " I have herpes, Yes I do."

 

I forgot the Dental Hygienest and I were actually having a conversation about Herpes.. && we were both talking about how we googled pictures of herpes. She says she remembers having to do some research.. && they were researching a country that has never been exposed to herpes, and they came here got exposed to herpes.. They had the worst case scenerio, very bad Outbreaks.. Since almost all of us have already been exposed our body is able to keep it under control better.

[WCSDancer2010]

Well, there shouldn't be an issue witht he parents if the kid has HSV1 oral - half the kids out there have it thanks to some little playmate back in Kindergarden. It will only be the HPV virus that could make for some awkward conversation on the way home.

 

That said, I hope they also then hand out info on what those "coldsores" really are and what they mean when you get sexually active including asymptomatic shedding and HSV1 genital rates. And it's one more way to get the conversations around Herpes in the open so we can have Adult conversations around these things.

 

And Victoria... you see, again, this is sooo not a big deal for most people. Its our brains that make it so ... and young people can just be cruel because they are uninformed and honestly just as scared about getting it so they joke about it. My generation didn't even blink when Herpes was mentioned when I was your age. I think this test will be yet another thing to help our cause :)

[victoriaxxx]

I know my mom said she didn't really get upset when Herpes was mentioned, but now its just the stigma that is involved in all of this..

 

I know that Cold sores and genital aren't that big of a deal, but like you said it is another way for it to be out in the open. Another way to help the stigma.. Help kids better understand that this can be spread to the genitals or to anybody for that matter.

 

Make brochures on Oral Herpes and HPV. It might be awkward, but it is an important part of life to be fully aware of everything. (:

[thisisgoingtobeokay (previ]

@victoriaxxx I am super excited to read this and hope it takes effect immediately. It should be required that anyone over the age of 18 gets tested yearly for STD's (ALL OF THEM) in my book. But it did bother me you said oral isn't a big deal. YES YES IT IS. That is how I got it, and the guy didn't even have a cold sore on his face. I have HSV1 from a guy going down on me, we didn't even have sex. It is sexually transmitted and A BIG F'ING deal to me, since my vagina is ruined because of it. I am not mad or anything, just want to clarify, HSV1 orally is just as big of a deal. So, I am super glad you brought this info to the table, because I make it my goal to let as many women as I can know that hey, always ask if he ever has had cold sores on his mouth, cause you might think twice. I hope this becomes a standard and they test everywhere.

 

A guy friend of mine tried to make me feel dirty because I have it down there. I jumped his ass for it. I said look, I got the same thing you get on your face but mine is in my pants, so don't judge me. We have the same exact thing asshole. So don't look down on me because mine is in my lady parts and yours occurs on your face. At least my shit is hidden. Haha.

[victoriaxxx]

When I said Oral HSV-1 isn't a big deal, I meant the stigma behind it.. Oral HSV doesn't hold the same stigma as Genital HSV.. But when we talk about cold sores and Oral HSV.. We can let them know that it is something to be careful about just like Genital Herpes is something to be careful with.

&& I hope that in Dental offices and Dr's offices they can be more open about the transmition or oral and genital, because that is something that we need to definitely learn about.

 

Sorry I should have explained that better !

[thisisgoingtobeokay (previ]

Okay okay, *tiger climbing back in her cage." The guy who gave it to me left me and won't speak to me at all, so I am a little bitter and angry still. Yes, you are right the stigma is different, perfect example that guy friend of mine, but I want that to change. Hence why I jumped so quickly. I wasn't angry as I said, just wanted to make sure anyone who reads it knows it is a big deal and can still be passed. I am a little quick to snap at people for HSV1 orally not being a big deal. Sorry. :)

[victoriaxxx]

It's okay I completely understand that is why I said sorry, because sometimes I jump to conclusions about certain things. That is why I wanted to clarify.

 

[thisisgoingtobeokay (previ]

hugs :)

[WCSDancer2010]

A guy friend of mine tried to make me feel dirty because I have it down there. I jumped his ass for it. I said look, I got the same thing you get on your face but mine is in my pants, so don't judge me. We have the same exact thing asshole. So don't look down on me because mine is in my lady parts and yours occurs on your face. At least my shit is hidden. Haha.

 

Love you Tiger lady... Glad you stuck up for yourself :)

[thisisgoingtobeokay (previ]

lol. Of course I did. Don't come at me when you got it too. :) Love you too! I hate being that way, "at least my shit is hidden" but that is like my way to stick it back to people who jump me when I know they have had cold sores on their face and trying to judge me because mine occurs down south.