Interesting read from The Atlantic today

[Rose2014]

Hey everyone!

 

I found this piece in The Atlantic today. It seems really well intended, and covers many points I had (thankfully!) already learned from spending so much time on here since I was diagnosed in April, but it's still interesting.

 

Although, I am very curious about this one line: "Genital herpes is contracted during sexual contact, usually spread through fluids on the genitals or mouth."

 

The headline is: The Overblown Stigma of Genital Herpes, and it was prefaced by this question: "Why do we attach so much shame and insecurity to a skin condition with only part-time symptoms?" :-)

 

Here's the link: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-overblown-stigma-of-genital-herpes/374757/

 

[WCSDancer2010]

Although, I am very curious about this one line: "Genital herpes is contracted during sexual contact, usually spread through fluids on the genitals or mouth."

 

Well, its sorta kinda right as it does better in moist, warm areas. Dry skin doesn't transmit as well unless you have a full-blown OB...

 

This quote says it all

 

All of this insecurity is over a skin condition that doesn’t show up most or even all of the year.

 

Great article!!!

[WCSDancer2010]

What makes me really sad is the number of jokes and BS replies .... *sigh* ... it's gonna be a long, uphill battle to get good information out there :(

[whitedaisies]

Yes it is Dancer! I feel your "sigh"...and I say to that "sigh" that every post you write and every piece of encouragement and support you give, every-time you freely post your status on your dating profile, you are helping fight the stigma! So one person at a time and maybe that one person that you reach Dancer, will be the person with access, or the person with enough funds, or the person that has just had enough and it will be just the right thing to move this thing from one person at a time to a "herpes movement" LOL

 

Thanks for all your great work as well as Adrial (and whoever else behind the scene we all don't see)

 

:)

 

(P.S. I always do 10 jumping jacks to counter the "sigh")

[ihaveittoo]

Good article overall.

 

@WCSDancer2010...Unfortunately many of the wise asses in the comments section are going to learn their lesson the hardway.

[kaybee]

Thanks for Sharing the article rose! I just forwarded it to a bunch of people haha. I read through some of the comments (and noticed dancers amazing replies) and was actually surprised that a lot of people were commenting good things and confronting mean/ignorant commenters. Obviously there was a bit of insensitivity (who needs that in their life anyway) but I was honestly pleasantly surprised overall.

 

I heard on the news tonight that a Chargers football player is getting charged (pun not intended) with infecting a woman with herpes (more at 11!) My mom (who knows my status) immendiently went off about how she could have had it for years and it just surfaced or gotten it from another guy (got to love supportive mothers). But it really made me think more about how the media feeds the stigma. It also made me wonder how one can prove that a specific person is their giver when so many people are Undiagnosed. Its crazy to me that H is a relatively harmless disease that emotionally traumatizes so many people in the name of sensationalism and money. Atleast there's some good news like the Atlantic article.

[diversgirl]

Agreed, great article. Thanks for sharing!

[WCSDancer2010]

@kaybee

 

I heard on the news tonight that a Chargers football player is getting charged (pun not intended) with infecting a woman with herpes (more at 11!) My mom (who knows my status) immendiently went off about how she could have had it for years and it just surfaced or gotten it from another guy (got to love supportive mothers). But it really made me think more about how the media feeds the stigma. It also made me wonder how one can prove that a specific person is their giver when so many people are Undiagnosed.

 

Well, there are I think 13 states that have laws that say if you knowingly expose someone to Herpes and HIV (not sure about the other STD's) that they can come after you for compensation. The way they can prove is it through his medical records (if he's been diagnosed and it's on record, it will come out). And to prove that she didn't have it, they can do blood tests early on and then after 4-6 mo ... that and a Dr's statement that her OB presented like a Primary OB may be enough for him to be found guilty (odds are, if he IS guilty...ie, he knew he had it and didn't tell her..... he'll settle quietly ASAP whether he feels he gave it to her or not :( )

[kaybee]

Well what if she had sex with ten guys and two of them had herpes? What if he told her just by saying it (no written proof) and she claims he didn't? It just doesn't seem right to me :(

[WCSDancer2010]

I can see both sides:

 

1) Having a law might make people think before having sex, esp if they have an STD.... there are cases of people INTENTIONALLY passing Herpes and HIV on, so this might make those people think twice

 

2) Having a law might increase the stigma through this kind of media attention.

 

Hopefully the truth will come out - if she's sleeping around with a different football player every night with luck his lawyers team will get that information. Often these cases fall apart when the person is cross examined.

 

I personally wouldn't want to take someone to court over it because it just draws out the anger and upset and feeds the virus. But some people just have to find blame rather than admitting they were stupid and didn't take the right precautions themselves.....

 

There isn't a "right" answer here .... tho it would be interesting to see if the states with that law had a lower incidence of HIV and Herpes transmissions :/

[Athena]

@inka /cheer! My puppy is the only boy that I know for a fact will never lie, cheat or steal and will always give me cuddles and kisses :)