Herpes and the military

[Theoverthinker524]

Just got confirmation today that i am H positive. It's been about a week since i started showing symptoms and was tested. I don't know which type i have. I've been wanting to join the military since i was a little girl. Every man in my family was in the military and I've always wanted to be the first girl. I was wondering if since i Am now H positive if i can still join?

[makeitrightandbright]

If im wrong about this im sorry, but im almost positive that it doesnt matter. I have a friend in active duty and he has it, he is being deployed overseas again in October so there is no issue with it for him.

[ihaveittoo]

This subject comes up from time to time in this forum. As someone who got herpes while in the military I can tell you its not really an issue. It will not disqualify you from joining. I would say it is not something you need to disclose to your recruiter. You might want to consider telling the doctor at your induction physical so it can be notated in your medical record. That would make it easier to get a prescription for an antiviral if you ever have issues with outbreaks in the future.

[2Legit2Quit]

I was in the army and we never got tested for herpes going through MEPS. I suggest just keeping it to yourself.

[WCSDancer2010]

It's only a dismissable disease if it keeps you from doing your duties... remember that 80% of the population has it... if it kept people from signing up the military would be a LOT smaller :p

 

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/2757/herpes-diagnosisherpes-and-the-coast-guard

[2Legit2Quit]

The only STD we were tested for, was. HIV from what I can remember.

 

The second time you go to MEPS to ship out, they do make you go through a quick GYNO exam, but it literally was like 5mins. They didn't even insert a thingy in me. They are just looking for anything visible on the outside, because they don't want to ship you off w a present infection. You don't want to be stuck in medical hold over while in training. Make sure you have this well under control when you go, because I can tell you right now; you get ZERO sleep for two months straight in basic... At least for the army that is. Your body will be under immense amounts of stress, however, I have heard it is a much nicer kinder time these days. I served 00-06.

 

If you join the marines or army and depending on what basic you go to (mine was at a hard core location), you will do lots of ruck marching, that can cause chaffing and friction. Also, going out in the field for 3 days w no shower is not much fun either.

 

What branch? You won't have to worry about that stuff w navy and air force, but army and marines you will.

[2Legit2Quit]

@Theoverthinker524

 

I did a little digging around and it could make you disqualified. Search for herpes in the article. It does say that as long as it proves treatable, it could be amendable. W that said and I watched this happen w my neighbors daughter for another medical condition; that you need to inform your recruiter or if it is discovered during training, you will be kicked out under fraudulent enlistment. My neighbors daughter was kicked out of the last week of basic under this lying about a medical condition.

 

So w that said, I'm at a loss here on what to tell you. Maybe Dancer could give some insight. This is what I would do to be honest. I would call a different recruiter and not provide your name and state that you have considered enlisting, however you weren't sure if it could be waived and see what they say. It does appear to imply w out much detail, that you could still be accepted, as long as treatment works for you.

 

What are your obs like? Are you on suppression and how far and few in-between are they?

 

http://m.military.com/join-armed-forces/disqualifiers-medical-conditions.html

[2Legit2Quit]

I will also tell you that it would benefit greatly for your cause, to have a write up from your doctor, stating that your diagnosis does well under testament and posea no risks to you and should not hinder you at all from physical activity, etc... Including this in w your waiver is important. My fear is that you hide it, then have a horrific OB where you can't even walk, you go to medical and then they find out you lied and kick you out. You can also only miss so many hrs in training and once you meet those hrsz they will put you in medical hold over to start from the beginning w a new class and it's not fun and has caused a lot of stress and depression on soldiers

 

This is what they said in it regarding herpes.

 

 

(11) Vulvar or vaginal ulceration, including herpes genitalia and condyloma acuminatum, acute or chronic, not amenable to treatment. Such treatment must be given and demonstrated effective prior to accession.

 

Any thoughts @WCSDancer2010

[ihaveittoo]

I read the list at the link posted by @2Legit2Quit. I believe you would have to have a very extreme case for it to be disqualifying, like a constant outbreak that never goes away. If thats the case you got a more serious problem than herpes. In the list for male genitalia Hydrocele is listed. I have one. It was discovered by an old doctor during physical I took for a job I got at Sears. 3 or 4 months later I took my induction physical. I mentioned it to the doctor, he checked my scrotum, made a notation in my record and continued on with the rest of the exam. It obviously was no big deal.

 

As I said earlier in this thread you don't really have to disclose with the recruiter. Disclosing to the doctor at your induction physical should be strongly considered. You already have a diagnosis from your doctor and I would assume a copy of your test results. Showing this to the induction doctor would get it entered into your military medical record. The only testing the US military does for herpes is a swab. They do not do a blood test for herpes. No reason to go thru the hassle of another swab. If after you are in on active duty and frequent outbreaks become a problem, you should be able to obtain a prescription with relative ease.

[2Legit2Quit]

@ihaveittoo times have changed since you went in and it's a lot different today, than it was before. Also, we know a lot more about herpes now, than when you joined the military.

 

I didn't say it was disqualifying. Not sure if you read all of my post. The point is if you lie and something happens to him/her in basic and can't even walk and goes to sick call (happened to my neighbors daughter less than two hrs ago), they discharged her for fraudulent enlistment, because they were not honest upfront. That's my biggest concern of this and the obs seem to be much worse for women than men.

 

I guess you didn't read everything, based on your post. Please read everything including the site and provide your opinion please.

[Theoverthinker524]

I just found out i have it on monday july 7th. I had my very first ob about a week or two weeks ago. I was perscribed a ten day medication. Im not too sure what im supposed to do next after i finish my medication. But i also take birth control so im assuming i probabky should tell the recruiter that i have herpes just so i dont have to get disqualified for not providing all medical history should i have anothet outbreak in the future. I'm not exactly trying to join right noe right this second but i am looking into it and was just curious if this would stop me from being able to join. I was thinking about joining the air force. It wil probably be a while before i actually talk to a recruiter about joining because i have to study for thr asvab first. I took two practice test already before i found out i have herpes. The first test was a few years ago i had a 28. The second test was a few months ago and i had a 36. I want to focus on studying and want to work for a while and save up some money before i try to take another practice test.

[WCSDancer2010]

I will also tell you that it would benefit greatly for your cause, to have a write up from your doctor, stating that your diagnosis does well under testament and posea no risks to you and should not hinder you at all from physical activity, etc... Including this in w your waiver is important. My fear is that you hide it, then have a horrific OB where you can't even walk, you go to medical and then they find out you lied and kick you out. You can also only miss so many hrs in training and once you meet those hrsz they will put you in medical hold over to start from the beginning w a new class and it's not fun and has caused a lot of stress and depression on soldiers

 

This is what they said in it regarding herpes.

 

 

(11) Vulvar or vaginal ulceration, including herpes genitalia and condyloma acuminatum, acute or chronic, not amenable to treatment. Such treatment must be given and demonstrated effective prior to accession.

 

Any thoughts @WCSDancer2010

 

I have already commented. And the link you provided was in the link I put in with a previous discussion.

 

It is NOT dismissable as long as it's under control. AGAIN: if they turned people away with Herpes, the armed forces would be 80% smaller. Or at least 20% smaller if you only included GHSV. So as long as you have it under reasonable control you should be alright. Read the last discussion... we had a lot of people chip in who have been in the Armed Forces with Herpes there ;) As far as I can tell most don't bother to mention it... but either way I don't see is as an issue.

 

I really can't give an opinion about whether you should tell or not before enlisting because I have not been through the experience myself... but my thoughts are that if they dismissed everyone who likely doesn't tell that they have H before they join, again the Military would be a LOT smaller. And the general feedback from others on here who have been through it is that they won't blink either way ... again, as long as you don't have a bad OB during training or whatever.

 

What was your friend's daughters condition? There are a LOT of things that are a LOT worse that people might try to hide before enlisting.

 

 

[WCSDancer2010]

(11) Vulvar or vaginal ulceration, including herpes genitalia and condyloma acuminatum, acute or chronic, not amenable to treatment. Such treatment must be given and demonstrated effective prior to accession.

 

The part that is important here is "Not amenable to treatment" ... which means as long as it's under control with or without treatment before you join, you are ok ...

 

[2Legit2Quit]

@WCSDancer2010 exactly!/I just fear the part of her hiding it and something happens in training. Airfforce training isn't vigorous like army and marines, so you should be fine and could possibly get away w not telling. See what your recurrents are like w no medication and if they're something you can deal w and make a decision from there, if it's necessary to disclose.

 

The thing is Dancer too, when we have a Democrat president, they cut the forces down significantly. When this happens, it's harder to get in and less likely to take waivers. For instance, my friends neighbor looked into the air force first and it was a 9 month wait to get in and that was before the recent cuts that have been made the past yr.

 

Her medical condition was from her previously taking ADHD mediation while in high school. She went to sick call for the flu and they found it in her medical records, because her mother is retired arifrce, so all her medical had been through the military and saw it. She was 22 when she joined and they booted her over that and that's not a disqualifer, but it was because it wasn't disclosed in her enlistment medical history, that they nailed her. Sometimes you get some real ass hats as Medical staff in the military and they're mean and disgruntled.

 

 

[ihaveittoo]

@2Legit2Quit,

 

I never said that you said it was disqualifying. On my last post in this thread I was talking more about what I read at the link you posted than anything. It was a list of medical disqualifiers for military service. Obviously from what I read on the link a lot of stuff is not strictly enforced. I cited the hydrocele as something that could have, according to the list, kept me from joining. I informed the doctor, he examined me, made his notation in my record then proceeded with the rest of the exam. I went on to serve 4 years in the Marines. My dad has a deviated septum that the doctors missed during his induction physical for the Navy. If they had caught it then he would never have gone to flight training and earned his Naval Aviator wings. At another physical a few years later the doctor caught it. Since dad never had trouble breathing at altitude the doctor signed him off, and dad kept flying for the rest of the time he was in.

 

I know that things in the military change all the time. As they say, the more things change the more they stay the same.

[2Legit2Quit]

Lol... Like the last statement