Sexually Transmitted Diseases
 

Okay, I know that there have been threads about sex before but no one has ever talked about STDs- the only reason I bring it up is because one of my really close friends just told me that she has Herpes... her boyfriend cheated on her and guess what.... I was totally horrified when she told me... and she was really upset- not only that she has this, of course, but that her boyfriend would cheat on her and she has to suffer for the rest of her life because of it.
The thing is, I have never known anyone who has had an STD except for a guy that had the clap, and that is curable. But what about one that isn't? I mean, seriously, she has to go pick up a prescription for it and everyone knows what that is used for (thanks to the advertising) and she feels like she can never have sex again.
They were together for months, so I guess they weren't using condoms... but still... I mean seriously, you can get something for FOREVER which is just hard to understand. SO I have been trying to help her get info on herpes and how it affects you. There was a lot I didn't know, but now I am educated and I know that no matter how long I am with my boyfriend I am ALWAYS using a condom...
Anyone know what I can say or do, and above all USE A CONDOM! I am just totally freaked out.

Gonorrhea

I hope you subsidize the cost of the condoms for your BF . . .

They dramatically increase the cost of sex.

About 1 dollar a condom, at least two condoms a session, because you all know that you aren't supposed to kep using the condom for more than one sex bout even in the same night . . .

Anyway that gets pricey.

There are much better prices to be had online. I found a box of 50 or so for around $20 (name brand also). Also, get as many as you can when various organizations pass them out on campus.

Look up BHT and herpes . . .

BHT should inhibt herpes outbreaks as well as the perscriptions do.

Also, if she is worried about people knowing tell her to use an online pharmacy, they will mail it to her.

How does she know he cheated? He could have had herpes for a while it has an incubation period and won't usually break out unless you are immune compromised . . . he could have AIDs also and the herpes is merely an early sign.


Or he could have had herpes and just never told her.

James is right. It isn't like a cold, which shows up in a couple weeks. I think my biology teacher once said that herpes can have an incubation period of up to 8 months...that's a pretty long time.

Actually, the CLAP is chylmedia (I totally misspelled that) but they treat both the clap and gonorrhea together because they are both curable.
HE admitted to cheating when she confronted him... he claims he was drunk blah blah.... I will tell her about the online pharmacy thing... Actually she made him pick up the prescription since he gave it to her! I can't blame her, I would kill him!
As for using condoms- don't you think it is worth the price to buy them yourself? After all we buy the birth control pills, etc. and we have to get in a stirrup and have junk jammed inside to get them! I'd rather pay a dollar a hump!

Oh Damn I am LMAO!

the clap = gonorrhea
 

A treatable bacterial infection of the penis, vagina or anus that causes pain, or burning feeling as well as a pus-like discharge. Also known as "the clap".

Gonorrhea, also called as "Clap" is a sexually transmitted , very common infectious disease. The infection is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhea. Gonorrhea is spread during sexual intercourse – vaginal, oral, and anal. Most often, gonorrhea is found in younger people (ages 15-30) who have multiple sex partners. Gonorrhea can also be spread from mother to child during birth.

Well then James, what about women paying for their birth control pills??? A lot of people use both. The pill (or whatever else a woman chooses to use- shots, etc.) isn't cheap either.

Not really sure if this should be an economics issue.

Without insurance, the birth control pill can be $30 or more a month (multiply that by 13 packs a year).

No
 

I think if the guy chooses not to wear jimmy hats, it says a lot about him. Honestly, my level of respect for someone drops if I find that out because they are stupid in my book. One guy got dumped by this girl and after he decided to tell everyone everything he did - including the fact that he hit her up Ol' Dirty Bastard style. How stupid can people really be to do things like that?!?

-Rudey
--So here are two questions. Why is she with him still? Will she be telling people in the future before even kissing them?

Wearing a condom is like eating a steak with a balloon over your tounge. You go through the motions, but the flavor isnt the same. But I wear them cause I dont wanna die.

They also treat ghonnorrea and chlymidia at the same time because they are usually both present as an infection. If you have one, you prolly have the other too.

Also about 15 percent of people who get it have no symptoms. Yet they can pass it on.

Just for clarification....

It's not a safe conclusion to assume that your friend wasn't using condoms and contracted herpes simplex II. Genital herpes isn't spread through semen or vaginal fluid, but through skin to skin contact. So even dry humping could have led to her contracting the virus. Also for a person to contract herpes simplex II their partner needs to be either in an outbreak or pre outbreak (most people don't know if they are in the pre outbreak stages) Not that I'm specifically a herpes expert, but I am a Peer Educator at my health department (AKA a Sex Ed teacher) Also as stated herpes is a viral STI, so her herpes are treatable but not cureable. Ghonorea and chlamidia are bacterial infections that can be cured with antibiotics. And for a fun fact, 80% of women and 30% of men are asymtomatic (no visible signs of infection) when it comes to ghonorea and chlamidia, so remember to get a regular STI check-up every 3-6 months if you are sexually active.

Sorry if this sounds to PSA-ish, just wanted you all to have the fact :)

That is so true Lifesaver.

Also, a condom seriously impairs sensation. So prepare yourselves for a long night when you put a condom on a guy.

Add three beers to a condom and you are going to be there for hours . . .

Ummm...OK.

-Rudey
--Your wang must be scarred up real bad or have a kevlar shell if it takes you "hours" with a condom.

Oh Damn, I didn't say I I used condoms . . .

I just get him laminated for protection :D .

If you rub turtle wax on junior and shine it up real nice, the girl can't tell.

-Rudey
--Girls like shiny things...give them a piece of a broken mirror instead of a wedding ring and you'll fool 'em again!

This is a good conversation!
It's hard to approach someone about STD's (esp herpes) since you can get it from kissing. It's like "hi, I know this is our first date, but before you kiss me, I wanted to know... do you ever get cold sores?"
I think it needs to become more commonplace to ask.

Also, is there anyway to know when people are "preoutbreak"? I jsut broke up with a long term bf, and now that I'm dating men again, I want to know how to protect myself.

Carry a bible with you on dates.

-Rudey
--Sing psalms for extra protection.

It's funny how this thread has perfect timing. Yesterday, my best friend found out she had chlamydia. And then...last night's episode of Everwood talked about STDs...I think there was an outbreak of throat gonorrhea...I think that was it.

Okay here's an off the wall random question.
Lets say you find out you have an STD...do you call all your parnters and let them know? Or do you say SCREW them they probably gave it to me anyways? I remember watching Miranda on HBO's Sex in the City and how she had a HUGE list of people to call and it turns out the grouchy ex was the one that had it.

Just curious!

I feel sorry for you. It just isn't the same with a condom.



I look at it this way, if you get a disease that will kill you and it normally doesn't kill you until you're 30-40 yrs old if you contract it in you're 20's, when you do want to die? When you're in your 50's, 60's 70's? From cancer? From falling down when you're too old? Catching pnemuenia and dying from a cold? Thats how most people die when their old, some shitty way. Why go through life without having as much sex as you'd please, only to die for some stupid reason? Some may think what I'm saying is stupid and a reckless attitude, but you could die tommorrow in a car accident or by getting shot. Does that mean you should stay in your house and never come out for fear of losing your life? We all die, some a lot quicker than others. Rather than focusing on how to avoid dying, why don't you make the most of the time you got?

I'm not saying go out and have sex with prostitues. However, being scared of every person you have sex with is torturing yourself.


Besides, the only people who ask how dirty you are will be the ones you probably need to watch out for. Clean people don't bring that up because they know their clean. The dirty ones don't want to add another STD from the long list that hangs in the student health center.

That's like saying everyone smoke because you're going to die evntually anyway, so who cares if you get lung cancer. Of course there are many things that can kill me, but if I can protect myself then I am going to. AIDS is a nasty way to die.

Michelle, there is a test for herpes to see if someone has herpes and is asymtomatic. But in most cases a person will self diagnosis themselves by the red blisters on the genitals. Also simplex I and II are different. Herpes simplex I is anything above the waist, most comonly a cold sore. Simplex II is anything below the waist, most comonly genital herpes. Simplex I can be passed onto the genitals via oral sex. But it will still be simplex I or II no matter where the blisters occure. Remeber that herpes is viral and in most cases these days, people are born with simplex I because it is som common.

As for contacting past partners if one is diagnosised with a STI. I do know it is a felony if someone is HIV positive and infects another person knowingly. But as a health department employee we always recomend contacting partners to make sure that they can be tested and treated. Otherwise there tends to be massive outbreaks of one STI over a short period of time.

If anyone ever has questions feel free to PM me.

Got herpes? Smoke a tree
Got hepatitis? Smoke a tree
Got AIDS? Smoke a tree
Got gonnerhea? Smoke a tree
Got syphillis? Somke a tree

Why did I just type that...I don't know.

George Washington died of Syphilis.

WOW, so unlike AIDS, the rest of this stuff has been around for awhile. Interesting.

Lady Pi Phi-


There are only 2 STDs in the world you cannot get rid of.

Genital Warts/Herpes

&

HIV/AIDS

One is lethal and one is not.


The rest are all curable by doses of Pennicillin. Trust me, I know. Why do you think they gave the nobel peace prize to the inventor of pennicillin? Look how many lives he saved by concocting that shit up.

STDs are like colds, if you catch one, take your medicine to get rid of it.

From my understanding it seems to me that you've run into your fair shar of STD's. I at least hope you care enough about your partners to tell them you had one and to at least protect them because as much as you don't care about getting sick, maybe they do.
As much as you think you're invincible to HIV, you're not. I hope your risky behaviour and attitudes don't catch up to you in the end.

edited to add: STD's are not like colds. Colds are virus, much like HIV, gental warts, and herpes. Cold medicine treats the symptoms...it doesn't cure it. That's why there is no cure for the common cold.

Anyone can have an STD.... The only reason I started this discussion is because I have never met anyone that had something that would affect them the rest of their lives. It isn't like she is promiscuous. She is really sweet and cute, he is her second serious boyfriend and she is really smart! She is graduating with highest honors, and is really involved. A lot of people know this girl. We are really close friends and she was so upset she didn't know who to talk to, so she talked to me.
But to say something as dumb as that- I am shocked!

I'm sorry but where in the hell did you come up with this rationale on sex? I mean "being scared of every person you have sex with
is torturing yourself?"

First, it is better to be prepared than to pay for your unprotected adventures - meaning, it's better to be scared. Torture yourself by being safe before you have sex or torture yourself with a disease that could seriously alter or end your life!! It doesn't matter if you die 10....30....50 years after you get it, it can seriously alter MANY aspects of your life, not just the fact that it might end sooner. Do you personally know anyone that has HIV or Aids? If not, I suggest you do some serious studying on the subject. People don't normally have to take 30 or more pills a day for little sicknesses. No, no....a person that has HIV or Aids needs to take so many pills to avoid getting sick so they don't die. ( You don't die from the virus itself but from another virus that attacks the immune system such as a common cold.) About the incubation period of HIV and Herpes, it is can be in the neighborhood of 6 months to almost a year!!!! Think about that one.


OH MY GOD!!! Yet again, the ignorance rages on. "The only people who ask how dirty you are will be the ones you probably need to watch out for." Ok, this thread had been started because of a girl getting a disease from her BOYFRIEND! YOu need to be careful of everyone. Many people dont' talk about being "dirty" or not because they don't always realize that they might be infected. The fact is that you can never be certain that someone else is clean or not, regardless of them talking about it or bringing it up. Maybe they just don't feel like they need to talk about it, maybe they feel like getting some.

For real, listen to yourself. Get educated, get a book, go to your student resources and health center. You keep thinking in this type of mind set and you are going to end up being a statistic. I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm trying to help you understand your ignorance about this VERY serious matter.

That would be three incurable viral infections (std). Genital Warts and Genital Herpes are not the same thing! They are different infections caused by different viruses.

Genital Herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Genital Warts are caused by human papillomavirus, a virus related to the virus that causes common skin warts.

And not all of these infections are curable by doses of Penicillin, it is more or less the best treatment for some of these viruses, for others it doesn't help at all. Not to mention the fact that if someone is allergic to Penicillin, how in the hell do they get treatment?!! OTHER medications.

I don't know where you could've recieved your information from, but I've never had any stds. I work in the infirmary at my school.



And also, there is a shot that will prevent you from getting the common cold. Obviously you've never known anyone in the U.S. military. Every 6 months the army gives it's personel a shot that prevents them from getting the common cold.


As for HIV/AIDS, I think there is a cure. The american government uses aids as a population control so we don't end up like china.

Too bad that aids/hiv is an epidemic throughout the entire planet, not just America. But that must mean that the American government is trying to control the population of every country on the face of earth, is that your argument? I bet that the American government is also trying to control the populatio of south africa (the country with the most hiv/aids cases in the world). *facking joke*

Allie thanks for clearing up that condoms don't protect people from herpes. When i worked for a rape crisis group I had to take 30 hours of training and I learned all about STD's.
It amazes me that so many people are ignorant about STD's when they have no reason to be; they can go to any planned parenthood or such and get information on every and any disease.webmd.com has info as well other reputable sites.
To whomever started the post i am sorry about your friend. Please let her know that she can have sex again with herpes. I had done research online regarding herpes and there is actually an internet site where people with herpes go share their frustrations etc and get info about herpes. I don't remember the name of the site, but it shouldn't be hard to find.

Amazing......
 

I've got to say that I'm amazed that this thread got out of hand.

Check it out:

-Play Nice
-Don't call names
-Respect each other's opinions (I.e. don't call people's opinions stupid)

-Try to educate each other, especially when you know the other person is wrong.

Carry On.

ZA

Your post seems geared toward stirring up trouble rather than validly participating in the discussion.

I don't know where you got your information, but it is my understanding that the military gives its personnel flu shots, not common cold shots. The common cold and influenza are both contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract. Although the symptoms can be similar, influenza is worse; A cold may drag you down a bit, but influenza can make you shudder at the very thought of getting out of bed. There are a lot of good resources on WebMD about the flu and common colds and how to treat them. You may want to check them out before making broad statements in the future.

As for your belief that there is a cure for AIDS being hidden from the population by the American government as a means of population control, would you care to support your beliefs with facts? Are you a biologist? Do you work for a major research laboratory? Can you provide us with information about how this "cure" works? Have you ever done research on HIV/AIDS? The CDC webpage has a lot of good links to information regarding cutting edge vaccines and new medicines currently under study. You may want to read it (if you can get passed the CDC's relationship to the US government).

Magic Johnson got cured of HIV.

Rumor on the streets is that he paid 20 million to get cured.

Discuss.