Herpes

Nathaniel_Essex

I was watching YouTube when autiplay led me to some BBC documentaries and one was on sexual health.
One statistic that took me by surprise is that close to 70% of people in the UK have herpes.

Now, I'm not the NHS or anything but that just doesn't come across as true to me. If 70% of people had an incurable disease, surely that's an epidemic and as it affects women worst than men, surely there should be a major issue with babies contracting the virus during child birth?

I'm doctor but surely that 70% figure can't be right?

AndyPix

Iv heard that before - Its something to do with the virus living inside the nose tissue.


Doesnt mean they "have" herpes, I think it lies dormant or something, no affects or not contagious - its just "there"


Edit - just found this


https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2010/11/07/everyone-has-a-herpes-virus/

Silvertabby

Isn't a simple cold sore 'herpes' ?

Pollycat

Silvertabby wrote: »

Isn't a simple cold sore 'herpes' ?

Yes, that's herpes simplex. I have the virus.

There's Herpes Zoster - that's shingles - and caused by the chicken pox virus.

And there's genital herpes (aka genital warts).

I'm sure there's more.

Which herpes is the OP talking about?

pinkshoes

70% sounds about right.

I see so many people with cold sores at some point.

I always make sure MIL doesn't kiss the kids when she has a cold sore!

Cold sores = facial herpes!

It can spread from face to private bits...

humptydumptybits

Pollycat wrote: »

Yes, that's herpes simplex. I have the virus.

There's Herpes Zoster - that's shingles - and caused by the chicken pox virus.

And there's genital herpes (aka genital warts).

I'm sure there's more.

Which herpes is the OP talking about?

Genital warts are HPV, herpes is HSV. There are two types of HSV type one, which normally lurks around the mouth, and HSV two which normally lives in the genital area but you can get HSV1 genitally and HSV2 on the face. Normally differentiated as GHSV1 or GHSV2. If you get HSV1 in the genital area you are likely to get fewer outbreaks as it prefers its normal location.


Apparently there are more people with asymptomatic HSV than people who have outbreaks. I get cold sores quite badly although far less often since the menopause and then reduced again when I retired.

Pollycat

At the risk of being accused of turning into Pogofish (:hello: Marisco ) what does this topic have to do with Marriages, Families and Relationships?

humptydumptybits

Well the OP was about sexual health, might be relevant to marriages and relationships.

suki1964

Even my cat has Herpes - in the eyes

Actually I also know of two humans who have had herpes in the eyes in the past year

iammumtoone

Does anyone know if there is a way it can be cured completely (the cold sore version) or once you have it, are you a carrier for life?


My son suffers from cold sores and hes not a very good patient with it.

System

iammumtoone wrote: »

Does anyone know if there is a way it can be cured completely (the cold sore version) or once you have it, are you a carrier for life?


My son suffers from cold sores and hes not a very good patient with it.

Im pretty sure its life long, though can lay dormant for years, i caught it off my nan when i was a kid, but i dont get frequent breakouts, last one was about 2 years ago.

Best thing to do is start treatment as soon as you get the tingling, it can stop it from progessing to full on cold sore of you catch it in time