Mon. Jan 1, 12:00am

I've had chlamydia. My reaction was shock, but not fear. I knew it is bacterial and could therefore be taken care of. I also get papsmears every six months on the dot, so I also knew it wouldn't be progressed enough to cause lasting damage. Shocked because this was at a time when I had been COMPLETELY (we're talking no kissing, no hand-holding, no one in my life) celebate for over 18 months. The closest my gyno and I could figure was that during a Summer backpacking trip I had contracted it via public toilets. But really, who knows? I therefore told my friend with whom I go backpacking, but she was negative.

In my friendship circle this is not a taboo subject whatsoever. I even had a laugh about it with my grandmother. I understand these things are taboo to some, but I really don't understand why in this day and age.

Glad your HPV is suppressed. That one would have upset me too.

Monday, January 15, 2007, 6:29 AM

6:29, you make me feel better

i had gonorrhea about a year into a new relationship w/ a virgin. i was convinced that i contracted it from my previous partner who was definitely NOT a virgin. the medical people were so condescending like "you guys need to have a talk". i was convinced that the (what is it, a virus?) lay dorment for a year but they were like "no way". anyway, i never had a symptom or anything but it came up during my physical

Monday, January 15, 2007, 8:30 AM

6:29 here. Reading back over my comment I wanted to say, that by "taken care of" I just meant that bacterial infections can be completely removed. That's not to say that progress hasn't been made in treating viral infections. I was just happy that I didn't have one myself.

Gonorrhea is bacterial, meaning that if you followed your doctor's course of treatment, that particular episode would have been taken care of.

I'm adding a link to the CDC just for anybody's reference.

By the way, there is now a vaccine for the main strains of HPV if you have never contracted them. Worth looking into.

Link

Monday, January 15, 2007, 9:04 AM

I've never had an STD (knock wood), but people assume I have genital herpes because I get cold sores on my mouth. That really pisses me off. I've been getting them since I was 6, so they have *nothing* to do with my sexual behavior.

Monday, January 15, 2007, 11:42 AM

I do have genital herpes, which I contracted 15 years ago during a very insecure part of my life. I've been married 10 years now, and I've had maybe one flare up. My husband is aware of my past. I was pretty devastated when I found out, and fortunately it helped me change my behavior.

Monday, January 15, 2007, 11:51 AM

A couple years ago after my normal annual pap came back abnormal, I discovered I had HPV. It scared the crap out of me too with the word CANCER forefront in mind. I have a wonderful gyno who had me come in for further tests and once the virus was confirmed, sat with me while I cried. She said to continue doing as I had, healthy weight loss, lots of exercising, living a happy life with my boyfriend and mostly to not stress about it. Those words were like a tonic to me and 3 months later, the virus was once again dormant. She also said not to blame my boyfriend of several years as this could've been lying dormant inside me for years.

Ladies, get those pap smears!!

Monday, January 15, 2007, 12:56 PM

Herpes

6 years ago I contracted genital herpes from a new boyfriend, and I was devastated. I cried very hard when I found out, but was very open about telling the people close to me, which helped. I stayed with that boyfriend another couple months, but it really wasn't a good relationship. After we broke up, I felt horrible about having been left with such an awful reminder of our relationship. I read many forums online in which people spoke of their experiences with the virus, and it helped me immensely to see that down the line, things would be okay and that there are good men out there who would love me. I think that was the worst part: feeling damaged and worthless, like no man would ever even consider being with me.

But, things cleared up pretty quickly after breaking up with that guy, and I used this as an opportunity to take better care of myself. I ate better, exercised more, did a triathlon, stopped dating idiots, etc. And sure enough, when the time was right and I had taken care of myself enough to not have any more problems from my std, I found a wonderful man who I was honest with up front. He was not judgemental of me at all. We now have a great relationship that's going on 4 1/2 years. And I haven't been plagued by the std in a long, long time. Of course, I know it's dormant, but it doesn't cause me any problems at all.

For me, I think getting my std was a huge wake up call to get my life on a better track. I still feel a little judged and bad about myself whenever I hear people making fun of herpes or saying things like "Thank god I don't have that gross disease," but obviously not everyone understands it like I do. I know now I'm not gross or worthless or any of the other unfortunate stigma that comes along with it.

Monday, January 15, 2007, 3:25 PM

I've had herpes for a long, long time and only get outbreaks when a viral infection of some other kind - cold, flu - is coming on, so it serves as an early warning. And it never lasts long. It's not a pleasant thing, physically or psychologically, and I was devastated when I got it. But it hasn't really made a difference in my life. And more importantly, ever since AIDS came on the scene, herpes has seemed like a mosquito bite by comparison - which it is, relatively speaking.

Monday, January 15, 2007, 6:52 PM

11:42 Cold sores I hate to tell you are actually the same type of virus that genital herpes is just a different strain.

Monday, January 15, 2007, 9:49 PM

I guess I'm the queen on this thread, lol. Although i'm not really laughing.
I had HPV 15 years ago and had to have sections of my cervix walls removed.
I had crabs 2x, not fun and really embarassing.
I have herpes, how long I don't know but I know my husband doesn't. I tkae meds everyday for control. I haven't had an outbreak in 6 years, at least to my knowledge.

Monday, January 15, 2007, 9:54 PM

11:22 Your friend doesn't have to worry. As long as she's told her ob they will know what to look for and take steps for her care. Most of the time it doesn't affect the ability to carry a baby to full term but every now and then it could and in that case they stitch up part of the cervix so its not that big of a risk. I forget what its called. HPV isn't just from having sex, its even a virus that you can carry.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 2:08 AM

Also to 11:42...the other poster is correct, cold sores ARE a form of the herpes virus, but there are two strains....the one you may have is the same strain as shingles and even chicken pox! I have had both, and when the rash returned on my neck for a third time, it was deemed the herpes virus...and trust me, it has nothing to do with sex! :) You should get a doctor to look at them though, maybe he/she can give you meds to control it.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 7:58 AM

I'm the 11:42 poster whose gotten cold sores for the past 30 years...I know it's a strain of herpes, I know it wasn't sexually transmitted, and I know that diseases like chicken pox, shingles, and 1/3 of encephalitis cases come from Herpes variants. I also know that 90% of adults have had at least one cold sore in their lives (some of you won't even realize it, it was so small or you were so young) and 40% have had them more than once. I take daily meds, they're moderately effective, but I take it they work really well on the genital strain, since the posters above sound pretty happy with their treatment.

So 9:49's semi-informed implication that I've had an STD since first grade only earned an eye-roll.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 1:36 PM

maybe your mother passe dit on during birth if she had an active outbreak at the time and then it was dorment till you saw the first one?

Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 6:13 PM

well heres is brought on by stress.. its in your nerves and it is the same disease...ive had it for almost 15 years

Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 11:06 PM

they are both only transmitted through contact with an infected person

Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 11:07 PM

Yes, but mostly by people - friends, relatives, strangers, etc. - who insist on kissing your new baby. Generally, that's when children catch the cold sores. Usually from a grandma, or some other doting type.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 10:15 AM

Oh no, 10:15, don't let realism like that spoil 6:13's fun when she implied that children get cold sores because their mothers had cooties during childbirth!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 10:47 AM

why would you use the phrase "...spoil 613's fun"? i read the 613 comment as a piece of information, not a jab or insinuation. so much attitude around here lately.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 10:55 AM

im 6:13 poster and it was information and i know it can happen since my son was born with a std in his eye (clamydia) from my ex sleeping aroung while i was pregnant...everyone is not on here to just say dumb things ..some of us are speaking from experience and trying to inform others ignorance is what keeps things spreading

Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 10:42 PM

it's obvious that the 1047 poster has issues with self-acceptance regarding the cold sores, or maybe some sort of inferiority complex about them. there's no need to stop providing information, though! i, for one, appreciated the 613 comment and never knew about that transmission path before.

Thursday, January 18, 2007, 9:03 AM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge