Sexual Health Buzz

STDs can be spread through vaginal, oral or anal sex. Some STDs can also be spread through any contact between the penis, vagina, mouth or anus – even if you don’t have sexual intercourse. STDs can be spread from man to woman, woman to man, man to man, and woman to woman. Some STDs, such as HIV, are also spread th rough sharing needles.

It’s hard to tell who has an STD because many people who are infected look and feel healthy. They may not even know they have an infection. But they can still pass the STD to you.

Talk to other people about STDs

What are the dangers of STDs?

Somebody sent me these questions over the weekend. I thought they were great questions and good enough to post on my blog with some answers. I’ll do the best that I can in answering the question. If I don’t know the answer I will do my best to point y’all in the right direction. Remember, I’m not a doctor but I have had genital herpes for 13 years and I have facilitated a local support group for 5.

If you have questions you’d like to ask don’t forget to send me your feedback and I’ll get to them just as soon as I can. Keep in mind that each question asked will always go up anonymously and your right to privacy respected. Thanks!

Ok, so here goes..

1. is it possible to have the virus in your body for 10-15 years before an outbreak..is this likely

It’s totally and completely possible to carry herpes and not know it. That’s why it’s so important when you go in for routine STD testing to be sure and ask that the clinic or doctor test you specifically for herpes. Remember, herpes testing isn’t part of the routine STD testing process.

2. if you have only been with 3 partners in the past 20 years and all 3 do not have the virus can you contract it just through skin contact and then touching your genital area?

If your sexual partners do not have herpes then I don’t see how it would be possible to contract herpes from them. I guess what I’m trying to figure out is how do you know that your past partners do not have herpes? Did they actually have proper herpes testing done OR are they just assuming they are negative from their routine STD testing results which don’t always include tests for herpes?

Here’s more information on Autoinoculation

3. can it be possible your partner has it and you don’t?

Sure! There are lots of couples out there where one has herpes and the other does not have herpes.

4. do you have to have an outbreak in order for your partner to get the herpes virus?

Pretty much..

The virus has to actually be present on the surface of the skin AND your partner has to have an opening or cut in his OR her skin in order for transmission to be successful.

Keep in mind that we don’t always know when the virus is active and present on the surface of the skin. Sometimes the virus can travel the nerve pathways to the surface of the skin and not show itself as an outbreak at all.

Here’s more information on Asymptomatic Shedding

People may contract herpes through sex, kissing, anal sex, oral sex, vaginal sex, etc. Also, just because somebody has herpes doesn’t mean that they are 100% contagious all the time. So it is possible to have sex with somebody that has herpes and not contract the virus at all.

If you have any questions you’d like to see answered on this blog please shoot me an e-mail! I’d be happy to give it my best shot! I think it’s nice to do it this way so that we accomplish helping lots of people at the same time. Thanks!

• Chlamydia and gonorrhea can make you sterile so you can never have a baby.
• Herpes causes sores on the genitals. The sores can come back again and again.
• Some types of HPV cause genital warts. Other types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer in women.
• HIV can kill you.

What are STDs?

Talk about STDs

How do you get STDs?

STDFriends.com is a brand new STD Dating site that I think is worth checking into.

If you decide to give this site a try, I would LOVE to hear from you!

I’d like to know what you liked about the site, what you didn’t like about the site, and if you would recommend it to a friend so that they could try something new too.

What do you think?

You are welcome to leave your comments AND I would LOVE to encourage you to vote in our poll so that you can see how others are rating this site.

Thanks for your feedback you guys!

Please check out the conversation going on over here:

• General Relationship Advice
• Free Personal Ads for Online Dating
• Dating Etiquette, What Would You Do?

Help feed the hungry and homeless in the Heartland this Easter.

On Sunday, March 9, bring a ham between 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. to Open Door Mission (2706 N 21st St E) and receive a tour.

With your faithful and generous support in 2007, Open Door Mission

Provided:

• 406,477 Meals
• 100,939 Shelter-Nights

Empowered:

• 64,117 individuals to stay in their own homes.

Celebrated:

• 30 Graduates of our Programs

and was Encouraged:

• 35,281 Volunteers hours

Lives are being changed with your care and compassion for the hungry and homeless.

www.opendoormission.org

* I believe in the efforts of the Open Door Mission. You don’t have to be in Omaha in order to help out. If you are in another state OR country, look up your local homeless shelter and see what it is you can do to help. I try and do what I can within our means. In addition to donating $$$ I try and help blog what it is the homeless shelter is trying to do in order to continue getting the word out. Feel free to pass this information on! Thanks!

I was going through all my buddies on Myspace this morning and bumped right into that graphic.

Isn’t it pretty?

I may have to borrow it and post it to the forum. It’s too pretty and the words are too powerful not to share with all the peeps that stop by to read OR to join in on the conversations that are going on over there.

I would love to know who made that graphic because it is gorgeous!

What are STDs?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are diseases that are spread through sexual contact. If you have sex with someone who has an STD, you can get it too. STDs are among the most common diseases in the United States. About one in four Americans has an STD.

STD Message Board

What are the dangers of STDs?

One of our most basic needs is a basic undergarment!

Can your church, class, group, OR business help?

Simply declare an

Undie Sunday (for churches)

OR

Undie Monday (for everyone else)

and collect underwear, socks, and T-shirts for homeless men, women, and children finding shelter at Open Door Mission.

All sizes needed!

Contact Trudi Bils at

422-1111, ext. 1529

to learn more. Thanks!

Open Door Mission

2828 N 23rd St E

Omaha, NE 68110

(402) 422-1111

www.opendoormission.org

Dear Members,

I would like to provide some encouraging news to individuals battling recurrent outbreaks of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Ongoing research not only indicates that acute herpetic lesions can be readily suppressed, but that the frequency of recurrences can be markedly reduced. The method being used is to activate an alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway using light energized substances that make no direct contact with the patient.

The activating substances are termed enerceuticals and differ from pharmaceuticals in not being required to specifically localize to the site of illness.

The method is a significant advance on an earlier approach of applying neutral red dye to an active HSV lesion and illuminating with an ultraviolet light (Martin WJ, Stoneburner J. Symptomatic relief of herpetic skin lesions utilizing an energy based approach to healing. Exp. Mol. Path 2005; 78: 131-4.). Of particular significance, there is no longer the need to wait till an active lesion is present. Nor, as stated above, is there any need for direct contact of any dyes with the skin. This issue was of concern to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of the remote possibility that neutral red dye could induce virus mutations that could conceivably lead to the emergence of more virulent viruses.

A research clinic has been established at Fort Smith, Arkansas to pursue these investigational studies. I am seeking support for this clinic from both herpes simplex and herpes zoster (shingles) infected patients who are able to cover the basic cost of the procedure and who may be willing to anonymously communicate their outcome to the wider herpes community. The results will also be conveyed to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) that is overseeing these studies.

Participation in these studies may not only be of benefit to herpes sufferers, but may also help in further developing energy based protocols for other illnesses. Indeed, IRB approval has been received to extend ACE activation studies to patients presumptively infected with viruses that evade immune recognition. Unlike conventional herpes viruses for which there is a cellular immune component, the control of these stealth adapted viruses is likely to be more dependent on the ACE pathway.

I would be pleased to provide additional details on the Fort Smith clinic and also to respond to e-mails either on this site or at s3support@mail.com

Kind regards, W. John Martin, MD, PhD.
Institute of Progressive Medicine
Burbank, CA 91502

* I thought it would be a good idea to post this information on the blog so that we could discuss it and maybe drum up some comments on the topic. I hope that the results are not going to be decided by the participants and that actual clinical studies will be conducted to verify the results of this particular study. Any feedback or knowledge of this effort is appreciated. Thanks! – Angela aka Yoshi2me

POSITIVESINGLES.COM adds new feature: “Ask STD counselor” – adding more support for its members than just dating services.

Finding your match when you are suffering from an STD can be easier than you think. Starting from January 15, 2008, members at PositiveSingles.com can ask a STD counselor questions as well as continuing to enjoy updated information about all STDs, various STD forums, uploading pictures, sending e-mails or winks to other members and you can have a limited free membership.

Thousands of people get STDs and don’t realize it. Having an STD could lead to confusion, resentment, anger, and isolating of yourself. One might even be filled with many questions.

According to the CDC, there are over 65 million Americans currently living with an STD, 19 million new STD infections each year, one in three sexually active men and women living with Herpes, and about 50% of all sexually active Americans are affected by HPV.

With STDs, many people are afraid to reach out to the people whom they are closest to. The stigma attached to people with infectious diseases suddenly becomes personal. They are afraid of losing friendships and family altogether. This fear can quickly become a reality due to a lack of education.

PositiveSingles.com recently added a STD counselor to the site that has accurate information about STDs. The information that the STD counselor provides covers the most updated information about STDs. The STD counselor can answer such questions as: where to get HPV shots, support group listings, counseling services, relationship questions or any other questions a STD sufferer might have. Information regarding STD testing are also provided when requested.

Members get quality information in addition to the core dating services. Thousands of people on PositiveSingles.com meet, date and get married. Before the members meet they can talk to someone who is facing the same issues that they are facing and share with someone who has the same concerns. By talking about these issues, members can learn new ways to approach a person and stay emotionally stable. Some of the members of PositiveSingles.com are learning how to deal an STD that changed their lives. Some people are looking for a local relationship or partner who lives nearby. The sharing and support of a problem creates a healthy and positive atmosphere.

About PositiveSingles.com

PositiveSingles.com was launched in 08-Aug-2002, and markets its services around the world. The founding team’s vision is to build a community for people with STDs, where they can find friendship, support, and love! It is ranked the #1 website for online dating for those with STDs. 3/5 of those members are living with HSV, 1/5 with HIV/AIDS, 1/10 with HPV. There are more STDs. Hundreds of members join every day. Beyond the networking of relationships, PositiveSingles.com has medical information and success stories. Those affected by a disease and those around them are staying positive and strong. The family and friends of an individual with an STD can be very supportive as well.

Additional Help and Resources

• Herpes Help
• Sexual Health Buzz
• STD Message Board
• Positive Singles