Herpes Information-How to Find Help

It’s important for everyone to have accurate herpes information in this day and age.  Way back before the sexual revolution changed all the rules in this country, people didn’t know much about sexually transmitted diseases.  However, because there was very little sexual activity going on outside of marriage (or at least a lot less than there is these days),  most people didn’t suffer from their lack of knowledge about venereal diseases.  Those days are long gone, and now STDs are something that pretty much everyone has to know about.  Unfortunately, there’s a lot of false herpes information out there.

For example, many people believe you can only get herpes from another person who has an active herpes outbreak.  These folks think that as long as their partner doesn’t display any signs of herpes, there’s no risk of catching herpes from them.  This belief is common, and it’s just plain wrong.  Anyone who’s a carrier of the herpes virus can give another person herpes, whether during an outbreak or not.  Furthermore, not everyone who carries the herpes virus gets outbreaks.  Doctors believe that most adults in this country have at least one herpes virus in their system.  But most people never actually get outbreaks.  But anyone with the virus can infect another person, and that person may well get outbreaks themselves.

Another myth about herpes is that condoms are foolproof protection.  That is also wrong.  It’s true that condoms offer a great deal of protection, and it’s never wise to have sex without them outside of a long term monogamous relationship, but they aren’t foolproof.    Another piece of bad herpes information is that the first sign of an infection is painful, oozing sores.  Actually, the first sign is reddened, sensitive skin, and tiny blisters.  These will eventually become painful, and ooze, but by the time they do, the infection is well past the first stage.  It’s best to catch the very first symptoms, because treatment for herpes works best when done early.