Herpes

I received the following comments from a visitor to The Herpes Blog a few days ago and I wanted to respond in a blog post because my answers address a couple of issues related to everyone that reads this website.

This blog started over two years ago when I personally had a herpes outbreak and started looking on the Internet for new information.  I was so disheartened with the lack of quality information and reassurance, that I decided to start my own website.

The response has been tremendous.

This website now receives over 200 visits per day (see? you are not alone!) and I continue to receive daily e-mails.

Thank you to everyone that shares their stories and their questions with me.

OK, back to the post…

The comments:

Nanci, I’m afraid that just because you are “not a big fan of the viral shedding camp” does not mean that this is not a significant method of transmission. In fact, the *majority* of cases of transmission do in fact occur when the person who is infected is between outbreaks – via viral shedding.

Depending upon the frequency of outbreaks, the risk of “asymptomatic” transmission ranges as high as 35%. Valtrex can reduce this to as low as 2-3%.

I agree that the best way to prevent transmission is the way you recommend – namely to just keep your clothes on when the first hints of an outbreak make themselves known – but just because you have fortunately been lucky to not have ever transmitted herpes this way does not mean the risk is low.

I know.

Even on prophylactic Valtrex to prevent it, and the most scrupulous care to avoid contact when there was any hint of a possible outbreak, my last partner got it from me when we quit using condoms.

It sucked big time.

 

I agree with Ginny that it is most unfortunate that you have chosen to use a completely inaccurate term to describe HSV-2, which is otherwise *correctly* known as “genital herpes”. It affects all genders, not just women.

And yes, I mean “all” genders. Gender is not a binary concept as most people think. There are millions of people out there who are neither clearly male nor female anatomically, or their genitalia do not match the gender they identify as.

But I digress.

Google search terms that people employ do not define diseases. If you are going to write a blog about one, it would greatly increase your credibility to use the proper medical terms. I was going to link to you, but now that I see these posts (including the ones recommending that people not use condoms), I have changed my mind. And I’m not going to read much more.

If you want to increase your Google hits, I would suggest that you use the proper terminology and then reference the “vaginal” term as one that some people use (and then mention that it is inaccurate), or just use it as a tag. Tags are great for snagging Google searches when you want hits from alternative terminology.

klg (former paramedic, drug rep, and premed)

My Response(s):

I absolutely agree that viral shedding is real.  Perhaps it was flippant of me to say that I am not a big fan of the viral shedding camp. While I agree that this risk of herpes transmission through viral shedding is a risk, I do have concerns that the drug companies over focus on the risk which creates enough fear for some to remain on suppression therapy for years.

There are many reports of kidney and liver issues (w/long term usage) as well as increased depression.  I believe there is a place for Valtrex (and other viral suppressants), but I don’t support long term suppressive therapy.

This is my personal opinion and choice.

I have always advocated condoms and safe sex on this website.  If I had practiced safe sex when I was 17, I would not have genital herpes today.

That being said, this blog is to help people who live in the real world and not in a medical bubble.

It is fine to write and read about all the statistics regarding herpes transmission but at the end of the day, when you meet someone that you have decided to make a long term commitment to, is it realistic to assume that you will never have unprotected sex and/or that the partner with HSV will remain on suppressive therapy for 20+ years?

My answer is no.

This blog is about calculated risks.  I fully support protecting your uninfected partners with safe sex and or Valtrex.  But at a certain point the benefit (and fun!) of unprotected sex, conceiving children, and adverse health affects of suppressive therapy warrant having the discussion about long term unprotected sex.

This is the reality of couples with only one infected partner.   At least this is my reality.

..and it’s my blog.

I do not write this blog to gain credibility with the medical community.  I believe my information is accurate and factual and that is enough for the medical community.   I optimize this blog with terms such as vaginal herpes not because I think women are responsible for spreading herpes (please!), but because that is what scared young woman are searching for in Google in the middle of the night.

I write this blog for them.

To give them hope and to know that they have nothing to be ashamed of and that you can live successfully with herpes.   And from the countless e-mails I receive every week, and the over 5,000 visitors a month to my blog, I know I am succeeding.

There are plenty of medical blogs (and some pretending to be medical blogs – only to sell “cures” for $89.99) with scary statistics and pictures.  If I don’t optimize for Google search terms, my readers will end up on (in my opinion) these sub-standard websites.  The majority of my readers do not care about statistics, they care that they have herpes.  Now.  And they want answers and support.

I don’t believe that I am the only decent website writing about genital herpes.

Tons of great information at:  http://yoshitome.com and http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_overview.cfm

I do appreciate the comments.

As long as we are talking about herpes we are bringing light where there is darkness.

Related posts:

1. Herpes Blog – I’m back!