All you need to know about Herpes

[Kalv]

Originally Posted by DoctorTan

..

Sincere/Warm Welcome Doc. Will not ask for discount/free voucher.

Wishing all (SBF/Dr.Tan&Part etc.) a meaningful / satisfying / win-win relationship.

Have a nice weekend. Cheers.

[DoctorTan]

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

MOH specifically states in their Publicity Regulations that medical clinics cannot use the words discount, offer, special offer, special price, free test vouchers etc or in any other way promote the consumption of medical services. AFA is not a medical clinic so not regulated under the PHMC act. I am however open to explore ways of cooperation with the good people who run this forum so let's just place a 'watch this space' sign on this for now.

Back to the topic at hand, coincidentally, a review paper on Serologic Screening for Genital Herpes was very recently (March 2014) published. I have summarised the findings in the following article on screening for genital herpes.

Basically, it says that there are now blood tests available that can more or less tell you if you are carrying the Herpes virus or not. However, it also warns that if you want to do this test, you must be emotionally and psychologically prepared for a positive result. Seeing how the outcome of the test does not really affect clinical decision making, most authorities are still against routine screening for Herpes.

Another reason given is that some studies have shown that even if people know that they are infected with Herpes, transmission rates do not change. So routine screening also has no impact on public health.

My view is if you do not have any symptoms, best to let sleeping dogs lie.

[Frankiestine]

Originally Posted by Big Sexy

good to have you around doc, i can finally retire from this section knowing it is in better hands..

Big guy you can retire from the doc part...but don't retire from dishing out good kangtao for cheonging...

[Frankiestine]

Originally Posted by Big Sexy

i can now retire from the health section and spent more time on my new found hobby.

hmmmm now you got me curious....anything that involve a groupie?

[Big Sexy]

sorry frankie...i havent cheong in the past 8 years..
but if you have any super good kangtao.. pm me.. i might be interested.

Originally Posted by Frankiestine

Big guy you can retire from the doc part...but don't retire from dishing out good kangtao for cheonging...

Originally Posted by Frankiestine

hmmmm now you got me curious....anything that involve a groupie?

[JohnSmithSenior]

Originally Posted by DoctorTan

Basically, it says that there are now blood tests available that can more or less tell you if you are carrying the Herpes virus or not. However, it also warns that if you want to do this test, you must be emotionally and psychologically prepared for a positive result. Seeing how the outcome of the test does not really affect clinical decision making, most authorities are still against routine screening for Herpes.

I have read up quite thoroughly. So far as I am aware, the blood test can only be type-specific, but they cannot in and of themselves indicate whether it is presenting as oral herpes or genital herpes.

So, other than from the presentation of blisters and so forth (together with taking a viral culture), how else can we find out whether it is oral or genital? Because you may want to find out for personal reasons even though there is no medical need for treatment at all.

[DoctorTan]

Originally Posted by JohnSmithSenior

I have read up quite thoroughly. So far as I am aware, the blood test can only be type-specific, but they cannot in and of themselves indicate whether it is presenting as oral herpes or genital herpes.

So, other than from the presentation of blisters and so forth (together with taking a viral culture), how else can we find out whether it is oral or genital? Because you may want to find out for personal reasons even though there is no medical need for treatment at all.

You are absolutely right. Without symptoms, there is no way to tell where the HSV infection is.

These days we no longer do viral cultures due to the low sensitivity. We use PCR tests.

[Dom2323]

@DoctorTan

For cold sores(at mouth lips) , can it still spread to other parts of our own body(e.g. eyes, gential, hands) after the healing of the first outbreak? I read up on some websites that your body have already created a resistance to HSV1 after the first outbreak so its not that easy. Is that true?

[DoctorTan]

Originally Posted by Dom2323

@DoctorTan

For cold sores(at mouth lips) , can it still spread to other parts of our own body(e.g. eyes, gential, hands) after the healing of the first outbreak? I read up on some websites that your body have already created a resistance to HSV1 after the first outbreak so its not that easy. Is that true?

What you are asking about in medical parlance is called 'auto-inoculation'. In other words, transferring an infection from one part of your body to a different part of your body.

It is true that after getting infected with HSV 1, your body produces antibodies which not only protects you from auto-inoculation, it actually also protects against getting infected with HSV 2. However, like all things in medicine, nothing is 100%. So although the risk is lower, you still can auto-inoculate and also can still catch HSV 2.

That said, auto-inoculation is difficult to prove and so far, the general consensus among experts is that it is very very rare.

[Frankiestine]

Hi Doc I have always wanted to know, if a woman with HSV 1 with signs of cold sores gives a guy a blow job and if he can gets infected by it on the dick area. Will this be classified to HSV 2 since its sexual in nature or are both virus actually different strains?

Sorry for the crude language I am just a typical layman..

[sammyboyfor]

Originally Posted by Frankiestine

Hi Doc I have always wanted to know, if a woman with HSV 1 with signs of cold sores gives a guy a blow job and if he can gets infected by it on the dick area. Will this be classified to HSV 2 since its sexual in nature or are both virus actually different strains?

Sorry for the crude language I am just a typical layman..

HSV 1 and 2 are different strains.

Recent studies have found that up to 50% of recently diagnosed genital herpes cases are caused by HSV1.

[stone13]

Just want to know if any of the bro here after infected with hsv 1 will the bro still.going to cheong ?

[sammyboyfor]

Originally Posted by stone13

Just want to know if any of the bro here after infected with hsv 1 will the bro still.going to cheong ?

About 70% of the world's population is infected with HSV1. If they all stopped their sexual activities, the human race would die out in a couple of generations.

You can read the stats at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemi...herpes_simplex

[stone13]

Sorry bro maybe I need to ask more detail like if having hsv1 and during intercourse would all the bro here still let them go bbbj and kissing as might tranfer the virus to the partner ?

[sammyboyfor]

Originally Posted by stone13

Sorry bro maybe I need to ask more detail like if having hsv1 and during intercourse would all the bro here still let them go bbbj and kissing as might tranfer the virus to the partner ?

Most people are already infected but are asymptotic. If you aren't suffering from outbreaks, don't worry about it.