Re: [UUPoly-L] STDs and Poly

["Michael Rios" <earthfather@cfnc.us>]

Linda--

Thanks for bringing that up.  I didn't go into it before, because I assumed
they were talking about genital herpes.  Cold sores (not canker sores) are
also caused by the same two herpes viruses, and an infection in the mouth
can infect someone else's genitals or vice-versa.  Which type you have
really doesn't matter much:  about 2/3 of genital herpes are type 2, the
other 1/3 are type 1.  In the mouth, the ratios are 1/3 type 2, 2/3 type 1.
Both types can easily infect either region.

Michael Rios


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Linda Fingerson
> 
> 
> and then there are those of us who get cold sores in the mouth & lips.
> Mom kissed me as a child.  It was all downhill from there....have had to
> explain, explain & explain.  ...  cheers to all!  Linda
> 
> > Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:52:39 -0400
> > From: earthfather@cfnc.us
> > To: uupoly-l@uupa.org
> > Subject: Re: [UUPoly-L] STDs and Poly
> >
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Catherine Deville
> >
> > > Ummm... does that mean that you were having unprotected sex with your
> > > partner(s)?  In 2005?  That seems to me to be terribly unwise,
> regardless
> > > of
> > > whether one is monogamous or polyamorous.
> >
> > It is entirely possible to contract herpes while practicing "safer sex".
> I
> > can't speak to what was done in this particular situation, but herpes
> can be
> > transmitted by skin-to-skin contact anywhere in the genital region.
> There
> > don't have to be active sores-- herpes can be transmitted by "viral
> > shedding", during a time when there are no symptoms of any kind.
> >
> > It is estimated that 40% of the adult population has herpes, and *half*
> of
> > the people infected have never had a symptom!  Many others had symptoms
> only
> > once (which could easily be missed, or mistaken for something else)--
> yet
> > they can remain carriers for decades.  So lots of people have it without
> > knowing it.
> >
> > The blood test for herpes still doesn't tell you much.  It tells you
> that
> > you have Type I, Type II, neither, or both-- but it doesn't tell you
> *where*
> > in your body those viruses are active.  While Type II is more common in
> the
> > genital region, either type can live in either the mouth or the genital
> > region-- and possibly other sites on the body as well.
> >
> > The only bright side to this is that, for the vast majority of people
> who
> > have herpes, it is no big deal.  Think of it as genital zits.
> >
> > There are a very few who have recurrent outbreaks, but most folks have
> an
> > outbreak once-- or never.  Unlike HPV, herpes has not been linked to any
> > other illness or disease process, nor is any suspected.  And in a very
> high
> > percentage of cases that are recurrent, the outbreaks can be minimized
> or
> > eliminated by following an appropriate diet.  There are also highly
> > effective medicines as well.
> >
> >
> > Michael Rios
> >