There is the Test; then there is reality
I blogged about this at length on my other blog, however I wanted to chronicle it here as well.
Two weeks ago, I went for my annual exam. I hadn't gone in a long time, so I wanted to make sure to have every test run...just to cover my bases. Also one of my exes had herpes (although I never saw an outbreak), but I had also never been tested for it before. I always thought it was included with routine STD testing; but then I found out it was not.
Well my results came in yesterday and I have the anibodies for HSV-1. Genital herpes is usually caused by HSV-2 (which I was negative for), but not always. Also I never had any outbreak...either on my mouth or 'down there'...so I was pretty ambivelent about the news. I must admit, the doctor and nurse broke the news to me at the clinic like I had HIV or something (the grave faces...the 'handouts'...the suggestion to go on Valtrex...etc.).
But then I went home and found out that 70% of people, test positive for HSV-1 antibodies; with some estimates of 90% of Americans 50 years or older. That is just crazy! Also having the antibodies doesn't say too much; except for that your body was exposed to it (somewhere, somehow) and it built up antibodies to it. You can't tell how long you've had it, where you were exposed, none of that.
So perhaps I should be shy or ashamed about this. Guess what? I'm not. Hey, at least I said 'test me' so that I could know. Herpes is not on the standard battery of STD tests, and if a person does not have any symptoms, then why would they ask for it? It is just scary though...how something can be twisted into something inherently evil. Ooooo no one wants to get herpes. But you probably have it already. Just because 1/2 of your genitalia isn't rotting away...that doesn't mean anything.
Two weeks ago, I went for my annual exam. I hadn't gone in a long time, so I wanted to make sure to have every test run...just to cover my bases. Also one of my exes had herpes (although I never saw an outbreak), but I had also never been tested for it before. I always thought it was included with routine STD testing; but then I found out it was not.
Well my results came in yesterday and I have the anibodies for HSV-1. Genital herpes is usually caused by HSV-2 (which I was negative for), but not always. Also I never had any outbreak...either on my mouth or 'down there'...so I was pretty ambivelent about the news. I must admit, the doctor and nurse broke the news to me at the clinic like I had HIV or something (the grave faces...the 'handouts'...the suggestion to go on Valtrex...etc.).
But then I went home and found out that 70% of people, test positive for HSV-1 antibodies; with some estimates of 90% of Americans 50 years or older. That is just crazy! Also having the antibodies doesn't say too much; except for that your body was exposed to it (somewhere, somehow) and it built up antibodies to it. You can't tell how long you've had it, where you were exposed, none of that.
So perhaps I should be shy or ashamed about this. Guess what? I'm not. Hey, at least I said 'test me' so that I could know. Herpes is not on the standard battery of STD tests, and if a person does not have any symptoms, then why would they ask for it? It is just scary though...how something can be twisted into something inherently evil. Ooooo no one wants to get herpes. But you probably have it already. Just because 1/2 of your genitalia isn't rotting away...that doesn't mean anything.