Last week I made a coworker go home because he had an outbreak of herpes on his lip.
This week he came back and showed a note from a doctor saying his herpes had been “cured” (and the sores on his lip were gone).
I am getting very tired of people using misleading terminology.
The whole reason herpes has been so successful as a virus is because of all of the misinformation surrounding it. People say things such as, “My herpes went away,” or, “My herpes is cured,” and it causes the uneducated people around them to believe that herpes is no big deal. A female friend of mine told an 18-year-old male she has herpes, to which he replied, “That’s okay, almost everyone has herpes. It’s nothing.”
The joke is on him. Herpes is not HPV.
He thought he knew the facts, and because of his misinformation, he will forever have one of the worst diseases you can get.
All that misinformation causing people to be careless is the reason I am posting this.
To spread awareness of the facts.
#1: THERE IS NO CURE FOR HERPES.
When people say, “My herpes went away,” they really mean, “My outbreak of herpes went away, but herpes itself will live inside of my nervous system for my entire life.”
Herpes does not go away. The sores on your lips/genitals go away. But they come back later.
Herpes Simplex 1 (HSV-1 (notice how it is NOT HPV)) will give you blisters on your lips started at 5 times per year. Herpes Simplex 2 (HSP-2) does the same thing to your genitals.
The blisters go away after about a week, but herpes is still there.
#2: Most people do have HPV (and never know it). Most people do not have HSP-1 or HSP-2 (herpes).
There are many forms of herpes, but HSP-1 and HSP-2 are the nasty ones that give you blisters.
While it is true that almost half of all people have some form of herpes, only some of them have HSP-1 or HSP-2.
When people say, “Most people have herpes,” slap them in the face and remind them that herpes IS NOT HPV.
I already know one kid from Texas who now gets blisters on his penis 5 times per year just because he thought herpes was HPV.
#3: My coworker thought it wasn’t a big deal to give it to his wife because, “[His] case isn’t so bad.”
There is no “isn’t so bad” herpes. People react differently to it. He only had one blister on his lip, but if he gives that to his wife she could get 20 blisters each time she has an outbreak.
#4: Someone who has herpes can give it to you just by touching his or her outbreak zone and then touching you with the same fingers.
Herpes can spread to other parts of the body besides the lips and genitals. If it gets into your eye (which is very easy) you will go permanently blind.
#5: Sex is not the only way to get herpes. It can live on solid objects such as door handles and toilet levers for around 4 hours. It can live on softer objects such as cloth for around 2 or 3 hours.
If your coworker goes to the bathroom and has HSP-2, he will be touching his penis and probably the sores. After that, he will touch the toilet lever and the door handle, then the sink knob to wash his hands. If you touch these places within 4 hours, it will get on your hands. After that, if you rub your eyes you will go blind for life. If you pick your lip or scratch it you will get herpes there. If you touch your penis to go to the bathroom you will get herpes there.
If this was a shock to you, then you were not properly informed until you read this post.
That means you have, until now, been misinformed or mislead by hearing things such as, “My herpes was cured.”
Herpes is one of the worst things you can get.
It never goes away. It causes painful and ugly blisters on your lips, genitals, and anywhere else it spreads. It can make you go blind, for life.
My coworkers are afraid of the guy in our office who has herpes. If you get herpes, people will not want to talk to you and will keep their distance. The guy who sits next to the herpes guy in my office now wears a face mask to make sure he does not touch his own face (to prevent getting it on his lips). He also sits as far away from the herpes guy as his desk will allow.
If you get herpes, your dating life is over. If you are already married, no big deal. If not, you will be single for life unless you can find that one perfect match who also has the same type of herpes as you. 99% of the time, however, every guy or girl you want to date will just leave you feeling more and more frustrated that you can’t date that person without infecting him or her.
It will impact your career. The herpes guy’s skill level is low, but his manager was being nice not to report this to the CEO. However, because his manager is now afraid of him, he is telling the CEO very much how low his skill is. He will be fired at the end of this week because of this.
Spread the facts about herpes so that you and your friends can stay safe.
L. Spiro