“Masturbating for me is a way to release some tension during the day. It feels great! How else are we supposed to deal with our raging hormones?”
—David, 17, PA
What is herpes?
Genital and oral herpes are caused by a virus called herpes simplex virus. The virus can cause small, painful sores (often called cold sores) on the genitals (genital herpes) or around the mouth (oral herpes). Herpes can be spread from genitals to genitals, mouth to genitals and genitals to mouth.
A person is most contagious when the sores are visible, but the virus can also spread from the skin even when there are no sores on the lips, mouth or genitals. A person who experiences an outbreak of sores should not have sex, kiss or share drinking glasses or lip balm. Condoms and latex barriers can also be effective, as long as they cover the area of skin where sores are (or were) present.
The herpes virus stays in a person's body forever, and outbreaks of sores can happen throughout life. Sometimes after a while, a person will stop getting outbreaks, but the virus is still in his or her body and can still be passed to another person. There's no cure for herpes, but there are highly effective medicines that can help reduce the pain, control the number of outbreaks, shorten the length of outbreaks and lower the risk of passing herpes to a sexual partner. A doctor can prescribe the medicine.
For more information, log on to the National Herpes Resource Center or iwannaknow.org. Or call the National Herpes Hotline at 1-919-361-8488 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., EST).
You can also check out this Sex, Etc. story, "A Painful Lesson: Anyone Can Get Herpes."
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Your Comments
herpes
Posted by: sw33tsacr1f1c3 on Jun 16th, 2008 2:00am
i have a strange white bump on my tongue, i dont know if
this is relevant but it is right in front of my tongue ring,
it dosnt hurt or anything but could it be herpes?
RE: Herpes
Posted by: DanR on May 19th, 2008 2:47pm
No. Just because your Mom gets oral cold sores sometimes
does not necessarily mean that you have the herpes virus as
well. Some ways that you can protect yourself from getting
this virus are: by not sharing drinking glasses or lip balm
with someone who has the virus, not kissing anyone who is
having an outbreak, and not having sex without a latex
barrier with someone who is having an outbreak. For more
information check out this web site:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn.cfm.
Herpes
Posted by: kurious9 on May 14th, 2008 12:24am
if my mom gets oral cold sores sometimes, does that mean
that im infected with the herpes virus too? i've never had a
cold sore or anything at all, but now im worried.
RE: herpes
Posted by: DanR on Feb 29th, 2008 11:21am
You can not catch herpes from things like sheets and towels,
but depending on the situation, it can be possible to pass
it on a dildo. You can, however, catch oral herpes from
drinking out of the same glass after someone who has it.
Since we are online it is impossible for us to diagnose what
the bumps might be, so you may want to see your doctor or go
to a clinic to be on the safe side. Check out this site to
learn more about herpes:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn.cfm.
herpes
Posted by: brit&troy on Feb 28th, 2008 4:24pm
can you gat herpes from touching something(sheets, towel,
shower, or dildo) and going to the bathroom without washing
your hands first? can you catch an std from drinking after
someone, and if you can witch ones? i have bumps around my
vagina that i notice sometimes when i get out of the shower
but when i wake up they are gone, is this something to worry
about?
RE: Herpes
Posted by: DanR on Feb 18th, 2008 11:27am
Unfortunately, there is no way for us to diagnose you
online. A really small white dot on the tip of your tongue
could be any number of things, including herpes, and is
certainly something you should get checked by your doctor or
dentist as soon as possible. Oral herpes can be spread by
sharing a drinking glass or lip balm of someone who is
infected, so you do not need to have had sexual contact to
get it. To find a clinic near you, check out this link:
http://www.sexetc.org/page/get_tested/.
Herpes
Posted by: HOOD9 on Feb 12th, 2008 9:16pm
I jus got this really really small white dot on the tip of
my tongue and it hurts a little bit wen u apply pressure is
that a symptom?
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RE: herpes
Posted by: DanR on Jun 16th, 2008 3:31pm
Unfortunately, I am not a doctor, so I can not diagnose you
online. If you have had unprotected oral sex, it is
possible that this could be herpes. If it is very close to
your tongue ring, it is also possible that there is some
kind of infection there. Either way, I would suggest seeing
a health care provider as soon as possible. If you need to
find a local clinic, check out this link:
http://www.sexetc.org/page/get_tested/.