Herpes 101

The gift that keeps giving. Cat’s tongue. Last-laugh sores. Some even call the herpes simplex virus a life sentence.

Two types of HSV exist. Type 1 is a cold sore or fever blister. Type 2 is the usual cause of genital herpes. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can infect either the mouth or genitals.

“Some people feel like they’re scarred, but I don’t know that it has to be [that way],” said Dr. Mark Bajorek, director of health services at the Center for Student Health and Counseling at Portland State.

Studies of heterosexual couples found that 80 percent of the population has HSV-1 and 20 percent has HSV-2. Statistics at PSU reflect the same numbers, according to Bajorek.

A man is more likely to infect a woman, but it’s also likely for woman-to-woman transmission to occur, and quite possibly man-to-man as well since anal sex and oral sex increase the risk of infection.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of six people 14 to 49 years of age is infected with genital herpes. Women are more commonly infected than men, and in the [U.S.], one out of five women has genital herpes,” according to the National Institutes of Health’s website.

Testing for HSV can be difficult. The virus is integrated into the DNA and becomes part of the tissue. False positives are common in blood tests, but false negatives are a possible result of swab tests, according to Bajorek.

Well, what does herpes look like?

Lesion is such a vague word. What exactly is a lesion? Or a sore? That sounds like it could be anything!

Some people have described a herpes sore as looking and feeling like a cigarette burn. Sometimes it’s a bump, but sometimes it’s indented. It can be a blister that scabs, but it can go unnoticed until it does scab. It may even feel like a gnarly zit pressing against the skin before surfacing. Or it might just tingle.

So, the answer is that herpes varies from person to person. Genital herpes doesn’t have the same appearance for everyone infected with it. This can make it tricky to diagnose.

Bajorek suggests anyone who notices sores or tingling in the shorts district—below the belly button and down to the thigh—ought to be tested.

Stressors that cause outbreaks

Anything that can weaken your immune system can trigger both forms of herpes. A lot of student-related stress can cause an outbreak.

Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, common cold and flu symptoms, sunlight and even rough sex can trigger a herpes flare.

Debunking urban myths

Having herpes doesn’t mean a person’s sex life is over; they just has to be careful and mindful.

Toilet seats and hot tubs do not transmit herpes.

Genital herpes can be transmitted when there is no visible outbreak.

If you have HSV-1 it can spread to the genitals (remember, 80 percent of the population has HSV-1).

Medication can stop the spread of the virus by decreasing viral shedding.

Quick Q-and-A with Dr. Mark Bajorek

Many students, like Anna Krykun, a junior science major at PSU, don’t know a lot about HSV. She had a few specific questions, and the Vanguard directed them to Bajorek.

VG: Do you have to take HSV-2 medication
forever?

MB: In theory, you could take medicine forever, but typically it’s just for a few years.

VG: Will your partner get infected regardless of precautions?

MB: Not always. Some folks just have great immune systems or [their] partner isn’t shedding the virus.

VG: Is it spread from mother to child?

­MB: Type 2 can be spread by herpes that gets into the blood of a pregnant mom, or when the infant passes through the birth canal. Blood-borne herpes viruses can cause a number of birth defects—listed under TORCH syndromes.

VG: Is the virus transmitted through secretions or skin?

MB: It can be with cells in sweat or with cells in the mucous membranes.

Krykun said she would be scared if she found out her lover had HSV-2, even if she didn’t have contact yet. “It doesn’t mean I would ditch the person, I would just be cautious and think twice,” she said.

A lot of people seem to feel the same way, which means HSV does not have to feel like a life sentence.

For more info, call SHAC at 503-725-2800.Free condoms are available at the Women’s Resource Center, Queer Resource Center and SHAC.