I have an STD! [it's news to me]

[Shores]

My mother gets cold sores and as we were growing up, passed it to our father (and numerous stepfathers) and both of my siblings through goodnight kisses and whatnot. I was always amazed (and grateful) that it missed me somehow.

Then, about 5 years ago, I had my lips tattooed. 2 days later, I got a cold sore. I was devastated, but the doctor told me that you can be a carrier and never actually have an outbreak, unless you have some sort of trauma to your mouth (tattooing your lips is kind of like being punched in the mouth over and over again). It went away and 5 years later, I've never had another one.

Herpes doesn't equal STD though. I wish that clarification was more common knowledge.

[hjaye]

My friend told me that she had herpes, and given the fact that she's not sexually active, I was a little concerned for her mental health.  She had a cold sore. 

There are two forms of herpes, the most common form is the one that manifests itself as cold sores.  It's not the same as genital herpes.

[blahblahblah]

I've had cold sores since I was a little kid, and my most recent outbreak was just a few weeks ago. Fortunately, I've heard that the symptoms often decrease in duration and severity the longer you've had them, which seems to be true in my case. Good thing that my classmates while growing up weren't familiar that cold sores = herpes (even though it's not a sexually transmitted disease, most people automatically associate any kind of herpes with "STD"), or else I'm sure I would have been teased mercilessly. Kids can be cruel that way.

But…they're so ugly…ew...

[HorseFreak]

My friend told me that she had herpes, and given the fact that she's not sexually active, I was a little concerned for her mental health.  She had a cold sore. 

There are two forms of herpes, the most common form is the one that manifests itself as cold sores.  It's not the same as genital herpes.

One form can spread to the other area, however. You could give your partner genital herpes if you have oral herpes and get saliva near their genitals. One strain tends to be worse than the other, but they do switch places.

[jimithing]

My friend told me that she had herpes, and given the fact that she's not sexually active, I was a little concerned for her mental health.  She had a cold sore. 

There are two forms of herpes, the most common form is the one that manifests itself as cold sores.  It's not the same as genital herpes.

I addressed this in a previous post, but I understand this.  I guess I should have clarified that by telling everyone she had herpes, she was turning it into a joke.  It's one of those jarring things that when you hear someone gleefully tell people you have herpes, you don't think cold sore.

[rashea]

"You have no manners. Ewwww!"

[Pferd]

One does not have to be "easy" to have cold sores, any more than catching a flu that's going around indicates that you're keeping fast company.

I am aware of that.  Especially since you can get it just from sharing a soda.  It doesn't change the fact she does have that reputation.  And I did notice a Herpes brochure-type thing in her backpack.  So I'm assuming she either has it or thought she had it.  She's not the type who enjoys reading or learning.

[loomadoom]

And then there's herpes zoster, AKA shingles, which you get from having had chicken pox, sometimes decades before. Amazingly painful and sometimes dangerous (near the eyes, for instance). Guess I was lucky to have a "classic presentation" -- my doctor wished she could photograph it -- but I'd prefer being lucky enough to never have it at all.

The fantasy author/editor Lin Carter once suggested that Herpes Zoster would be a great name for a wizard. Aargh.

[T'Mar of Vulcan]

I cannot believe that there are people out there who would look down on someone for having a cold sore! The mind just boggles!! Yes, cold sores are caused by the Herpes I virus. Most people have it - if you've ever had a cold sore, you have it. BIG DEAL. Genital herpes is caused by Herpes II. Chicken pox, for crying out loud, is caused by another form of the same virus - are we now going to accuse small CHILDREN of having STDs? I'm just shocked at the mentality of some people.

My family loves to kiss each other - forcing small children to kiss older relatives, etc. I never do that - I say, "How about a quick hug instead?" But I get cold sores a lot (and trust me, without saying anything, er, TMI, it is not possible for me to have the sexually transmitted virus) - usually when I've fought off a cold. I don't actually GET the cold, I get a cold sore instead. I think that while your body is distracted fighting the cold virus, the Herpes I (cold sore) virus goes, "Aha! A gap!" and has a little party on your lip.  But if someone DARED to tell me I had an STD I would lay them out flat. And maybe sue them for slander.

[Minmom3]

My friend told me that she had herpes, and given the fact that she's not sexually active, I was a little concerned for her mental health.  She had a cold sore. 

Cold sores are herpes (simplex type 1).  Genital herpes is Herpes simplex type 2... (So says the CDC page).  They're both herpes, and both something you have for your lifetime.  I have known plenty of people who had oral herpes long before they were sexually active, as in, from early childhood.  In addition, according to things I've read, you can have type 1 'down there' if you had fun with somebody with a lesion in their mouth.

[Calbrini]

This sort of reminds me of when my ex was jaundiced (likely through his steroid use) and his lovely grn told him you could it from sex (meaning from me)

[AmethystAnne]

My dentist said that cold sores are more likely to break out, if a person has been under more stress than usual.

[Lady Vavasour]

Most of you reading on this board have the herpes virus that causes coldsores, even if you've never had a cold sore. You also have the herpes virus if you've ever had chicken pox.

[jimithing]

My friend told me that she had herpes, and given the fact that she's not sexually active, I was a little concerned for her mental health.  She had a cold sore. 

Cold sores are herpes (simplex type 1).  Genital herpes is Herpes simplex type 2... (So says the CDC page).  They're both herpes, and both something you have for your lifetime.  I have known plenty of people who had oral herpes long before they were sexually active, as in, from early childhood.  In addition, according to things I've read, you can have type 1 'down there' if you had fun with somebody with a lesion in their mouth.

Please see my post above, #19, for further elucidation on my original post. 

When someone has a cold sore, they generally say they have a cold sore, and not herpes.  She was being ironic.

[Twik]

This sort of reminds me of when my ex was jaundiced (likely through his steroid use) and his lovely grn told him you could it from sex (meaning from me)

Again, she's correct in a way, but overgeneralizing. Jaundice COULD be the result of Hepatitis C (among many other things), which COULD be contracted by sexual contact (among other things).

And she COULD be a very nasty piece of work to say such a thing aloud.