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

[shiksagoddess]

Me:  "What an interesting assumption."  See these crutches?  I busted my lip open at the same time.
RP:  Oh.  Sorry.

She's lucky that crutch didn't get shoved up her a@@

[thechaosfairy]

You can transmit "oral" herpes (1) genitally, by some obvious means I won't go into here.  A lot of people are asymptomatic carriers in *both* neighborhoods.

I wish more people knew this, as the virus has such a reputation as a "scary, nasty STD!" that disclosing it is often an immediate relationship-killer, even though it's very common.

Perhaps the original "you have herpes!" person was trying to educate... but, if so, in a rather misplaced fashion. Alas.

[Twik]

Even if Drile had  had the most raging case of herpes in all of medical history, the fact that Rude Girl looked at her and said "EWWW, you  have Herpes" is unspeakably rude. 

"EWWW" is unlikely to proceed any polite comment on one's person.

[Zenith]

Well, I'm sure people unwittingly pass on the cold sore version (Herpes I) as well. I mean, no one gives a small child something like that on purpose.

Unless your the Office Grandmother

[Shortcake]

Even if Drile had  had the most raging case of herpes in all of medical history, the fact that Rude Girl looked at her and said "EWWW, you  have Herpes" is unspeakably rude. 

"EWWW" is unlikely to proceed any polite comment on one's person.

ITa, "EWWW" is unlikely to be followed by anything polite, neither is "I don't mean to be rude but......"

A long time ago, I heard someone comment, "I don't mean to be rude, but you look like you have Herpes."  (Like proceeding that comment with "I don't mean to be rude..." is going to make it any nicer!    )

[Brentwood]

Even if Drile had  had the most raging case of herpes in all of medical history, the fact that Rude Girl looked at her and said "EWWW, you  have Herpes" is unspeakably rude. 

"EWWW" is unlikely to proceed any polite comment on one's person.

ITa, "EWWW" is unlikely to be followed by anything polite, neither is "I don't mean to be rude but......"

A long time ago, I heard someone comment, "I don't mean to be rude, but you look like you have Herpes."  (Like proceeding that comment with "I don't mean to be rude..." is going to make it any nicer!    )

"If you don't mean to be rude, then please don't be."

[bionelly]

Well, I'm sure people unwittingly pass on the cold sore version (Herpes I) as well. I mean, no one gives a small child something like that on purpose.

When I was a small child, though, my aunt did have me play with my cousin, who had chicken pox at the time, without mentioning it to my mother first.  When my mother confronted her about it, she just said she thought it was "time" for me to get it.  Never mind that it put me at risk for shingles later on (which, as a nurse, she would have known)  or that my mom might not have agreed that it was "time" for her child to be miserable.  Needless to say, we don't get along very well with this aunt and generally avoid contact with her and her family.

[T'Mar of Vulcan]

When I was a small child, though, my aunt did have me play with my cousin, who had chicken pox at the time, without mentioning it to my mother first.  When my mother confronted her about it, she just said she thought it was "time" for me to get it.  Never mind that it put me at risk for shingles later on (which, as a nurse, she would have known)  or that my mom might not have agreed that it was "time" for her child to be miserable.  Needless to say, we don't get along very well with this aunt and generally avoid contact with her and her family.

But that at least you can understand. When I was a child it was common practice for parents to take their children to play with others who had mumps, measles or chicken pox, so they would get it when they were small and have it "over with". My mother refused to do this, but it didn't matter - I got all the childhood diseases before puberty anyway, thank goodness.

But what kind of person would deliberately kiss a small child while they (the grown-up) has a fever blister? I mean really. I have a cold now and huge fever blisters (that's what we also call cold sores) have broken out. It looks terrible, and if I knew who gave me the darn virus as a child I would go find them and... and... slash their tyres!! Or something!! And when friends and family exhort their children to "give T'Mar a nice kiss", I want to shake them and say, "Don't force your child to kiss people! How do you think I got the cold sore virus as a child?" I will NEVER kiss or hug a small child against their will, no matter how much their parents are nagging. Never.

[Dindrane]

Well, I'm sure people unwittingly pass on the cold sore version (Herpes I) as well. I mean, no one gives a small child something like that on purpose.

When I was a small child, though, my aunt did have me play with my cousin, who had chicken pox at the time, without mentioning it to my mother first.  When my mother confronted her about it, she just said she thought it was "time" for me to get it.  Never mind that it put me at risk for shingles later on (which, as a nurse, she would have known)  or that my mom might not have agreed that it was "time" for her child to be miserable.  Needless to say, we don't get along very well with this aunt and generally avoid contact with her and her family.

I agree that nobody but your parents should have decided that you needed to be exposed to a childhood disease.

But I feel I need to point out that there was no chickenpox vaccine at all in the United States until 1995 (and only in Japan and Korea before that), and it is common knowledge that chickenpox is more severe if you have it as an adult than as a child.  Yes, it puts you at risk for shingles later on, but not everyone who had chickenpox will get shingles.  And chickenpox is really nasty if you get it as an adult (and it still puts you at risk for shingles).

The reasoning is that since the vast majority of people would get chickenpox anyway (and therefore be at risk for shingles), better to have it as a child than as an adult.  And without a vaccine, it's nearly impossible to avoid chickenpox for an entire lifetime.  I personally had chickenpox at the age of three.  My younger sister got the vaccine, but only because she hadn't had chicken pox the year it was approved by the FDA (she was five).

So while incorrect, I doubt your aunt was malicious.

[Chivewarrior]

There are people who do that? That's really quite terrifying and leaves me in fear for society.

Are the little white painful spots that break out inside your mouth also herpes-caused?

[Lady Vavasour]

There are people who do that? That's really quite terrifying and leaves me in fear for society.

Are the little white painful spots that break out inside your mouth also herpes-caused?

It's probably theoretically possible for the herpes virus to infect the inside of your mouth, but it's more likely just to be ordinary ulcers caused by acidic food etc.

[Aeris]

Even if Drile had  had the most raging case of herpes in all of medical history, the fact that Rude Girl looked at her and said "EWWW, you  have Herpes" is unspeakably rude. 

"EWWW" is unlikely to proceed any polite comment on one's person.

ITa, "EWWW" is unlikely to be followed by anything polite, neither is "I don't mean to be rude but......"

A long time ago, I heard someone comment, "I don't mean to be rude, but you look like you have Herpes."  (Like proceeding that comment with "I don't mean to be rude..." is going to make it any nicer!    )

"If you don't mean to be rude, then please don't be."

This reminds me of when people start sentences with "No disrespect but...." or "With all due respect...." and then say something TOTALLY disrespectful. As if the phrase at the beginning gives them a free pass to say ANYTHING!!!

[Elfqueen13]

There are people who do that? That's really quite terrifying and leaves me in fear for society.

Are the little white painful spots that break out inside your mouth also herpes-caused?

When my mother was a kid they'd have chicken pox parties or measles parties or whatever childhood illness was going around.  Since there were no vaccines and it was generally accepted that between 5 and 10 were the safest ages to have these diseases parents wanted their children to catch them and get it over with.

[Brentwood]

There are people who do that? That's really quite terrifying and leaves me in fear for society.

Are the little white painful spots that break out inside your mouth also herpes-caused?

Those are canker sores, and, no, are probably not caused by the herpes virus. My brother tends to get them when he eats bananas, and I tend to get them when I haven't been eating right or taking my vitamins. If you get them, any of the topical numbing solutions (such as Anbesol or Numzit) work well to ease the pain.

[Twik]

There are people who do that? That's really quite terrifying and leaves me in fear for society.

Are the little white painful spots that break out inside your mouth also herpes-caused?

Those are canker sores, and, no, are probably not caused by the herpes virus. My brother tends to get them when he eats bananas, and I tend to get them when I haven't been eating right or taking my vitamins. If you get them, any of the topical numbing solutions (such as Anbesol or Numzit) work well to ease the pain.

I'd say "well" was a debatable point - I've found that they give relief, sorta, kinda, for a couple of minutes. They wear off really quickly.

There's a stuff called Zilactin, which dries to form a more durable coating, and lasts a lot longer. Be aware, however, that the instructions warn that "the product may cause a mild stinging sensation when first applied". Presumably, this was written by someone who would consider having a lit cigarette held against their inner lip "mildly uncomfortable".

The best I've found for healing them in a few days is Colgate Orabase. Essentially, it's Superglue for your mouth. Dab a small amount on the canker and let dry, and it'll last for a good long time - I put it on overnight so I'm not tempted to chew it off without realizing it. Apparently the protection against the enzymes in saliva helps the healing, as well as reducing the pain.

If all else fails, get your doctor to burn 'em off with a silver nitrate cauterizing stick. Yes, I've been driven to that extreme twice.