STDs

[Noor]

Recently a friend told me she had herpes. She has had it for years apparently and is treated but says there is still a fair amount of stigma out there about it. I was kind of surprised since I have heard that about 60% of the US has it, and I have plenty of friends who I know have it.

I am curious how many people on lit have Herpes or other Stds and whether it gets in the of dating so I am doing a poll.

I don't have herpes and other than sexually transmitted yeast infections and possibly chlamydia when I was at university, I have been STDs free. I put this down to always using condoms and being damn lucky. I have one friend who got herpes from oral sex so badly she had to be hospitalized.

Anyway, if you wouldn't mind answering the poll...

 

[jpin]

What's frightening is that the majority of people who have herpes don't even know because they are symptom-free. Drs generally don't test for it - they rely on symptoms or lack thereof.

It's probably as common as the 'cold sore' type, but either most don't know, or don't tell.....

Had a friend many years back contract it. She disclosed it to every sexual partner and many still didn't use a condom, or disclosed they had it or something else too.

That was scary to me too - the men wouldn't have disclosed if she hadn't.

And I don't understand the lack of concern on the part of most men.

Do they (you if you are a male reading this) enjoy condom-free sex so much that you think it's worth it regardless of what you may contract?

 

[Sensualdreamer]

I've never had any std and I wouldn't date anyone that has an std either...it shows they're reckless w/ their health.

 

[Noor]

Have you ever had unprotected sex, even in a committed relationship?

 

[Scotsman69]

Aye, often

But only ever after we both knew each other well enough to trust the other. And had both been tested.

Have you ever had unprotected sex, even in a committed relationship?

 

[Blase]

I had a partner who found out that she'd contracted Hepatitis C. That changed things in terms of physical intimacy; e.g., no more oral intercourse, and she even discouraged me from using my hands in certain ways.

It certainly didn't make me consider not staying with her - I was willing to do the work to learn how we could still pleasure each other safely. Sadly, the relationship ended soon after that for other reasons.

If I met someone else with an STD who I felt was worth dating, I don't think an STD would be a deal-breaker.

 

[SquirtnBrat]

Hpv

HPV can cause genital worts. Are the people taking this poll considering HPV as an STD? I just read 70%+ ppl can have it but it is rarely tested for. Scary! It seems like (at this time) 70% of people believe they are "clean".

 

[lakesailer_mi]

I don't have any STD's nor have I ever.

I would consider dating someone who had one. I assume it would be Herpes or AIDS, because I think pretty much everything else can be cured? OH, I guess HPV.

While I understand SensualDreamers point, I'm not sure that's fair.

A person could be in what they thought was a monogomous relationship with someone who had told them they didn't have any stds (or even if both had tests). And then, that person cheats on them, or was lying in the first place, etc.

Or, someone could have had some "wild days" when they were young, and now lives with the consequences and no longer participates in that behavior.

Choosing to sleep with someone, for me at least, is about who they are and our relationship. If our relationship gets to the point where I'm ready to sleep with them, I'll know all of these facts, and if I still feel that way about them, then that's what rubbers are for.