Contrary to common wisdom on the subject, it appears genital herpes sufferers may actually be more contagious than previously thought.

Only 10 to 25% of sufferers are aware they are infected with the condition, and a new study reveals that the condition is transmissible even when infected individuals are asymptomatic. Even in the absence of lesions, new research shows, the virus is present and contagious. The study, published in Journal of the American Medical Association, involved nearly 500 participants who had tested positive for the virus. Participants performed daily genital swabs, yielding over 28,000 samples for study.

On 20% of days in the 410 symptomatic participants, the virus was detected, compared with 10% of days in those with no symptoms. Fred Wyand, spokesman for the American Social Health Association, called the data “robust,” and commented on the large number of people spreading the virus without even knowing they’re infected:

“Most people don’t know they have it,” Wyand said. They may even have symptoms, but not recognize what they are.

“They could be mild symptoms or they may attribute it to something else: chafing, jock itch, yeast infections,” he explained.

Doctors say that condom use, antiviral medication such as Valtrex, and disclosing a herpes infection to partners are proven to reduce the likelihood of herpes transmission “by 30 to 50 percent.”

Study: Genital Herpes transmissible pretty much all the time is a post from: The Inquisitr

The family of a four-year-old boy who is said to have put a discarded, dirty condom overlooked by hotel maids in his mouth at an Atlanta hotel in August reportedly contracted oral Herpes from the incident.

As expected, the child supposedly believed the prophylactic was a balloon and tried to blow it up before his horrified grandmother stopped him:

“I ran out the bathroom and my grandson had a condom in his mouth. His tongue was in the condom and he was trying to blow it up,” said (grandmother Carmen) Jones.

In the piece, the boy’s grandmother, who he apparently calls “mommy,” says the incident has been very upsetting to the child and his family:

“When the cold sores were active, he wanted to give me a kiss, especially in the hospital. I said, ‘no sweetie — you know — not in the mouth, you can’t kiss mommy.’ He said, ‘mommy you don’t love me anymore?’ And so, it was very, very — very hurtful,” said Jones.

It is unclear how doctors know the strain of herpes the boy is said to have was definitively contracted during the incident at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in August.

[via]

4-year-old reportedly tests positive for Herpes after finding used condom in hotel is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a roundtable discussion about the production of reality shows, Jersey Shore creator SallyAnn Salsano, herself a native of Jersey Shore twin Long Island, called the set of the show a “herpes nest” and admitted to dispensing the herpes medication Valtrex “like M&Ms.”

Salsano didn’t confirm whether any of the show’s “stars” are infected, but said:

Salsano: I do a full medical but I also do a lot of STD stuff.

(Dr. Drew) Pinsky: The network requires me to do stuff with my patients that has no relevance to anything. Like everyone on the set has to take (herpes medication) Valtrex.

Salsano: We hand it out like M&Ms! “Hey kids, it’s time for Valtrex!” It’s like a herpes nest. They’re all in there mixing it up.

Salsano did say that she “cares” about all the participants on the show, and even said she has Snooki’s parents’ numbers in her cell phone. The reality show creator also struck out at people who critique the “low culture” aspects of the MTV hit:

Salsano: I got a lot of heat when “Jersey Shore” came out. All the papers were pissy. But you know what? You can be as mad as you want. I was raised on Long Island, my dad is a sanitation worker, he drives a triple black Cadillac. Right now he’s sitting in his recliner chair with a Yankees symbol. Those are my people! So they’re like, “You’re being a racist.” I’m like, “F*** you guys, this is my life. I went to the Jersey shore. You know, I was Snooki. I made a ton of mistakes and got my ass kicked in a bar.” It is what it is.

[THR via Gawker]

‘Jersey Shore’ creator: house is like a ‘herpes nest’ is a post from: The Inquisitr