Herpes Stigma In Thailand?

[Enzian]

I respectfully differ with post #29 regarding the need for meds. I cut my hand once and went to Bumrungrad Emergency, and as usual the doc asked what meds I take, I told him acyclovir. He said what is your plan for that, you should not take it forever. So the next time I was in Europe away from my gf, I stopped taking it. In 20 days I had an outbreak. Then when in the US asked my doc at Kaiser, he said no problem, he had a patient who had been taking it for 9 years with no side effects.

I would also speculate that is is no big deal here because I would guess some very large % of the girls in Cowboy and Nana Plaza and the massage places have been exposed and seen it. They don't LIKE it, I've had them look closely and I know they are looking for evidence of something, but they know a lot of stuff is out there, yet they stay in the business.

When I first got it the docs I saw misdiagnosed it as something more serious, and put me on antibiotics which helped not at all; that's why the first few months were really suffering. Then it slows down.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Enzian said:

When I first got it the docs

Docs trained in which country?

[Thingamabob]

What a weird question. Why are you so concerned about stigma ? Just be careful, and find something else to think about.

[Enzian]

27 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Docs trained in which country?

I got it in Thailand and was here for several months after, so the doctors I saw were Thai. I did not ask them (two I think) at that time where they had studied. But this is an important point. Though medical care here in Thailand is very good, I would not put it on a par with the US, and I think persons should always be aware that mistakes are made constantly. At that time I was more naive (I still am, but less).

Edited October 14, 2020 by Enzian
typo

[Elkski]

So are you willing to pay for a lifetime of expensive Valtrex for each partner?   There is viral shedding so it spreads with no symptoms.   HSV 1&2 used to have preferred locations  but have now become widespread  in both oral and genital locations.   It has stigma  because it is not curable and can be very painful for some.

It's your responsibility to tell everyone.  The country shouldn't matter.   Its people that don't tell that have helped create this problem.   Doctors don't care much because they have dying patients and patients with more serious  health issues everyday.  Testing in Thailand doesn't mean anything.  Unlike the 180$ 10 panel results in 24 hour testing you can sign up for inline in the US and go to any neighborhood lab, In Thailand it is mostly impossible to get a differential test that can tell if its  1 or 2.  And  all std test results take days and limited places to get tested..  Call around. 

Very high % of adults have HSV1 cold sores.  Most got it by 5 from grandma kissing.  So doctors don't suggest testing for HSV's because test will be positive and not tell you if 1 or 2 anyway.   Many US doctors don't even know about the rather new differential test.  

Just checked generic Valtrex looks to be 17$ for 30 tablets so over 6000 baht a year. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by Elkski
Add cost for generic Valtrex

[Titan1962]

Contracted genital herpes about 4 1/2 years ago while living in phuket of all places LOL.

My bad,had a few too many drinks and you can guess the rest.

Anyway the first time it appeared I thought it was a mosquito bite but a bit more swollen  It went away after about 2 weeks. Anyway ended up in a full on relationship with another girl not long after that and never really thought anything about it. Still in that relationship now and things are going great. The next time it came back with a vengeance,I mean really swollen and a bit painful and needed to go hospital and get it checked out. Yep it was genital herpes,and yes my misses ended up getting too. My BAD but she is understanding about it and there are no issues in the relationship because of it. 
So one good thing is we don’t have to worry about it anymore. I have a box of Valtrex 500 mg at home all the time,they cost about 1000 baht for 10 tablets. We have learnt to live with it as a couple.

What I have learnt,at the first sign of it returning I take one tablet and it stops it in its tracks. Doesn’t even show up anymore. I would probably get that feeling about 2 to 3 times a year.

My misses copes with it the same way,there’s not much else we can do except try and control it.

Does it interfere with our lives,no. Does it affect our sex lives no. Just costs me 1000-2000 baht a year to control it.

would I rather not have it,yes. But I have and she has and life goes on. 

 

[bwpage3]

There have been stories about people passing herpes and getting sued!

[Enoon]

On 10/12/2020 at 12:19 PM, scubascuba3 said:

No way its 33%, if it was you'd have thousands of people still with it

Sept 2020:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/health/yorkshire-sees-huge-rise-rates-gonorrhoea-and-other-sexually-transmitted-infections-according-official-data-2960953

 

"Cases of gonorrhoea have gone up from 5,425 in 2018 to 8,816 in 2019, in the region, with people aged 25-34 responsible for the most cases and the biggest rise."

 

"Yorkshire is considered the unfortunate home of what is known as “Leeds super gonorrhoea”, a strain that broke out in 2015 and cannot be treated with conventional treatments."

 

 

[BTB1977]

A normal thai woman doesn't want a dirty man. As they are called here.  And a clean  bar girl wouldn't want anything to do with a dirty man. Can you blame them. But I guess if you come across another infected women, with God knows what. Maybe a match made in heaven. Dont be selfish and think because you're a westerner they will be more excepting.  

[OneMoreFarang]

On 10/12/2020 at 4:42 PM, JohnnyCrisp22 said:

 

That's an overly simplistic viewpoint since what is "moral" is largely defined by the culture as opposed to some sort of objective truth, which is exactly why I'm asking in the first place.

 

In the United States herpes is highly stigmatized and viewed as "gross" (mostly because of the ad campaigns that were run in the 70's to market Valtrex), whereas in many parts of Europe people generally don't care about it.

 

Exact same virus, but different "morals" surrounding its seriousness. If people in a given culture collectively don't view it as a big deal, and if most people don't disclose it or talk about it, then yes, that has an effect on how one is obligated or not obligated to conduct themselves within that culture.

It seems many people have it. And many people still like to have sex, often with lots of different partners. So what do they do? Continue as usual. I don't think it's likely you will infect many, because likely they have it already.

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, Enoon said:

Sept 2020:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/health/yorkshire-sees-huge-rise-rates-gonorrhoea-and-other-sexually-transmitted-infections-according-official-data-2960953

 

"Cases of gonorrhoea have gone up from 5,425 in 2018 to 8,816 in 2019, in the region, with people aged 25-34 responsible for the most cases and the biggest rise."

 

"Yorkshire is considered the unfortunate home of what is known as “Leeds super gonorrhoea”, a strain that broke out in 2015 and cannot be treated with conventional treatments."

 

 

so not 33% then

[Lacessit]

On 10/12/2020 at 5:44 PM, xylophone said:

 

Anyway, if one was anticipating sex with unknown partners, it would be commonsense to wear a condom as there are many other STDs that can be caught here, even a strain of gonorrhea which is almost totally antibiotic resistant.

It does baffle me why so many guys here have unprotected sex. A skilled woman can make the process of donning a condom a very enjoyable experience.

The only woman I have unprotected sex with here is my Thai GF, and even she was on probation for several years.

Common sense goes out the window when one is thinking with the small head.

[scammed]

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It does baffle me why so many guys here have unprotected sex. A skilled woman can make the process of donning a condom a very enjoyable experience.

The only woman I have unprotected sex with here is my Thai GF, and even she was on probation for several years.

Common sense goes out the window when one is thinking with the small head.

i think with herpes virus the only safe way is to steer clear from the infected altogether

[scubascuba3]

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It does baffle me why so many guys here have unprotected sex. A skilled woman can make the process of donning a condom a very enjoyable experience.

The only woman I have unprotected sex with here is my Thai GF, and even she was on probation for several years.

Common sense goes out the window when one is thinking with the small head.

Considering the amount of guys who don't use a condom it's surprising how little spread of STIs there is, recently even less as no tourists to bring it in the country 

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, scammed said:

i think with herpes virus the only safe way is to steer clear from the infected altogether

You may be right. Having said that, I've been here ten years, have had my fair share of tupping, and have never had any form of STD.

[scammed]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Considering the amount of guys who don't use a condom it's surprising how little spread of STIs there is, recently even less as no tourists to bring it in the country 

i think the diseases are more abundant here,

and is a net export

[scammed]

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

You may be right. Having said that, I've been here ten years, have had my fair share of tupping, and have never had any form of STD.

i had my unfair share of 50% of them giving it to me,

luckily it was curable diseases and i made up my mind

they are too dirty for me, i aint gambling on those odds

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Considering the amount of guys who don't use a condom it's surprising how little spread of STIs there is, recently even less as no tourists to bring it in the country 

I'd suggest tourists are a small fraction of STD infection, apparently most young Thai males are reluctant to wear condoms.

[scubascuba3]

8 minutes ago, scammed said:

i think the diseases are more abundant here,

and is a net export

Definitely a decrease since no tourists 

[scubascuba3]

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I'd suggest tourists are a small fraction of STD infection, apparently most young Thai males are reluctant to wear condoms.

Yes people like to blame the Thais but anecdotal evidence is infections seem lower as no tourists, it's possible they helped to spread it around

Edited October 14, 2020 by scubascuba3

[scammed]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Definitely a decrease since no tourists 

i'm not going to verify your empirical data with any field research on my own

Edited October 14, 2020 by scammed

[Lacessit]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

Yes people like to blame the Thais but anecdotal evidence is infections seem lower as no tourists 

Statistical evidence trumps anecdotal evidence. Oops, used a dirty word.

How do you know the infections are not lower because tourists tend to report to the hospitals with them?

95% of prostitution in Thailand is Thai with Thai.

[scubascuba3]

42 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Statistical evidence trumps anecdotal evidence. Oops, used a dirty word.

How do you know the infections are not lower because tourists tend to report to the hospitals with them?

95% of prostitution in Thailand is Thai with Thai.

anecdotal evidence as in people discussing getting STIs on another forum and with friends, people are getting gonorrhea less right now but makes sense as less people to spread it around. You talk about always using condoms unless with girlfriend, same for oral? 

Edited October 14, 2020 by scubascuba3

[Sydebolle]

Avoid physical contact during the time you have open sores; they come and they go away - for the rest of your life.

There is a cream "Zevin" which, applied as soon as possible all over the sore, will reduce the ordeal and the possible pain. 

Two thirds of the global population under the age of 50 are infected with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which tends to cause cold sores, the WHO said in report published this week. 

[scammed]

3 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Avoid physical contact during the time you have open sores; they come and they go away - for the rest of your life.

There is a cream "Zevin" which, applied as soon as possible all over the sore, will reduce the ordeal and the possible pain. 

Two thirds of the global population under the age of 50 are infected with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which tends to cause cold sores, the WHO said in report published this week. 

that is a whole lot more scary then covid19 can ever accomplish. governments should test the entire population of the world and weld infected into their home indefinitely

Edited October 14, 2020 by scammed

[Lacessit]

21 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

anecdotal evidence as in people discussing getting STIs on another forum and with friends, people are getting gonorrhea less right now but makes sense as less people to spread it around. You talk about always using condoms unless with girlfriend, same for oral? 

Don't do oral. My GF isn't into it either, we are a bit old-fashioned.

[scubascuba3]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Don't do oral. My GF isn't into it either, we are a bit old-fashioned.

OK my point is many people don't use a condom for oral and gonorrhea can be caught

[simple1]

59 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I'd suggest tourists are a small fraction of STD infection, apparently most young Thai males are reluctant to wear condoms.

I remember reading a report some years back that conscripts from rural areas, when undertaking their medicals, had a high rate of HIV compared to the general population. Herpes infection rates in Western countries are fairly high e.g. in the US approx 12% of 14 - 49 year olds.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/10/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html

 

For the OP, genital herpes is currently not curable and can be active for decades in the carrier. Prior to having sex always complete a through check, not just the area where you had a previous outbreak. I would suggest that after an outbreak and infected area looks clear, wait for approx five days before having sex. Genital herpes  can cause blindness for babies if the mother has an outbreak at time of birth. Herpes is not an insignificant disease - be careful.

[Lacessit]

6 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

OK my point is many people don't use a condom for oral and gonorrhea can be caught

Very true. Bar girls and the full service massage shops like oral, an easier way to make a baht.

Rural village Thais are highly conservative, my GF tells me she didn't have sex before she got married. No reason to disbelieve her, she was very shy when I first met her.

[BritManToo]

9 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

There have been stories about people passing herpes and getting sued!

Most modern women have so many sexual partners, how could they possibly know who they caught it from?