June 17, 2026 • 31 mins
Herpes is one of the most common viruses in the world, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. This week, Hari and Dr. Priyanka break down the differences between HSV-1 and HSV-2, how herpes spreads, why many people never know they have it, and what outbreaks actually look like. They explore treatment options, common myths about testing and transmission, and why honest conversations and reducing stigma are essential for protecting both individual and public health.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This podcast is for information purposes only and should not
be considered professional medical advice.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
That's what herpes is, right, It's ultimately a skin.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Condition, Like wipe down your stuff at the gym and
tell people you have herpes.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
If you are not prepared to talk to your partner
about STIs, you're probably not ready to have sex with them.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
I'm doctor preuncle Wally, and this.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Is health stuff.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Hello Prianca, Hey, Yeah, what's up?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Are I feel sick? I've been feeling sick for the
last couple of days. I don't know if if if
I sound congested, but I definitely am congested.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well you sound amazing. Thank you sound great. I Also,
it's funny you mentioned that because this last week I
had like two days of this slight sore throat and
it was like, am I getting sick? Am I not
getting sick? And whenever I'm on sort of the cusp
and I can't tell, then my go to as I
(01:07):
start pushing like high doses of vitamin C and hopes
that that will get my immune system to clear it.
And so far seems to be okay because the sore
throat is no longer there. But it was like a
two days of like, what direction is this thing going
to go? Oh yeah, yeah yeah, help me out here, universe.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
How do you feel about taking antibiotics when you're not
sure what it is.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I'm not a fan of that.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Because it makes it the body gets used to it, right,
and then it becomes less effective.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
I mean, first of all, thank goodness, antibiotics exist. They
are one of the greatest inventions of modern medicine. But
they do have some side effects that unless you really
need to take them, I would caution against doing it. Like,
you know, it can really affect your gut. It can
(02:04):
change the gut bacteria so that you're predisposed to other things. Then, like,
here's a common scenario. Someone gets prescribed antibiotics for like
a urinary tract infection. They take the antibiotics, and then
a couple days later they developed a yeast infection. Why
because the antibiotics nuked the microbiome and caused this bacterial
(02:30):
and balance so it led to fungal over regret. I
wouldn't like, just pop the pills unless you know exactly
what you're treating. But you know what you can't treat
with antibiotics, what herpees.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Is not a segue Look at that segue. That is smooth.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah. Yeah, So we're going to talk about herpes today.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You know, I'll be honest, like maybe it's me not
being a medical expert, but this episode doing the research
made me uncomfortable, okay, and I feel bad that it
did because I know that herpees is not something that
is fatal, you know what I mean, Yet I felt uncomfortable.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
That's valid, that's valid. I mean slight caveat to that
not being fatal provided your immune system is functioning correctly.
Her piece is not fatal. If someone has a immune
system that's malfunctioning or not working, they're essentially immune compromised,
then her piece can cause all sorts of problems. You know,
(03:31):
it's funny. Growing up in grade school, I remember kids
would use herpies as this diss They would like diss
each other by, you know, being like, oh so and
so has herpes, or like oh I'm going to get
herpes from that person, even though like literally this is
(03:52):
at an age where like nobody was doing anything, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That's so funny you say grade school, because what I
was thinking about was grown people at comedy clubs. Yeah,
so those are the two spect that's the spectrum. It's
children and grown adults a comedy clubs who make the
same jokes.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
But that's like interchangeable, you know, grown adults at comedy
clubs are literally interchangeable with children.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Like, let's be honest, it's basically a playground. It's basically
a playground.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
It's an adult playground for people that never had a childhood. Yes,
but yeah, that's why I think it's important that we're
talking about herpes today because well, first of all, there's
a lot of different herpes viruses that are out there,
so to be clear, there's actually eight kinds of herpes virus.
(04:42):
But today we're just going to focus on herpes one
and two, which herpes one usually is your cold source
and herpes two is usually your genital herpes. But to
be clear, both one and two both can cause genital
issues and mouth sores, so they're interchangeable, but commonly associated
(05:07):
with one is your cold source too, is your genital
herpes lesions?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Are they interchangeable in terms of the effect on the body, Like,
is the effect on the body the same? Is maybe
is one stronger than the other, or.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I would think of it as not necessarily stronger, because
how strong a herpes infection is really comes down to
that individual person's immune system. So if you have like
a strong case of herpes, there might be something going
on in your life, like stress or an illness that's
(05:43):
making your immune system weaker, which is making the herpes stronger.
But to kind of circle back to your original question,
one just primarily tends to colonize the lips and mouth area,
and two has an easier time callizing sort of the
genital area. But you know, if you've ever had chicken box,
(06:04):
this is a tangent, but if you've ever had chicken box,
that's herpes. Three. Yeah, so many of us already have
some kind of herpes. If you've had mono, which is
very common in college, that's herpes. Four. Really yeah, epstein
bar virus is a human herpes virus, So that's number four.
So what I'm saying is that herpes is very common,
(06:27):
but in our culture there's sort of the stigma around
specifically genital herpes, which can be caused by one or two.
But you know, eighty percent of Americans have oral herpes,
so that's a ton of people.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
If eighty percent of Americans have oral herpes. Does that
mean that's simplex one?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
It could be one or two, okay, because both can
cause or illusions. You can do a blood test and
you can find out if you have one or two.
But I mean, I'm telling you, over the years, I
have seen so many patients who they're not even sexually active,
and for whatever reason, they got tested and they have it,
(07:14):
and they're just sort of like, what, how is that
even possible? And again, like you can have the virus
and not have symptoms, or maybe have mild symptoms, and
it's very easy to spread. The key is having a
solid immune system, because if you have a solid immune system,
then you're less likely to have these outbreaks, which is
(07:36):
why like vitamin C is awesome to circle back to,
like the high dose vitamin C, because that's one way
to sort of boost your immune system when you're going
through stress.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So earal herpie symptoms may include painful blisters or sores
along with tingling, itching, or burning before an outbreak begins,
so you start to feel something before it actually happens, then.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, and I think that's actually really helpful clue. So
for example, well, if any listeners out there they do
have cold sores. You can kind of get a sense
that you're going to get one because it tingles, and
that's actually a really helpful tool that you can use
to call your doctor healthcare provider and say, hey, I
(08:17):
have a history of cold source, I feel one coming on,
and then they can prescribe you antiviral medications to treat it,
so you can use that sign to get on top
of it.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Basically, common genital herbee symptoms include bumps, blisters, or open
sores also known as ulcers around the genitals or anus.
These sores and blisters are typically painful, and blisters may
open and ooze and then crust over.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah, so this is really important to note because if
you see the blisters or sores number one, it's highly infectious,
so you want to make sure to wash your hands
a lot while the genital areas and be really mindful
about not spreading it to other individuals. But same sort
(09:08):
of thinking applies because if you get genital sores, you
can actually feel hingling or burning before they'll show up
as well, and that's also a great opportunity to contact
your healthcare provider and say, like, I have a history
of genital herpes, I feel tingling and burning. I think
I'm going to get an outbreak, Can I get something
to nip it in the bud? And that can really
(09:29):
make a difference.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
More after this break. So, if you have general herpes,
are you supposed to be taking medication all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Not necessarily, although there are options to do long term
suppressive treatment. So for example, like let's say you get
your very first outbreak of genital herpes, which by the way,
might not show up as just oh, I have sores
(10:04):
on my general area. You might actually feel like, oh,
I have the flu, like my body aches and I
have fever. So at that point, the anti viral medications
usually you take them for like a week, maybe longer
if it takes you longer to heal. And then after that,
if you have another breakout and you feel, oh the
(10:26):
Tingley's happening, I'm going to get another breakout, then you
can take the medications again, but you don't have to
take them for as long, like a shorter period. But
let's say then there's people who just keep getting outbreak
after outbreak, like it's happening, you know, twice a year.
It's happening enough times that they're taking these rounds of
(10:48):
anti viral medications for a while. At that point, then
there's an option where you can just be on the
anti viral medication like every day, and it would be
like sort of a suppressive therapy. But that is definitely
like a decision you want to make with your provider.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
So it's not something you would automatically take if you're
diagnosed with herpes. But if you're someone who breaks out often,
that's when you make that move.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, exactly. I mean, if you're getting enough outbreaks throughout
the year where it's kind of impairing your quality of life,
then that would be a reasonable situation to take what's
called it's called suppressive therapy, which means you're just on
these meds to keep things in suppression. Now, caveat, major caveat,
(11:36):
like this is I'm talking about people with immune systems
that are functioning properly. Let's say you have an immune
system that isn't functioning properly, like let's say a person
has HIV. For example, a person with HIV, the moment
that they have a outbreak of herpes, they're probably going
to need to be on not just anti virals, but
(11:59):
like higher doses and for a longer period of time
because they are immune.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Systems suppressed, so there's a more of a likelihood of
damage being caused as a result.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yes, exactly. Yeah, same thing like if a person's pregnant, right,
because if you're pregnant your immune systems compromise, you probably
are going to need to be on that for a
while until you deliver the baby, because then once you
deliver the baby, it could come back, right because that's
already a stressful period for a human being.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Can you be born with herpes?
Speaker 1 (12:33):
I mean theoretically, yeah, it could spread to an infant.
An example would be like let's say someone had active
sores and they were delivering a baby vaginally. I mean, yeah,
it could spread in that way.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Okay, yeah, so herpee spreads through skin to skin contact.
Transmission can happen through kissing or oral vaginal or anal sex.
Both HSV one and HSV two can spread even when
there are no visible sores or someymptoms.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
I know, right, So think about that. That's a lot
of opportunities to get herpes. Yeah right. I have seen
so many people like go into tremendous amount of distress
about this. They blame themselves they blame their partners, like
you might have contracted herpes through something really basic, Yeah,
(13:20):
you know, just any kind of skin to skin contact.
So I know it's technically considered a STD but I mean,
let's be honest, Like, you can get herpes by not
doing sexual things. Let's say someone shares utensils with you,
or is like eating, or like you share makeup or
lip bomb like that, you can literally transmit it that way,
(13:43):
you know.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Does this also speak to the importance of getting tested
Even without visible sores or symptoms, you might have it.
So it's important to get tested just to see.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
I think it really depends. I think it depends. For example,
if someone comes in for a routine STD check, I
don't put her bees on the list. Why because we
don't know where it came from. So it's more likely
to cause undoe distress. Because let's say a person's coming
(14:14):
in to get STD check and now they have herpes
and they are blaming their last partner. But what if
they got it from childhood and we'll never know, right,
So it can cause all these problems. Now, if people
get tested and they learn that they do have it,
(14:35):
which is very very common scenario, there's no need to panic.
I think it's just helpful then for subsequent partners to
just let them know that you tested positive. But it's
so hard to kind of pinpoint the exact moment someone
actually contracted it and don't assume that it happened because
(14:56):
of sexual activity. Let's say an adult the mouths sore
that they don't feel or they're not noticing. They hold
a baby and they kiss the baby on the cheek
or their forehead, and then the baby takes their hand
and like touches their face and puts their finger in
their mouth. Like, now the baby has gotten it right,
(15:17):
And it's like that. You know, it's so easy. So
the thing about herpes is that once you get it,
you have it in your body lifelong. But it's only
going to cause problems when your immune system gets out
of shape through either stress or some sort of illness
or whatever. Even though you can detect HSV through blood tests,
(15:39):
I'm not like the biggest fan of testing everyone. The
only condition in which I would test would be let's
say someone came in and they were like, I'm having
these sores on my genitals. In that case, I would
test if I'm trying to figure out, like, Okay, what's
the cause of these genital sores, because lots of things
cause genital sores as well, not just herpes, but likes
(16:00):
and all sorts of seds. So that would be the
condition in which I would definitely test to confirm a diagnosis.
To be clear. If someone is just they don't have
any symptoms, nothing's going on, I would not subject them
to testing. But let's say someone's like, hey, I'm bringing
out in these mouthsores, what's going on? I would justify
a test for that. Or if someone's like, hey, I
(16:21):
have these painful lesions in my general area, what's going on?
Then I would definitely test for that. But like just
regular people who feel nothing and are doing great and
are just coming in for routine STD check, I wouldn't
do that. I think it would cause more distress than anything.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Most people who carry herpes don't know they have it,
which is part of why transmission is so common. It's
important to note that while oral herpes is considered as
sexually transmitted disease, it can spread through non sexual activities
as well, especially during an outbreak. This can be through
any shared object that comes in contact with saliva. Examples
(16:58):
would be shared EA and drinking utensils, lip bomb and
other makeup items. You gave the example with the baby.
It's not just a sexual sexually transmitted illness.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Even if people have it, they don't even realize it
because the symptoms are sold so mild. So I think
if you know, you have it. When it comes to
disclosing information to new sexual partners, for example, I think
it's important to share that you have that if you know.
But the key is I think the most important thing
(17:30):
is like, if a person is having an outbreak, so
they have these painful lesions that maybe are oozing, you
have to tell your partner.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
You have to.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
That's the right thing to do.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Also, again it speaks to the importance of using condoms
and being and more than that, being very communicative with
your partners.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah. Absolutely, I mean we said this before on the
show and it's worth saying it again. If you're not
comfortable talking to your partner about your STIs, then you
probably should not be having sex with them.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
So many herpes cases go undiagnosed because the symptoms can
be mild, mistaken for something else, or absent entirely. Blood
tests can detect HSV antibodies even without visible symptoms. Though
not all tests are equally accurate, symptom based diagnosis alone
can often misinfections, which is why it's important to talk
(18:27):
to a healthcare provider about testing. And this is a
type of infection that's important to discuss the new sexual partners, especially,
like we said, if you have an outbreak.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Let's talk a little bit about treating herpes. Once you
get herpes, stay or you stay with herpes, right, so
it's lifelong, but it's not reason to freak out because
you may not experience any symptoms and you can manage
it right. And fortunately there are anti viral medications and
(18:57):
they reduce the severity and they reduce the frequency of outbreaks.
They also lower the risk of transmission, which is a
great thing. We will see you right after this break.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Lifestyle factors, stress management, and overall health can also affect
outbreaks and symptom control. And for many people, herbes becomes
a manageable part of their overall health rather than a
constant medical issue. It's a manageable condition. I think that's
all good to hear because I think anytime you feel
like you might have gotten an STI there's a sense
(19:35):
of doom. It's like there's nothing that can be done
at this point. And it's not true like it's their outbreaks.
Most times you won't get outbreaks necessarily, and then there's
ways to medicate yourself and take care of yourself where
the transmission is minimal.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah. I really, really am so grateful for the existence
of these antiviral medications because prior to their creation and
there were a lot of people living with let's say
general herpes who were one living in shame and two
also just physically suffering as well. So these medications have
(20:12):
really helped improve the quality of life of so many people.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Here are some things you shouldn't do or should do
when you're having an outbreak. Do not kiss babies or
anyone for that matter, if you know you're having an outbreak.
But I think babies is especially important because their immune
systems are still being built. Is that a reasonable way
of putting developing developing?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Yeah. Don't share food, drinks, towels, or utensils. Replace your
toothbrush after an oral herpes outbreak has healed.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Oh yeah, that's a good one. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Is that a common Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:47):
I think in general most people don't replace their toothbrush
as frequently as they should. So, but that's that's an
important one, is.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
It to prevent reinfection? Exactly? Exactly. Yeah, take caution at
the gym and wipe shared equipment. If you've touched a sore,
you should probably wipe shared equipment anyway. Yeah, yeah, just
because it's filthy.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
It's also like just the right thing to do. It's
like a polite thing to.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Do, yes, Yeah, So take caution at the gym. Avoid
shaving directly over an active sore, definitely, Yeah, which is
obviously very painful. Avoid oral sex and skin diskin contact
of affected area. Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching
the affected area. Try not to touch or pick at sores.
(21:35):
I think that's a good general rule, but especially when
we're talking about herpes. Yeah, avoid touching your eyes after
touching a sore.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, this is key. I mean, like it all goes
back down to frequent handwashing, because handwashing is a very
effective way to prevent transmissions. I've seen a case where
a person touched their eyes then they developed herpes in
their eyes, which is a very serious of themologic condition.
(22:05):
And I actually saw a case also of a person
that was engaging in sort of sexual activity and they
went down on someone and then the herpes got in
their eyes.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Oh god.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah, So be very very careful around that because this
is how it spreads.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Make sure you get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
That is going to keep your immune system strong, so
it'll help clear the outbreak sooner in your body.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Sun exposure can trigger outbreaks for some people, so SPF
lip bomb can help, Ice packs or cool compresses can
help with discomfort and swelling, and finally used prescribed anti
viral medication as directed.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
For sure, for sure, And it really comes down to
how long you're on the medphor depending on how bad
the outbreak is or if it's your first time. Just
to point about the lip bomb things, So I would
actually say that the evidence around like spflip bomb for
preventing outbreaks, the data is kind of mixed. The reason
(23:09):
being so when they've done those studies to test that,
they tested whether sunscreen prevented recurrence under these sort of
experimental ultraviolet light conditions. So these studies haven't actually been
confirmed to work under natural sunlight exposure, which is a
(23:30):
different kind of light than like an experimental ultraviolet light.
Biologically it seems rational, but I would say if you
are getting outbreaks in the sun, I would actually vote
more towards taking antiviral medications more so than hedging your
bet on the spflip bomb. I mean, obviously there's very
(23:51):
little risk to doing the lip bomb thing, but I
don't know if the evidence shows that it's sufficient on
its own.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
If you're being treated by the sun, does it imply
that your immune system is weak.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
I think the thing that's happening with sunlight is that
it's activating some sort of inflammatory pathway that's then causing
a local dysregulation in your immune system. I mean, let's
be clear, sunlight is very beneficial, like there's many health benefits,
but there's something about the balance of the ultraviolet light
(24:25):
that's creating a local imbalance. To be honest, I don't
know too much about the path of physiology of why
some light triggers herpees outbreaks for some individuals, but we
know it does so. Yeah, typically when a herpee's sore
comes out, it has a very distinct kind of feel
(24:47):
to it. For example, ingrown hairs won't burn herpes lesions.
They tend to burn and be extremely painful. Not all
mouth sores are from herpes, Like for example, a canker
sore can mimic herpes, but it's actually caused by something else.
(25:08):
So there's different types of sores. And at that point,
like I mean, this is really where like a dermatologist
can sort of delineate the difference between it. Syphilis can
present with a ulcer around the genitals, but the clear
difference between let's say slipholis and herpes is that syphilis
doesn't hurt, like classic syphilis is a painless ulcer, whereas
(25:31):
herpes is a very painful ulcer. There's ingrown hair as
another example. It shouldn't burn or hurt. I mean, there
might be like a little bit of redness, but it
certainly wouldn't cause the same amount of symptoms that like
herpes does. When someone learns that they have herpes, like
the big question is, you know, what do I do?
(25:53):
Who do I tell? And the key is, like it
is important to disclose to sexual partners that you have herpes.
Especially this is kind of the point here, like if
you are having an active outbreak and you know, I
would also extend that to mouth sores as well. I
just think it's the right thing to do, and it
(26:15):
helps give the other individual informed consent about what they
want to engage in, and it reduces the risk of spread,
and it also helps protect one another.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
I mean, I think it's important, and you and I
talked about this before, Pianco. But it's a skin condition.
That's what herpes is, right, It's ultimately a skin condition.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
I mean, yeah, it can present as a skin condition. Yeah,
it's a virus that causes skin issues.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
So if we frame it that way, like, I think
there's something about the idea that something is an STI
that is incredibly scary, right, Yeah, and the fact that
it is this thing that is with you forever is
also incredibly scary. But by talking about it, at least
as a skin condition, are talking about it in a
way that I think is a lot more manageable for people.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Yeah, it takes the pressure off a little bit, Like
it doesn't create this like hierarchy of oh, you have herpes,
therefore you're this you know, Like no, I would say
that if you know you have it, share that information
with your partner. And you mentioned earlier in the episode, Harry,
like condoms reduced transmission. But we also talked about how
(27:30):
easily it spreads through skin contact, so you know, condoms help,
but it doesn't like fully eliminate the risk. Right we
don't yet have a herpes vaccine. We have vaccines for
so many other things, but right now there's not yet
a herpes vaccine, which is kind of surprising. You know,
you think we've developed vaccines for so many things.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
But why do you think there isn't a herpes vaccine.
Is it that people realize this isn't a life threatening
condition and so it's not prioritized.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Yeah, I think probably because it's so common and again yea,
and like it really only causes distress if outbreaks happen,
whether you have a cold, sore or a general lesion.
But I feel like out of all the vaccines, this
would be a helpful one, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I mean, fear, shame and stigma stopped many people from
getting tested treated are talking openly about sdis So getting
over that shame and stigma is very hard and the
fear of it, but you have to to some degree
if you're going to be able to talk to others
about it, And I mean you have to still enjoy
rest of your life. This is not something that should
(28:31):
prevent you from enjoying rest of your life. And so
much of it is about being able to get over
that stigma, which is hard.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And I definitely want to emphasize that
just because herpes is so common, it doesn't mean like,
oh it's common, like I don't have to tell anyone
or I don't have to take precautions. Like that's not
what we're saying here, you know, like even though herpes
is so common and widespread and really manageable, I mean
you still have to offer people informed coulds set so
(29:00):
that they can make decisions about what things they want
to do impacting their health. And let's not forget here,
herpes is very serious when it comes to people who
are immune compromised or like newborns. So these are populations
that might have a harder time fighting infection. So it's
(29:21):
very important to take those cases of herpes extremely seriously.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Stigma can affect mental health, can affect relationships and access
to care. Again, you know, Priyanka said this. Condoms can
reduce transmission, but not fully eliminate the risk, especially with
herpes because it spreads through skin contact. While vaccines exist
for some sdis and viruses. Once again, there's no herpes vaccine,
So this is again talks to the importance of being
(29:48):
open and communicative and making sure that you respect other
people's bodily autonomy as well education, communication and reducing shame
or essential for prevent and public health. If you are
not prepared to talk to your partner about STIs, you're
probably not ready to have sex with them. I know
this is something Priance has said many times and I
(30:10):
will I will repeat as.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Well one more time for the people in the back.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
If you are not prepared to talk to your partner
about STIs, you are probably not ready to have sex
with them.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Yes, yes, yes, I said that in.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
The most paternal voice I could possibly say it with.
Some people say that because herpes is so common, they
don't need to disclose it. No, you have to disclose it.
You have to give other people the choice.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, like wipe down your stuff at the gym and
tell people you have herpes. Like, these are the right
things to do.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yes, we need to reduce the fear, avoidance and shame
to protect each other.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Yeah, yeah, I agree. I mean we need to destigmatize
these STDs. We need to stop shaming one another and
you know, just get real. Herpes is very common. Oral herpes,
general herbes both extremely common, so many people don't even
know they have it. And when you get it, yes
(31:13):
it's lifelong, but it's manageable even if it's not curable.
Health Stuff is a production of iHeart Podcasts. The show
is hosted by Me, doctor Preanko Wally, and Harrikonnebolu. Producers
are Rebecca Eisenberg, Jenna Cagel, Christina Loranger, Maya Howard, and
(31:34):
Katrina Norvel. Our researcher is Maria Tremarki and our intern
is Katiya Zobel Leayala. To send us a question, you
can email us a voice memo at health Stuff Podcasts
at gmail dot com. Thanks so much for listening.
This podcast is for information purposes only and should not
be considered professional medical advice.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
That's what herpes is, right, It's ultimately a skin.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Condition, Like wipe down your stuff at the gym and
tell people you have herpes.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
If you are not prepared to talk to your partner
about STIs, you're probably not ready to have sex with them.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
I'm doctor preuncle Wally, and this.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Is health stuff.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Hello Prianca, Hey, Yeah, what's up?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Are I feel sick? I've been feeling sick for the
last couple of days. I don't know if if if
I sound congested, but I definitely am congested.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well you sound amazing. Thank you sound great. I Also,
it's funny you mentioned that because this last week I
had like two days of this slight sore throat and
it was like, am I getting sick? Am I not
getting sick? And whenever I'm on sort of the cusp
and I can't tell, then my go to as I
(01:07):
start pushing like high doses of vitamin C and hopes
that that will get my immune system to clear it.
And so far seems to be okay because the sore
throat is no longer there. But it was like a
two days of like, what direction is this thing going
to go? Oh yeah, yeah yeah, help me out here, universe.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
How do you feel about taking antibiotics when you're not
sure what it is.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I'm not a fan of that.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Because it makes it the body gets used to it, right,
and then it becomes less effective.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
I mean, first of all, thank goodness, antibiotics exist. They
are one of the greatest inventions of modern medicine. But
they do have some side effects that unless you really
need to take them, I would caution against doing it. Like,
you know, it can really affect your gut. It can
(02:04):
change the gut bacteria so that you're predisposed to other things. Then, like,
here's a common scenario. Someone gets prescribed antibiotics for like
a urinary tract infection. They take the antibiotics, and then
a couple days later they developed a yeast infection. Why
because the antibiotics nuked the microbiome and caused this bacterial
(02:30):
and balance so it led to fungal over regret. I
wouldn't like, just pop the pills unless you know exactly
what you're treating. But you know what you can't treat
with antibiotics, what herpees.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Is not a segue Look at that segue. That is smooth.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah. Yeah, So we're going to talk about herpes today.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You know, I'll be honest, like maybe it's me not
being a medical expert, but this episode doing the research
made me uncomfortable, okay, and I feel bad that it
did because I know that herpees is not something that
is fatal, you know what I mean, Yet I felt uncomfortable.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
That's valid, that's valid. I mean slight caveat to that
not being fatal provided your immune system is functioning correctly.
Her piece is not fatal. If someone has a immune
system that's malfunctioning or not working, they're essentially immune compromised,
then her piece can cause all sorts of problems. You know,
(03:31):
it's funny. Growing up in grade school, I remember kids
would use herpies as this diss They would like diss
each other by, you know, being like, oh so and
so has herpes, or like oh I'm going to get
herpes from that person, even though like literally this is
(03:52):
at an age where like nobody was doing anything, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That's so funny you say grade school, because what I
was thinking about was grown people at comedy clubs. Yeah,
so those are the two spect that's the spectrum. It's
children and grown adults a comedy clubs who make the
same jokes.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
But that's like interchangeable, you know, grown adults at comedy
clubs are literally interchangeable with children.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Like, let's be honest, it's basically a playground. It's basically
a playground.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
It's an adult playground for people that never had a childhood. Yes,
but yeah, that's why I think it's important that we're
talking about herpes today because well, first of all, there's
a lot of different herpes viruses that are out there,
so to be clear, there's actually eight kinds of herpes virus.
(04:42):
But today we're just going to focus on herpes one
and two, which herpes one usually is your cold source
and herpes two is usually your genital herpes. But to
be clear, both one and two both can cause genital
issues and mouth sores, so they're interchangeable, but commonly associated
(05:07):
with one is your cold source too, is your genital
herpes lesions?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Are they interchangeable in terms of the effect on the body, Like,
is the effect on the body the same? Is maybe
is one stronger than the other, or.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I would think of it as not necessarily stronger, because
how strong a herpes infection is really comes down to
that individual person's immune system. So if you have like
a strong case of herpes, there might be something going
on in your life, like stress or an illness that's
(05:43):
making your immune system weaker, which is making the herpes stronger.
But to kind of circle back to your original question,
one just primarily tends to colonize the lips and mouth area,
and two has an easier time callizing sort of the
genital area. But you know, if you've ever had chicken box,
(06:04):
this is a tangent, but if you've ever had chicken box,
that's herpes. Three. Yeah, so many of us already have
some kind of herpes. If you've had mono, which is
very common in college, that's herpes. Four. Really yeah, epstein
bar virus is a human herpes virus, So that's number four.
So what I'm saying is that herpes is very common,
(06:27):
but in our culture there's sort of the stigma around
specifically genital herpes, which can be caused by one or two.
But you know, eighty percent of Americans have oral herpes,
so that's a ton of people.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
If eighty percent of Americans have oral herpes. Does that
mean that's simplex one?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
It could be one or two, okay, because both can
cause or illusions. You can do a blood test and
you can find out if you have one or two.
But I mean, I'm telling you, over the years, I
have seen so many patients who they're not even sexually active,
and for whatever reason, they got tested and they have it,
(07:14):
and they're just sort of like, what, how is that
even possible? And again, like you can have the virus
and not have symptoms, or maybe have mild symptoms, and
it's very easy to spread. The key is having a
solid immune system, because if you have a solid immune system,
then you're less likely to have these outbreaks, which is
(07:36):
why like vitamin C is awesome to circle back to,
like the high dose vitamin C, because that's one way
to sort of boost your immune system when you're going
through stress.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So earal herpie symptoms may include painful blisters or sores
along with tingling, itching, or burning before an outbreak begins,
so you start to feel something before it actually happens, then.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, and I think that's actually really helpful clue. So
for example, well, if any listeners out there they do
have cold sores. You can kind of get a sense
that you're going to get one because it tingles, and
that's actually a really helpful tool that you can use
to call your doctor healthcare provider and say, hey, I
(08:17):
have a history of cold source, I feel one coming on,
and then they can prescribe you antiviral medications to treat it,
so you can use that sign to get on top
of it.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Basically, common genital herbee symptoms include bumps, blisters, or open
sores also known as ulcers around the genitals or anus.
These sores and blisters are typically painful, and blisters may
open and ooze and then crust over.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah, so this is really important to note because if
you see the blisters or sores number one, it's highly infectious,
so you want to make sure to wash your hands
a lot while the genital areas and be really mindful
about not spreading it to other individuals. But same sort
(09:08):
of thinking applies because if you get genital sores, you
can actually feel hingling or burning before they'll show up
as well, and that's also a great opportunity to contact
your healthcare provider and say, like, I have a history
of genital herpes, I feel tingling and burning. I think
I'm going to get an outbreak, Can I get something
to nip it in the bud? And that can really
(09:29):
make a difference.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
More after this break. So, if you have general herpes,
are you supposed to be taking medication all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Not necessarily, although there are options to do long term
suppressive treatment. So for example, like let's say you get
your very first outbreak of genital herpes, which by the way,
might not show up as just oh, I have sores
(10:04):
on my general area. You might actually feel like, oh,
I have the flu, like my body aches and I
have fever. So at that point, the anti viral medications
usually you take them for like a week, maybe longer
if it takes you longer to heal. And then after that,
if you have another breakout and you feel, oh the
(10:26):
Tingley's happening, I'm going to get another breakout, then you
can take the medications again, but you don't have to
take them for as long, like a shorter period. But
let's say then there's people who just keep getting outbreak
after outbreak, like it's happening, you know, twice a year.
It's happening enough times that they're taking these rounds of
(10:48):
anti viral medications for a while. At that point, then
there's an option where you can just be on the
anti viral medication like every day, and it would be
like sort of a suppressive therapy. But that is definitely
like a decision you want to make with your provider.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
So it's not something you would automatically take if you're
diagnosed with herpes. But if you're someone who breaks out often,
that's when you make that move.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, exactly. I mean, if you're getting enough outbreaks throughout
the year where it's kind of impairing your quality of life,
then that would be a reasonable situation to take what's
called it's called suppressive therapy, which means you're just on
these meds to keep things in suppression. Now, caveat, major caveat,
(11:36):
like this is I'm talking about people with immune systems
that are functioning properly. Let's say you have an immune
system that isn't functioning properly, like let's say a person
has HIV. For example, a person with HIV, the moment
that they have a outbreak of herpes, they're probably going
to need to be on not just anti virals, but
(11:59):
like higher doses and for a longer period of time
because they are immune.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Systems suppressed, so there's a more of a likelihood of
damage being caused as a result.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yes, exactly. Yeah, same thing like if a person's pregnant, right,
because if you're pregnant your immune systems compromise, you probably
are going to need to be on that for a
while until you deliver the baby, because then once you
deliver the baby, it could come back, right because that's
already a stressful period for a human being.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Can you be born with herpes?
Speaker 1 (12:33):
I mean theoretically, yeah, it could spread to an infant.
An example would be like let's say someone had active
sores and they were delivering a baby vaginally. I mean, yeah,
it could spread in that way.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Okay, yeah, so herpee spreads through skin to skin contact.
Transmission can happen through kissing or oral vaginal or anal sex.
Both HSV one and HSV two can spread even when
there are no visible sores or someymptoms.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
I know, right, So think about that. That's a lot
of opportunities to get herpes. Yeah right. I have seen
so many people like go into tremendous amount of distress
about this. They blame themselves they blame their partners, like
you might have contracted herpes through something really basic, Yeah,
(13:20):
you know, just any kind of skin to skin contact.
So I know it's technically considered a STD but I mean,
let's be honest, Like, you can get herpes by not
doing sexual things. Let's say someone shares utensils with you,
or is like eating, or like you share makeup or
lip bomb like that, you can literally transmit it that way,
(13:43):
you know.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Does this also speak to the importance of getting tested
Even without visible sores or symptoms, you might have it.
So it's important to get tested just to see.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
I think it really depends. I think it depends. For example,
if someone comes in for a routine STD check, I
don't put her bees on the list. Why because we
don't know where it came from. So it's more likely
to cause undoe distress. Because let's say a person's coming
(14:14):
in to get STD check and now they have herpes
and they are blaming their last partner. But what if
they got it from childhood and we'll never know, right,
So it can cause all these problems. Now, if people
get tested and they learn that they do have it,
(14:35):
which is very very common scenario, there's no need to panic.
I think it's just helpful then for subsequent partners to
just let them know that you tested positive. But it's
so hard to kind of pinpoint the exact moment someone
actually contracted it and don't assume that it happened because
(14:56):
of sexual activity. Let's say an adult the mouths sore
that they don't feel or they're not noticing. They hold
a baby and they kiss the baby on the cheek
or their forehead, and then the baby takes their hand
and like touches their face and puts their finger in
their mouth. Like, now the baby has gotten it right,
(15:17):
And it's like that. You know, it's so easy. So
the thing about herpes is that once you get it,
you have it in your body lifelong. But it's only
going to cause problems when your immune system gets out
of shape through either stress or some sort of illness
or whatever. Even though you can detect HSV through blood tests,
(15:39):
I'm not like the biggest fan of testing everyone. The
only condition in which I would test would be let's
say someone came in and they were like, I'm having
these sores on my genitals. In that case, I would
test if I'm trying to figure out, like, Okay, what's
the cause of these genital sores, because lots of things
cause genital sores as well, not just herpes, but likes
(16:00):
and all sorts of seds. So that would be the
condition in which I would definitely test to confirm a diagnosis.
To be clear. If someone is just they don't have
any symptoms, nothing's going on, I would not subject them
to testing. But let's say someone's like, hey, I'm bringing
out in these mouthsores, what's going on? I would justify
a test for that. Or if someone's like, hey, I
(16:21):
have these painful lesions in my general area, what's going on?
Then I would definitely test for that. But like just
regular people who feel nothing and are doing great and
are just coming in for routine STD check, I wouldn't
do that. I think it would cause more distress than anything.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Most people who carry herpes don't know they have it,
which is part of why transmission is so common. It's
important to note that while oral herpes is considered as
sexually transmitted disease, it can spread through non sexual activities
as well, especially during an outbreak. This can be through
any shared object that comes in contact with saliva. Examples
(16:58):
would be shared EA and drinking utensils, lip bomb and
other makeup items. You gave the example with the baby.
It's not just a sexual sexually transmitted illness.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Even if people have it, they don't even realize it
because the symptoms are sold so mild. So I think
if you know, you have it. When it comes to
disclosing information to new sexual partners, for example, I think
it's important to share that you have that if you know.
But the key is I think the most important thing
(17:30):
is like, if a person is having an outbreak, so
they have these painful lesions that maybe are oozing, you
have to tell your partner.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
You have to.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
That's the right thing to do.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Also, again it speaks to the importance of using condoms
and being and more than that, being very communicative with
your partners.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah. Absolutely, I mean we said this before on the
show and it's worth saying it again. If you're not
comfortable talking to your partner about your STIs, then you
probably should not be having sex with them.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
So many herpes cases go undiagnosed because the symptoms can
be mild, mistaken for something else, or absent entirely. Blood
tests can detect HSV antibodies even without visible symptoms. Though
not all tests are equally accurate, symptom based diagnosis alone
can often misinfections, which is why it's important to talk
(18:27):
to a healthcare provider about testing. And this is a
type of infection that's important to discuss the new sexual partners, especially,
like we said, if you have an outbreak.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Let's talk a little bit about treating herpes. Once you
get herpes, stay or you stay with herpes, right, so
it's lifelong, but it's not reason to freak out because
you may not experience any symptoms and you can manage
it right. And fortunately there are anti viral medications and
(18:57):
they reduce the severity and they reduce the frequency of outbreaks.
They also lower the risk of transmission, which is a
great thing. We will see you right after this break.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Lifestyle factors, stress management, and overall health can also affect
outbreaks and symptom control. And for many people, herbes becomes
a manageable part of their overall health rather than a
constant medical issue. It's a manageable condition. I think that's
all good to hear because I think anytime you feel
like you might have gotten an STI there's a sense
(19:35):
of doom. It's like there's nothing that can be done
at this point. And it's not true like it's their outbreaks.
Most times you won't get outbreaks necessarily, and then there's
ways to medicate yourself and take care of yourself where
the transmission is minimal.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah. I really, really am so grateful for the existence
of these antiviral medications because prior to their creation and
there were a lot of people living with let's say
general herpes who were one living in shame and two
also just physically suffering as well. So these medications have
(20:12):
really helped improve the quality of life of so many people.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Here are some things you shouldn't do or should do
when you're having an outbreak. Do not kiss babies or
anyone for that matter, if you know you're having an outbreak.
But I think babies is especially important because their immune
systems are still being built. Is that a reasonable way
of putting developing developing?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Yeah. Don't share food, drinks, towels, or utensils. Replace your
toothbrush after an oral herpes outbreak has healed.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Oh yeah, that's a good one. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Is that a common Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:47):
I think in general most people don't replace their toothbrush
as frequently as they should. So, but that's that's an
important one, is.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
It to prevent reinfection? Exactly? Exactly. Yeah, take caution at
the gym and wipe shared equipment. If you've touched a sore,
you should probably wipe shared equipment anyway. Yeah, yeah, just
because it's filthy.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
It's also like just the right thing to do. It's
like a polite thing to.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Do, yes, Yeah, So take caution at the gym. Avoid
shaving directly over an active sore, definitely, Yeah, which is
obviously very painful. Avoid oral sex and skin diskin contact
of affected area. Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching
the affected area. Try not to touch or pick at sores.
(21:35):
I think that's a good general rule, but especially when
we're talking about herpes. Yeah, avoid touching your eyes after
touching a sore.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, this is key. I mean, like it all goes
back down to frequent handwashing, because handwashing is a very
effective way to prevent transmissions. I've seen a case where
a person touched their eyes then they developed herpes in
their eyes, which is a very serious of themologic condition.
(22:05):
And I actually saw a case also of a person
that was engaging in sort of sexual activity and they
went down on someone and then the herpes got in
their eyes.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Oh god.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah, So be very very careful around that because this
is how it spreads.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Make sure you get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
That is going to keep your immune system strong, so
it'll help clear the outbreak sooner in your body.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Sun exposure can trigger outbreaks for some people, so SPF
lip bomb can help, Ice packs or cool compresses can
help with discomfort and swelling, and finally used prescribed anti
viral medication as directed.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
For sure, for sure, And it really comes down to
how long you're on the medphor depending on how bad
the outbreak is or if it's your first time. Just
to point about the lip bomb things, So I would
actually say that the evidence around like spflip bomb for
preventing outbreaks, the data is kind of mixed. The reason
(23:09):
being so when they've done those studies to test that,
they tested whether sunscreen prevented recurrence under these sort of
experimental ultraviolet light conditions. So these studies haven't actually been
confirmed to work under natural sunlight exposure, which is a
(23:30):
different kind of light than like an experimental ultraviolet light.
Biologically it seems rational, but I would say if you
are getting outbreaks in the sun, I would actually vote
more towards taking antiviral medications more so than hedging your
bet on the spflip bomb. I mean, obviously there's very
(23:51):
little risk to doing the lip bomb thing, but I
don't know if the evidence shows that it's sufficient on
its own.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
If you're being treated by the sun, does it imply
that your immune system is weak.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
I think the thing that's happening with sunlight is that
it's activating some sort of inflammatory pathway that's then causing
a local dysregulation in your immune system. I mean, let's
be clear, sunlight is very beneficial, like there's many health benefits,
but there's something about the balance of the ultraviolet light
(24:25):
that's creating a local imbalance. To be honest, I don't
know too much about the path of physiology of why
some light triggers herpees outbreaks for some individuals, but we
know it does so. Yeah, typically when a herpee's sore
comes out, it has a very distinct kind of feel
(24:47):
to it. For example, ingrown hairs won't burn herpes lesions.
They tend to burn and be extremely painful. Not all
mouth sores are from herpes, Like for example, a canker
sore can mimic herpes, but it's actually caused by something else.
(25:08):
So there's different types of sores. And at that point,
like I mean, this is really where like a dermatologist
can sort of delineate the difference between it. Syphilis can
present with a ulcer around the genitals, but the clear
difference between let's say slipholis and herpes is that syphilis
doesn't hurt, like classic syphilis is a painless ulcer, whereas
(25:31):
herpes is a very painful ulcer. There's ingrown hair as
another example. It shouldn't burn or hurt. I mean, there
might be like a little bit of redness, but it
certainly wouldn't cause the same amount of symptoms that like
herpes does. When someone learns that they have herpes, like
the big question is, you know, what do I do?
(25:53):
Who do I tell? And the key is, like it
is important to disclose to sexual partners that you have herpes.
Especially this is kind of the point here, like if
you are having an active outbreak and you know, I
would also extend that to mouth sores as well. I
just think it's the right thing to do, and it
(26:15):
helps give the other individual informed consent about what they
want to engage in, and it reduces the risk of spread,
and it also helps protect one another.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
I mean, I think it's important, and you and I
talked about this before, Pianco. But it's a skin condition.
That's what herpes is, right, It's ultimately a skin condition.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
I mean, yeah, it can present as a skin condition. Yeah,
it's a virus that causes skin issues.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
So if we frame it that way, like, I think
there's something about the idea that something is an STI
that is incredibly scary, right, Yeah, and the fact that
it is this thing that is with you forever is
also incredibly scary. But by talking about it, at least
as a skin condition, are talking about it in a
way that I think is a lot more manageable for people.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Yeah, it takes the pressure off a little bit, Like
it doesn't create this like hierarchy of oh, you have herpes,
therefore you're this you know, Like no, I would say
that if you know you have it, share that information
with your partner. And you mentioned earlier in the episode, Harry,
like condoms reduced transmission. But we also talked about how
(27:30):
easily it spreads through skin contact, so you know, condoms help,
but it doesn't like fully eliminate the risk. Right we
don't yet have a herpes vaccine. We have vaccines for
so many other things, but right now there's not yet
a herpes vaccine, which is kind of surprising. You know,
you think we've developed vaccines for so many things.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
But why do you think there isn't a herpes vaccine.
Is it that people realize this isn't a life threatening
condition and so it's not prioritized.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Yeah, I think probably because it's so common and again yea,
and like it really only causes distress if outbreaks happen,
whether you have a cold, sore or a general lesion.
But I feel like out of all the vaccines, this
would be a helpful one, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I mean, fear, shame and stigma stopped many people from
getting tested treated are talking openly about sdis So getting
over that shame and stigma is very hard and the
fear of it, but you have to to some degree
if you're going to be able to talk to others
about it, And I mean you have to still enjoy
rest of your life. This is not something that should
(28:31):
prevent you from enjoying rest of your life. And so
much of it is about being able to get over
that stigma, which is hard.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And I definitely want to emphasize that
just because herpes is so common, it doesn't mean like,
oh it's common, like I don't have to tell anyone
or I don't have to take precautions. Like that's not
what we're saying here, you know, like even though herpes
is so common and widespread and really manageable, I mean
you still have to offer people informed coulds set so
(29:00):
that they can make decisions about what things they want
to do impacting their health. And let's not forget here,
herpes is very serious when it comes to people who
are immune compromised or like newborns. So these are populations
that might have a harder time fighting infection. So it's
(29:21):
very important to take those cases of herpes extremely seriously.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Stigma can affect mental health, can affect relationships and access
to care. Again, you know, Priyanka said this. Condoms can
reduce transmission, but not fully eliminate the risk, especially with
herpes because it spreads through skin contact. While vaccines exist
for some sdis and viruses. Once again, there's no herpes vaccine,
So this is again talks to the importance of being
(29:48):
open and communicative and making sure that you respect other
people's bodily autonomy as well education, communication and reducing shame
or essential for prevent and public health. If you are
not prepared to talk to your partner about STIs, you're
probably not ready to have sex with them. I know
this is something Priance has said many times and I
(30:10):
will I will repeat as.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Well one more time for the people in the back.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
If you are not prepared to talk to your partner
about STIs, you are probably not ready to have sex
with them.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Yes, yes, yes, I said that in.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
The most paternal voice I could possibly say it with.
Some people say that because herpes is so common, they
don't need to disclose it. No, you have to disclose it.
You have to give other people the choice.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, like wipe down your stuff at the gym and
tell people you have herpes. Like, these are the right
things to do.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yes, we need to reduce the fear, avoidance and shame
to protect each other.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Yeah, yeah, I agree. I mean we need to destigmatize
these STDs. We need to stop shaming one another and
you know, just get real. Herpes is very common. Oral herpes,
general herbes both extremely common, so many people don't even
know they have it. And when you get it, yes
(31:13):
it's lifelong, but it's manageable even if it's not curable.
Health Stuff is a production of iHeart Podcasts. The show
is hosted by Me, doctor Preanko Wally, and Harrikonnebolu. Producers
are Rebecca Eisenberg, Jenna Cagel, Christina Loranger, Maya Howard, and
(31:34):
Katrina Norvel. Our researcher is Maria Tremarki and our intern
is Katiya Zobel Leayala. To send us a question, you
can email us a voice memo at health Stuff Podcasts
at gmail dot com. Thanks so much for listening.
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