Free Essay Sample. Genital Herpes

1. Speaker Background

Ella Dawson is a relevant speaker for the topic since she has experience with Genital Herpes. She was diagnosed with Herpes at the end of her junior college at only 21 years old. Unlike other people who decide to keep their sexually transmitted status private, she chose to talk about it. Ella understands the stigma that people with Herpes undergo. Most people see as if one got the virus just because they were dishonest and involved in immoral behaviors.

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2. Genital Herpes Background

Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) or simply Herpes come in two types. There is herpes type 1, and the other one is Herpes type 2. Herpes 1 mostly causes sores in the mouth while type 2 causes lesions in the genitals. For every one person in a group of six has genital Herpes in the United States (Dawson, 2016). The prevalence is mostly on women, and it is more in New York.

3. The Spread and Prevention

Herpes is spread after contact of skin to skin with an infected person. Although there are other ways through which the virus is spread like through kissing, it is mostly spread through various types of sex like vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex. Many people have Herpes but do not know because they do not have sores (Dawson, 2016). It is still possible to spread Herpes even when one is asymptomatic. According to the speaker, Herpes cannot be prevented through using condoms because they only control the fluids. There is no recognized cure for Herpes, but there are medicines that are used to treat the symptoms. Genital Herpes is not fatal. Sometimes the sores can be painful, but after taking the medicines, people with Herpes can enjoy their lives ordinarily.

4. Healthcare

When one is sexually active, there are standard tests that should be done. Some sexually transmitted diseases do not have a cure, but it is necessary to be tested. Some of the tests that are done in the STD panel can include gonorrhea, Syphilis, HIV, and Hepatitis B and C. Herpes is not included in the usual request of tests. The test is mostly unreliable, and doctors often discourage people from taking the test. It is expensive, and there is a common notion that people who do not show symptoms should not be tested since there is a high psychological effect of knowing that one has Herpes.

5. Stigma

The best way of breaking Herpes stigma is through talking about it. Most people have a stigma around the world but do not know about it—those who do not know their status gossip about those who are tested. One is seen as immoral as long as they have Herpes, not knowing that some got it from kisses when they were young. When there is an open discussion about Herpes, other people admit that they have the virus but fear talking about it.

References

Dawson, E. (2016, May 11). STIs aren't a consequence. They're inevitable [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcIl-hclrLI&feature=youtu.be