Genital Herpes (VIDEO 2)

This video will give tips on how to deal with herpes outbreaks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCVmVf49aJ4&feature=related

Genital Herpes (VIDEO)

Do you know? 1 in 5 people have genital herpes and 85% of victims don’t even know they have it?
Get more facts and discover treatment options that can protect not only you but your partner in this informational video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iDZI8tteCU

Herpes

In this post,i'll be talking about one of the popular sexually transmitted diseases which is genital herpes. In post 1, i'll be explaining what its about and whether treatment is available. In the second post, we will see how the virus infects our body.

What is genital herpes?

· A sexually transmitted disease(STD)

· Caused by herpes simplex type 1 or 2

· Mostly by HSV 1

· Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection.

· When signs do occur, it generally appears as having one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum

· Blisters break, leaving sores that may take two to four weeks to heal

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How do people get genital herpes?

A person can only get HSV-2 during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know he or she is infected.

HSV-1 more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips also called “fever infection”

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HSV-1 infection of the genitals can be caused by oral-genital or genital-genital contact with a person who has HSV-1. In addition, genitals HSV-1 outbreaks occur less regularly than Genital HSV-2 outbreaks.

Is there treatment for herpes?

Currently, there are no treatment that can cure herpes, however antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication. In addition, daily suppressive therapy for symptomatic herpes can reduce transmission to partners.

NEWS:

CREAM MIGHT PREVENT HERPES INFECTION

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21 (Health Day News) -- A topical treatment that disables genes that play a key role in the transmission of the herpes virus has been developed by U.S. researchers.

The treatment uses RNA interference (RNAi) to fight the virus in two ways: by disabling its ability to replicate and by blocking the host cell's ability to take up the virus. In mice, the treatment is effective when used from one week before to a few hours after exposure to the herpes virus.

"As far as we could tell, the treatment caused no adverse effects, such as inflammation or any kind of autoimmune response," Judy Lieberman, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a senior investigator at the Immune Disease Institute, said in a Harvard news release. In addition, there was no indication that the treatment interfered with normal cellular function.

The research was published in the Jan. 22 issue of the journal Cell Host & Microbe.

"People have been trying to make a topical agent that can prevent transmission, a microbicide, for many years," Lieberman said. "But one of the main obstacles for this is compliance. One of the attractive features of the compound we developed is that it creates in the tissue a state that's resistant to infection, even if applied up to a week before sexual exposure. This aspect has a real practicality to it."

If the findings can be reproduced in people, she said, "This could have a powerful impact on preventing transmission."

According to the World Health Organization, about 536 million people worldwide are infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), the most common strain of this sexually transmitted disease.

Women are much more likely than men to be infected with HSV-2, and the virus can easily pass from mother to child during birth. Infants with untreated HSV-2 infection can suffer brain damage and death.

· Through this article, we have taken a step forward regarding the search in finding a cure for herpes. Even though its small step forward, i believe it can be done and stop the transmission of herpes once and for all.

Post 2

The second post for this topic will be how this virus infects. The path it takes and what causes it to reactivate

HOW HERPES INFECTS:

www.medscape.com

· Following primary infection, virus remains latent until reactivation.

· Reactivation, which is caused by several factors such as stress, long exposure to sunlight and also, during menstrual period

· Virus hides in the nerves tissues and causes viral encephalitis.

· In addition, if it is passed from mother to baby during birth, it may cause brain damage in the child

News:

Treating herpes may slow HIV

February 24, 2007

Treating genital herpes may slow the progression of HIV, the AIDS virus, in those infected with both viruses, researchers reported Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The test involving 140 women in the West African country of Burkina Faso found that when herpes was being treated with 500 milligrams of the drug valacyclovir twice daily for three months, the women were less likely to spread the AIDS virus. In addition, the treatment reduced the levels of HIV in the blood, the research group led by Dr. Nicolas Nagot of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found.

· This article is interesting and beneficial because through the similarities involved in the drugs used, there are many advantages. Costs will be saved for example as 1 drug can be treated for 2 illnesses or viruses.