Re :   Clarify your doubts about herpes and find out more

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I am lost, I have been diagnosed to have Herpes 1 genital. Please help me.
 
(a) I have a small red patch (size 0.5cm x 0.5cm - red waxy look) at the 'shaft' of my penis after 13 days of exposure. Doctor diagnosed that it is HSV 1 genital. Does the red patch looks like HSV 1 genital? So far I have no blisters in genital.

(b) Red spots were appeared on my arm, chest, stomach and upper inner thighs. If I used finger nail to squeeze, there are little bit of fluid being squeezed out and the colour of the spots turned black. Do all these spots look like Herpes? Can Herpes HSV 1 genital transmit to all these areas? Is it possible that I have used the same trowel or finger touched the affected area and affected other areas?

(c) I have protected virginal sex on 27th June 2008 and there were some (about 5-7) tiny red spots appeared at the 'shaft' of the penis. 2 days later, all these red spots disappeared. Are all these related to Herpes HSV 1? Is it so called outbreak due to friction?

(d) Do I need to separate the washing of my clothes, trowel etc. with other family member?

(e) Using condom to for virginal intercourse, can I prevent the disease from spreading to the partner 100%? How effective is the condom?

(f) People having HSV 1 will they be banned from entering and work / reside in certain countries?

(g) Can I share items like toilet seat, soap, trowel, utensil, drinking glass etc with others, will the virus spread? There are a few red spots on my upper inner thighs, were the virus stay at the toilet seat?

(h) On the same day of my last exposure. On my left palm, there was a hard layer of skin (0.5 cm almost circle). I used nail cutter to remove it and it appeared again. Now the layer of skin is a bit different from surrounding skin. It is a bit hard. Is it Herpes on palm?

(i) On the same day of my last exposure. On my right palm, there was a blister (0.3 cm x 0.3 cm). I used my finger nail to remove it. Now the layer of skin is a bit different from surrounding skin. It is a bit hard. Is it Herpes on palm?

(j) How many outbreaks do you have with HSV 1 genital? I heard that most of the people will not have any outbreak for HSV 1 genital after 1-2 years. Is it true?

(k) I also heard that the outbreak for HSV 1 genital is very mild. My 1st episode is very mild, no pain and

Re :   Telling your loved ones that you have herpes.

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I have been diagnosed having HSV 1 genital due to my stupidness. I have been working in Dubai for the past 2 years and back home only twice a year. I fully regretted what I have committed.

I have a few questions to ask, I truly appreciate if there is anyone can give me the answers / advice.

(a) have a small red patch (size 0.5cm x 0.5cm - red waxy look) at the 'shaft' of my penis after 13 days of exposure. Doctor diagnosed that it is HSV 1 genital. Does the red patch looks like HSV 1 genital? So far I have no blisters in genital. (My IgG 1 is positive and IgG 2 is negative).

(b) Red spots were appeared on my arm, chest, stomach and upper inner thighs. If I used finger nail to squeeze, there are little bit of fluid being squeezed out and the colour of the spots turned black. Do all these spots look like Herpes? Can Herpes HSV 1 genital transmit to all these areas? Is it possible that I have used the same trowel or finger touched the affected area and affected other areas?

(c) I have protected virginal sex on 27th June 2008 and there were some (about 5-7) tiny red spots appeared at the 'shaft' of the penis. 2 days later, all these red spots disappeared. Are all these related to Herpes HSV 1? Is it so called outbreak due to friction?

(d) Do I need to separate the washing of my clothes, trowel etc. with other family member?

(e) Using condom to for virginal intercourse, can I prevent the disease from spreading to the partner 100%? How effective is the condom?

(f) People having HSV 1 will they be banned from entering and work / reside in certain countries?

(g) Can I share items like toilet seat, soap, trowel, utensil, drinking glass etc with others, will the virus spread? There are a few red spots on my upper inner thighs, were the virus stay at the toilet seat?

(h) On the same day of my last exposure. On my left palm, there was a hard layer of skin (0.5 cm almost circle). I used nail cutter to remove it and it appeared again. Now the layer of skin is a bit different from surrounding skin. It is a bit hard. Is it Herpes on palm?

(i) On the same day of my last exposure. On my right palm, there was a blister (0.3 cm x 0.3 cm). I used my finger nail to remove it. Now the layer of skin is a bit different from surrounding skin. It is a bit hard. Is it Herpes on palm?

(j) How many outbreaks do you have with HSV 1 genital? I heard that most of the people will not have any o

Re :   why i started this forum

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 i see... yes i hope my parents and loved ones can accept and forgive me. Cannot let my life be defined by H and let them down...

btw... i didn't know that the NSC deals with this, i've always thought that only the Kelantan clinic is the only place for medication and consultations.

Re :   why i started this forum

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Well it seems that you have skin related problems which needs help. Perhaps you can try Herpanacine http://diamondformulas.com/herpana.htm which made ahuge difference in my life as I have sensitive skin since young. On the topic of telling your parents - well, .... remember this - it is you who are suffering - not them.  They will be sad for you but they will rally around you too.
Just remember - 30% or more of people in the 1st World lives with this problem adn continue to have steady and happy lives.  You will too.
ALso, perhaps a visit to National Skin Centre to see if the Dr's there can help you with your Whitlow problem and Herpes, as it is good to have proper medical support on hand.  Anyway the Dr's there have seen it all!
Good luck!

Re :   why i started this forum

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hey AI-Cracker, thanks for sharing your experience.
I think it's great that you have found a partner that can accept herpes and that the both of you are happily married with healthy kids.

i'm not married but i guess i still have some time since i'm still relatively young (under 30)..

i have hsv2 genital and also whitlow... i wasn't aware that i have whitlow till this year actually... it's quite inconvenient and the outbreaks are more frequent than my genital. i dun take any special diet stuff, but my genital outbreaks are around 1/2 per year too i think. But for my finger, it's much frequent. i'm still keeping a watch on it... i think it comes up when i get emotionally stressed or something.

btw, do your parents know? i am scared to let my parents know. It will hurt them immensely.

thanks again for sharing.

Re :   Telling your loved ones that you have herpes.

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Telling your loved ones that you have contracted Herpes is a most difficult thing to do.
However, I feel that educating the person on Herpes is a good way to ease the shock.
I told my wife about my condition and at the same time, I provided her all the websites and online resources to help her understand fully the trauma I was going through.
Always remember that a person could have contracted it some time ago and be asymptomatic for a long period of time and the first symtoms and flare up can happen plenty of time after the initial contracting stage as the virus sits quietly in our spinal cord nervous system.
But I am sure that honestly is the best policy, and it begins with telling and informing your loved ones about your condition rather than hiding it.

Re :   why i started this forum

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Hi There.  I just joined this forum and I hope I can help others with my experience living with herpes.  I was diagnosed with Herpes 10 years ago.  I got it from un-protected sex with a ex-gf of mine!
In my case, the outbreaks were as frequent as 6 outbreaks a year.  The suffering was endless and my GP saw me so often as I had to keep refilling my supply of acyclovir.  Life was really horrible.
Then I started to research online for alternative ways to keep the virus from recurring too often as it was really a damper on my life.

I found these the most useful -
a) stop eating foods that are too rich in Arginine - nuts, chocolates etc..
b) wear loose and breezy underwear hence our privates are kept cool
c) use aloe vera gels on the blisters when an outbreak occurs, and we can choose to keep using aloe vera gels on the afflicted areas even after the sores and ulcers disappear asit seems to keep the skin "happy" and hence reduces the chances of outbreak
d) Excercise and work out and quit smoking
e) I bought a herbal remedy called Herpanacine from GNC stores here in Singapore and eversince then I have been taking Herpanacine pills as part of a vitamin type daily routine - since then my outbreaks has gone from 6 to 8 times a year to once a year and I spent all of 2006 Herpes free! One outbreak in 2007!

My advice to all fellow herpes sufferers is to be honest with your partner (ie. tell them u got herpes - u dun have to tell them WHEN u got it!) as the virus can sit dormant in your spinal cord nervous system for years before it is suddenly "activated". #0% to 50% of the poeple in the 1st World suffers from Herpes and it is just that many chose to suffer i silence.

I am presently happily married and I have a wonderful kid and I am planning to have more kids with my wife .  Despite the Herpes and my having passed the virus to my wife, we have healthy and lovely children.

What I am trying to say is that Herpes is not the end all, but just a small bump on our way to a happy and fulfilling life - if we know how to manage it.

Topic :   Clarify your doubts about herpes and find out more

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There are several places where you can get herpes advice,
please read up more about herpes so that you and others can be protected.

here are some good sites:

Professional advice for STI/herpes online queries - http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/195

You can find a handbook with very clear info about herpes here - http://www.westoverheights.com/

Singapore DSC clinic - http://dsc-sexualhealth.com.sg/
They have a hotline where you can call and ask for advice.

Call 62952944 - for pre-recorded information on HIV and STI in 4 languages.

Call 1800 2521324 or 62946300 - to speak to a counsellor

Another good forum to find out more about herpes and living with herpes info is
http://www.yoshi2me.com/

Topic :   Telling your loved ones that you have herpes.

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Telling your loved one that you have herpes and then telling her how you got it,
this isn't easy...

but i have to do it. To give her a choice, because no one wants to be lied to or cheated or get herpes.

i told my gf and she's devastated. i feel very regretful for my past actions.

even though it happened before i met her, it is still a shameful thing. she hates me and is very very upset.
i do not know how to live on... but i have to.

i still think that it's proper that i told her. i don't want to infect her to make her stay with me. It's stupid to do that.

i have not told my parents, i hope i can live life properly and give them a good life and don't let them worry about me.

Topic :   why i started this forum

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hi there,

i was diagnosed with herpes infection in 2004 and have been trying to live with it. It's incurable (although vaccine studies are underway) and frankly, i have fears and depressive thoughts sometimes that any future girlfriend would reject me and i would have to live alone for the rest of my life.

i've searched online for support groups or dating sites for herpes infected people and most of these forums/sites are international with zero/few locals.

I hope to get to know more local people and i wish there was a local online support group. i hope to form a little network with singaporeans, something like a support group.

This is why this forum is created.