I heard Chloe say the same thing, so I tend to believe him,
especially since it's highly contagious. But nothing serious? It doesn't sound very pleasant, to say the least. Ick. I don't think they'd be very happy about people knowing this.

Here is what Herpes.com has to say:

Genital herpes is a contagious viral infection affecting primarily the genitals of men and women. It is characterized by recurrent clusters of vesicles and lesions at the genital areas. It has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S.; 500,000 are diagnosed each year. One in five American adults has herpes, but only one third of those inflicted are aware that they have the virus.

Transmission is caused by close oral, anal, or genital contact, including intercourse, masturbation, kissing, or any direct skin-to-skin contact which allows for the transfer of bodily fluids.

A person is considered contagious when prodromal symptoms, active sores, and healing lesions are present.

Herpes is potentially contagious even when no symptoms are present. That is, a person who has genital herpes is potentially always shedding active virus.

Approximately 1 in 6 members of the general infected population is thought to shed active virus occasionally without symptoms:

Some people do not get typical blister-like sores but harbor active virus in their saliva, vaginal, or penile secretions, and can shed the virus without knowing they have herpes.

Lesions can occur deep inside the vagina where they cannot be seen or felt, but can readily transmit the virus.

An uninfected individual has about a 75% chance of contracting herpes during intimate contact with someone actively shedding virus.

Oral herpes can be transmitted to the genitals, and vice versa. Symptoms are similar.

Auto-inoculation: An infected individual can spread the virus to other parts of his or her body by touching an area shedding virus and then touching, scratching, or rubbing another susceptible part of the body. Towels are especially conducive to this.

It is possible for a person to contract genital herpes If the partner with oral herpes performs oral sex. Oral herpes can be transmitted to the genitals, and vice versa. Symptoms are similar.

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That was twenty years ago, and I don't know how treatments have changed or what they are using now. I had thought that maybe they have better treatments. Maybe somebody can fill us in on that.

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Now, taking a daily pill for awhile can stop breakouts from happening almost altogether.

I also got genital herpes when I was performing. I took Valtrex for a couple of months and have only had one outbreak since, at a time when I was working about 60 hours a week and really tired. I took Valtrex again for two weeks, and haven't had an outbreak since.

I don't know about "all" porn performers having contracted herpes, although it does seem like quite a few have.
It seems to me like most of the porn performers I've been around have a pretty good idea of the risks of the more minor STDs like herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, etc.
As for hepatits and HIV, well, those are a separate category.

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i should be so lucky, lucky lucky lucky

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it does seem like it comes with the job. i'm sure if new performers knew they were going to get herpes from the buisness they'd reconsider starting out.

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Anyway, a friend of mine works in the medical field and he was saying that a Cure/Vaccine for the virus is only a few years away. I also remember hearing about on the news!

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HSV most commonly affects the mucus membranes. it needs some damage to the skin to enter if its not through MM contact. You see it in wrestlers (Herpes Gladatorum) who get abrasions on mats that have the virus from saliva. Also, you can get it on your hands (herpetic whitlow) either through touching your own virus or that of others.
Antiviral drugs stop the virus from replicating, or at least slow it down. The herpes virus incorporates itself into your own cellular DNA, though, so its around forever (like ugly luggage) and can always reactivated.

The most recent vaccine studies showed that it only worked for women that have never been exposed to the virus. Still a ways out for a successful cure.

Myk

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soo many times iv seen rocco movies and they were all were unprotected.

std is an std! i feel terrible knowing that he has been giving all those girls non curable dizeases!

what if i ever made it to the porn business, i dont want to have sex with a girl and get herpes!!!

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iv read somewhere else a long time ago that more then 1/5 of all americans have herpes.

i had no idea the stats were that high, would this mean that nearly all performers have it also? is it avoidable?

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The good news is that if you are lucky enough to become infected with one or more of the relatively benign sub-species, you get few-to-none outbreaks and that's all you'll ever get. The more virulent types can never move in to take over. If you are unlucky, you get one or more of the really nasty ones and, without medication, it makes your life miserable.

There have even been (a very few) doctors who have suggested that it might be effective to infect people with some of the lesser active herpes virus sub-species at an early age, protecting them from the pain and suffering of serious outbreaks later in life. Unfortunately, its been discovered that not all varieties produce the same levels of sores in all people - in other words, your own body chemistry and/or genetics seem to contribute greatly to the range of reaction and severity of a specific herpes virus. So much for that not-so-bright idea.

Regardless, it is estimated that better than 90% of the adult population world-wide has been infected with at least one of the several hundred herpes cousins.

~ GaySatyr

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Edited by - skronker on 11/19/2003 4:00:43 AM

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