SHAME

MAY BE FATAL

IF YOU FEAR YOU HAVE

CONTRACTED

A DISEASE

DONT LET FALSE SHAME DESTROY HEALTH & HAPPINESS CONSULT A REPUTABLE PHYSICIAN

HERPES & GENITAL WARTS

HERPES & GENITAL WARTS SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Herpes is caused by the incurable Herpes simplex virus (HSV), which attacks the genitals, mouth, anus, eyes, and breaks in the skin. HSV travels up a nerve pathway and lodges there until illness or stress allow it to return to the surface entry point. There it replicates, causing tingling, followed by the eruption of clear blisters, called vesicles. These break open, leaving painful, ulcerated sores. The sores heal in 1-2 weeks, but HSV remains in the nerve, ready to strike again. Herpes can pass from mother to child during birth and the infection may be fatal to newborns, so women with HSV often must give birth by Caesarean section to prevent vaginal contact with the baby. Oral sex can also transmit HSV, and the type that causes cold sores on the lips can also affect the genitals. Herpes can be spread to different sites on the same person as well. Related to Herpes simplex, but not sexually transmitted, are the chicken pox virus and the shingles virus Herpes zoster, the latter sometimes an opportunistic infection among people with AIDS.

Genital warts (condyloma), caused by the incurable human papilloma virus (HPV), are fleshy growths on the genitals, anus, and sometimes throat. A Pap smear or physical exam will detect them and they can be removed from the skin, but HPV remains in the underlying tissue and can recur. Warts are usually painless, but some strains are linked to cervical cancer in women. HIV-infected people are particularly susceptible to repeated outbreaks of HPV.

HPV and HSV are spread by direct contact, even when there is no visible wart or vesicle. Condoms and dental dams do not protect uncovered areas, but they do reduce your risk of infection. Next card 78: The Demographics of AIDS IN AFRICA

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