Get Our Legislators to Make HSV Testing a Routine Part of Annual Exams
During your annual wellness exams, doctors are leaving out this important test.
HSV (herpes simplex virus) is currently not included in a standard panel of STD exams; in fact, the CDC recommends against it! We aim to change this. Our goal is to get legislators to include genital herpes testing alongside Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and hpv testing during annual STD exams. We need to get our legislators to put pressure on the CDC to enact this change to protect ourselves and future generations. Making genital HSV-1 and 2 a routine part of our annual STDS exams will help stop the spread of HSV. Please join this page and help spread the word!
Doctors typically only test for HSV is when patients display physical symptoms, at which point they will perform a swab (this is not the same as a pap smear swab). HSV is a highly asymptomatic disease however; most people are unaware they have it. Year after year patients are told they are std-free, when in fact, they have been exposed to herpes and it is lying dormant in their system. Herpes carriers are unknowingly spreading the virus by the millions. This is truly a silent epidemic!
DID YOU KNOW?
? HSV is NOT automatically included in a woman?s annual pap smears and men's annual exams. Even when patients ask to be tested for everything, "everything" does not include HSV-1 or HSV-2, unless physical symptoms are present. The CDC recommends AGAINST testing for HSV. The exception to this general recommendation is that most Planned Parenthood and STD-specific clinics allow you to take an HSV blood test regardless of your symptoms.
Source: (1)
? 48 million Americans currently have HSV-2. 150-200 million Americans have HSV-1. **ONLY 10% OF THOSE WITH HSV ARE AWARE THAT THEY ARE CARRIERS.**
(2)(3)(4)
? 90% of those with HSV are asymptomatic (meaning they display no symptoms), or show little to no symptoms, yet they still spread the virus 20% of the time. 90% of those who carry herpes have no idea that they are carriers.
(5)
? HSV increases your chances of acquired HIV by up to three times, and has been linked to Alzheimer?s and cervical cancer.
(6)(7)
? Condoms are only partially effective against HSV, as the virus can be present in your the entire boxer short/bikini region.
(8)
Please DEMAND that your doctor give you a blood test for HSV, and stop the spread! Let's put pressure on the CDC and on our legislators to make this crucial change to STD testing--Include HSV testing as routine on annual STD exams!
Sources:
(1) http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/...ssrelease.html
(2) www.cdc.gov
(3) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18418295
(4) www.herpes-coldsores.com
(5) http://journals.lww.com/stdjournal/F...s_2_in.10.aspx
(6) http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-10/h...e?_s=PM:HEALTH
(7) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1207134109.htm
(8) http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.htm "Genital ulcer diseases and HPV infections
Doctors typically only test for HSV is when patients display physical symptoms, at which point they will perform a swab (this is not the same as a pap smear swab). HSV is a highly asymptomatic disease however; most people are unaware they have it. Year after year patients are told they are std-free, when in fact, they have been exposed to herpes and it is lying dormant in their system. Herpes carriers are unknowingly spreading the virus by the millions. This is truly a silent epidemic!
DID YOU KNOW?
? HSV is NOT automatically included in a woman?s annual pap smears and men's annual exams. Even when patients ask to be tested for everything, "everything" does not include HSV-1 or HSV-2, unless physical symptoms are present. The CDC recommends AGAINST testing for HSV. The exception to this general recommendation is that most Planned Parenthood and STD-specific clinics allow you to take an HSV blood test regardless of your symptoms.
Source: (1)
? 48 million Americans currently have HSV-2. 150-200 million Americans have HSV-1. **ONLY 10% OF THOSE WITH HSV ARE AWARE THAT THEY ARE CARRIERS.**
(2)(3)(4)
? 90% of those with HSV are asymptomatic (meaning they display no symptoms), or show little to no symptoms, yet they still spread the virus 20% of the time. 90% of those who carry herpes have no idea that they are carriers.
(5)
? HSV increases your chances of acquired HIV by up to three times, and has been linked to Alzheimer?s and cervical cancer.
(6)(7)
? Condoms are only partially effective against HSV, as the virus can be present in your the entire boxer short/bikini region.
(8)
Please DEMAND that your doctor give you a blood test for HSV, and stop the spread! Let's put pressure on the CDC and on our legislators to make this crucial change to STD testing--Include HSV testing as routine on annual STD exams!
Sources:
(1) http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/...ssrelease.html
(2) www.cdc.gov
(3) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18418295
(4) www.herpes-coldsores.com
(5) http://journals.lww.com/stdjournal/F...s_2_in.10.aspx
(6) http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-10/h...e?_s=PM:HEALTH
(7) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1207134109.htm
(8) http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.htm "Genital ulcer diseases and HPV infections
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