Herpes is here on Capitol Campus
By Monica Auld
Herpes, the “new” disease
everyone is talking about, is
here on Capitol Campus. The
medical department confirms
that there are cases on campus,
hut also that student awareness
is not as wide as it should be.
So here are the facts.
Like mononucleosis, Herpes
is a virus. There are many
Herpes strains, but two of
them, Herpes Simplex I and
Herpes Simplex II are the most
common forms. Herpes Virus
Simplex I (HSV-I) is spread by
kissing or direct skin-to-skin
contact, while sexuaL inter
course transmits the Simplex II
(HSV-II) from one person to
another. HSV-II is more painful
as illustrated by some of its vic
tims in a recent Newsweek
article:
“I had so much fever and
pain that I had to go to bed. It
was like scraping your knee
and someone putting salt in it.”
“I thought I’d died,” says one
Manhattan municipal
employee. “I couldn’t sit or
bend over. I couldn’t walk.”
These are typical first attack
reactions to genital Herpes
(HSV-II). These symptoms
range from headaches and
fever to stiff joints and painful
blisters that appear on or near
the genitals. Tliese lesions,
which appear between 2 and 20
days after exposure, are yellow
with bright red edges and may
last for up to three weeks. Then
they heal and disappear. The
sad part is the virus remains
dormant in the victim; it does
not disappear.
Periodic reappearances of the
lesions can occur in no par-
“...the central truth about Herpes is that those who experience such emotional upset, anxiety, and stress
over the are much more likely to have a difficult time with it than are folks who remain calm.
Adopting a positive attitute - a ‘wellness orientation’ - seems the best way to break the psychological
‘grip’ofHerpes and help your body cure any attack that might occur.”
ticular pattern, but there does
seen to be some connection
between physical and/or emo
tional stress and the recurrence
of the blisters. According to Dr.
Tom Ferguson, contributing
medical alitor to the Mother
Earth News, there is hope for
management of Herpes.
“...the central truth about
Herpes is that those who ex
perience such emotional upset,
anxiety, and stress over the ill
ness are much more likely to
have a difficult time with it
than are folks who remain
calm. Adopting a positive at
titude—a ‘wellness orienta
tion’—seems fee best way to
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break the psychological ‘grip’
of Herpes and help your body
cure any attack that might
occur.”
While there is no cure for
these types of Herpes at the
present time, there are some
concrete treatments that can
help ease the pain and
discomfort.
An ointment called Acyclovir
seems to have the most pro
found effect on the virus. It
speeds the healing of existing
sores and may prevent the
spreading of more of the lesions
on the body. If used on primary
(first attack) sores, the drug is
more effective in controlling
future outbreaks. This ointment
is distributed by the Burroughs
Wellcome Company, under the
name of Zovirax, at about
$20.00 per tube which lasts
about 3 days.
Herpes is a special problem
for women. It lias been sug
gested that there is a link bet
* ween cervical cancer and
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plagued
herpes
KOHaJ herpes* which
** cafled the fastest growing
smally transmitted disease in the
& today. Over 20 million
tericans have-it, and, unfortu-
J)t as many as half a million more
and women—-tnainlv between (he
yf 18 and 35—may be contracting
lection every year.
Herpes. Some experts estimate
that the risk is eight times as
great for women who have
Herpes to develop cancer than
those who do not. In addition,
pregnant Herpes victims run a
high risk of bearing a baby with
skin problems or brain damage
if the child is delivered vaginally.
This can be prevented if the at
Dr. Tom Ferguson
tending doctor knows in ad-
vance of the mother’s condition
and a Caesarean section will be
performed.
The best way to keep Herpes
at bay is to maintain a
meticulous hygiene program.
Victims should bathe frequent
ly, keep areas that are infected
dry, and above all else, should
not scratch since this is how
most infections are spread the
fastest.
Is there life after Herpes?
Ferguson seems to think it’s
part medical and part attitude.
“Many experts call Herpes
incurable because there is—at
present—no drug capable of
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destroying the virus and no vac
cine able to confer immunity.
The same facts are true...of the
common cold...the body deals
with a Herpes infection in the
same way it copes with a cold:
It mobilizes the immune system
to cure. In fact, only about one
third of the people who acquire
the virus ever experience tne
recurrent flare-ups thought to
be always associated with it.”
The key to dealing with
Herpes then is to remain calm
and if you suspect you are in-
fected, get to a doctor as soon
as possible. Early treatment
will reap benefits later in life. If
embarrassment is the reason
you aren’t checking it out,
remember this: There are 20
million others suffering right
along with you. Get help. There
are professionals in the area
who are specifically trained to
understand your situation.
Tel-Med, a free tape service
sponsored by Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of Pennsylvania,
has a 3-5 minute tape on
Herpes. Simply dial the number
in your area and ask for tape
number 5101. It is an infor-
mative piece on symptoms and
treatments for those who
suspect they may have Herpes.
In Harrisburg, call 238-5100;
in Carlisle, dial 243-0080; and in
Elizabethtown, the number to
call is 362-8833
loto by Michael Markle