Genital herpes is a downright scary subject for everyone. A health concern for some, a health issue to others, genital herpes affects everyone, from those still filled with virility to those past their sexual odysseys to those entering puberty. Genital herpes can be that landmine that prevents most people from considering one-night stands and casual flings, while for others it’s the shackles that prevents them from seeking or maintaining a fulfilling, romantic relationship. Many people who have genital herpes don’t even know they have it. There’s never been a sign, an indication.

The scariest truth surrounding genital herpes is that there still is no cure for the disease. The closest the medical world has come to a cure has been medications that can clear up outbreaks and reduce their frequencies.

List of Medications According to MayoClnic.com

• Acyclovir (Zovirax)
• Famciclovir (Famvir)
• Valacyclovir (Valtrex)

Natural Cures for Outbreaks of Genital Herpes

• Minimalize contact with infected partners
• Avoid sweeteners
• Ice packs
• Pain relievers
• Hydrogen peroxide to keep infections cleaned
• Use fresh linens and clothes
• Drink plenty of fluids – minimalize pain of urination
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

These same medications may reduce the chances of infecting a partner. Here’s where the situation goes from scary to morbid: nowhere has any organization or professional stepped up and said that medications will reduce risk of spreading, so if you are caring, don’t be so selfish as to not tell your partner. No matter what the conditions were that lead to your contraction, the only way to start breaking the horrific cycle of reckless herpes spreading is to stop yourself.

Ways to Reduce the Chances of Spreading Genital Herpes

• Abstinence – Not the most enviable, but the safest way. The issue is your partner’s health, not your pleasure
• Contraceptives – Worst to worst – covering the genital regions help
• Cleanliness – Keep the area fresh and clean

Ways to Reduce the Chances of Outbreaks of Genital Herpes

• Keep Healthy – Keep a steady supply of vitamin C and multiple vitamins to keep your immune system up. Some researchers believe there is a link to outbreaks of genital herpes and weakened immune systems.
• Keep at peace – a relaxed, happy person with less stress is often more likely to have breakouts than a stressed individual. “Don’t Worry. Be Happy,” and whatnot.

If You Think You Are Infected with Genital Herpes

If you think you are infected with genital herpes, go get it checked out at a clinic. There’s a couple reasons for doing so:
1) Knowing leads to easier treatments and reduces the stress from the fear of not knowing. And, stress can lead to more breakouts, so, once again, relax.

2) Other conditions can look like genital herpes and not be genital herpes. No need trying to go blind researching your condition and getting sick loading up on home remedies for what could be papules or chicken pox (ouch).

Be respectful of those around you. The only way we get through this life is together.

- Martin

Do you have any home remedies for genital herpes? Comment and tell us about them!

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Nobody in my family ever had mono that I know of and in a family of eight that’s pretty darn good. But I do remember pestering my older brother a lot for “smooching” on his girlfriend. “Ew, that’s gross,” I’d say, “You’re gonna get Mono.” I probably didn’t even know what mono was. All I knew was that kissing was how you got it. Kissing was gross enough at 11 years old, but to know you could pass on an illness doing it made it all that much more DISGUSTING. Little did I know, within a couple of years I would outgrow that revulsion to kissing, and then mono was the furthest thing from my mind.

What is Mono?

Mononucleosis (commonly called mono and known as “the kissing disease”) is a viral infection characterized by a fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes or glands. It’s usually linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) but can also be caused by other organisms such as cytomegalovirus (CMV).

What Causes Mono?

Mono is transmitted through saliva and although kissing can pass the virus, so too can coughing, sneezing, or sharing a glass or food utensil. It is often thought of as being highly contagious, but is much less so than other viral infections such as the common cold and isn’t very severe. It is more common in adolescents between 15-17 years old, but anyone can get it at any age. A blood test can be performed to test for mono. Once it’s contracted, the virus remains in your body, but it’s not serious. Most people have been exposed to EBV or CMV by the time they are 35, and have built up antibodies. The antibodies ensure immunity and mono can’t be contracted again.

Signs and Symptoms

The first signs begin with a general sense of fatigue, malaise (ill feeling), fever, headache and sore throat. The tonsils may be quite swollen, sometimes with yellowish-white spots covering them. The glands or lymph nodes in the neck will also be swollen and potentially quite painful. Here is a list of probable symptoms:
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Fever
• Sore throat
• General feeling Illness
• Swollen Lymph Nodes in neck and armpits
• Swollen tonsils
• Loss of appetite
• Night sweats
• Muscle aches or stiffness
• Rash

Other symptoms that may accompany the infection:
• Jaundice (yellow cast to skin)
• Headache
• Neck stiffness
• Sensitivity to light
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Rapid heart rate
• Fatigue
• Nosebleed
• Hives
• Swollen spleen

Home Remedies

There is no known cure for the viral infection. Treating the symptoms is the best we can do as the virus works its course. When symptoms are severe, rest and plenty of liquids are mandatory as well as the best treatments. Normal activity can be resumed after the symptoms lessen.

For Sore throat:

• Mix a teaspoon of honey in a cup of herbal tea and drink several times a day
• Grate fresh ginger root and mix with about a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to form a paste—take by teaspoonfuls a couple of times a day; ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory and will boost the immune system because of its antioxidant properties

For Fever:

• Rest
• Take a cool bath or shower
• Drink plenty of clear liquids, not too hot or too cold

For Headaches, body aches and stiffness:

• Herbal teas sage, lavender, chamomile, and peppermint will help relax and reduce aches and pains in the body and head.
• Fresh carrot juice

The most important things are rest, rest, rest and fluids, fluids, fluids. It can’t be said enough. The illness lasts from 2-6 weeks with the symptoms worse within the first week. The feeling of over-all fatigue could linger up to 6 months after the initial onset of mono symptoms even though the disease itself has run its course. Just rest when you can, and take moderate exercise such as walking in daily doses to help keep up strength.

-Anne

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I’m not a guy, obviously, but in the spirit of National Condom Week I thought what the hell. Let’s talk about premature ejaculation, one of the most common sexual dysfunctions among men, affecting 25 to 40% of the male population. Don’t get too worked up; there’s good news: premature ejaculation is also the easiest sexual problem to cure, which should make you and your sexual partner more than happy.

What does premature ejaculation mean exactly? It means that a man reaches orgasm too soon, losing voluntary control over ejaculation. But how do you know if you’re reaching orgasm too soon? It’s a good question, but it’s also one with inconsistent answers:

…sex researchers have defined premature ejaculation as occurring if the man ejaculates within two minutes of penetration; however, a survey by Alfred Kinsey in the 1950s demonstrated that three quarters of men ejaculate within two minutes of penetration in over half of their sexual encounters. Today, most sex therapists understand premature ejaculation as occurring when a lack of ejaculatory control interferes with sexual or emotional well-being in one or both partners.
–Wikipedia

Home Remedies and Treatments for Premature Ejaculation

Practice makes perfect. A lot of times adolescents or less sexually active males suffer from premature ejaculation simply because they are not used to or are confident in having sex. So to counteract this you have to learn control, which also means having more sex and having it more often.

Start and stop. When you feel yourself nearing your peak, withdraw for a couple seconds to regain your cool. This technique can prolong sex and your sexual pleasure.

A lot of men suffer premature ejaculation due to weak pelvic muscles. Kegel exercises (yes the kind women do) can help men delay ejaculation. Kegel exercises are simple: just contract your behind about 10-15 times about 5 times a day. This not only strengthens your pelvic muscles but it also teaches you how to delay ejaculation through contractions.

Get your woman to ride cowboy. Seriously. You can control the movement of a woman’s hips while she’s on top, thus lengthening your sexual experience. If you become too aroused, you can slow her down. Plus… it spices things up in the bedroom!

You can also try a lotion or a cream that is formulated to delay ejaculation. What’s the secret? They numb you a little so you’re not quite as sensitive, making you can last longer. Take caution though, you may become so desensitized that you might not be able to feel much at all.

Use foreplay to heighten the arousal of your partner. If you give your partner a little bit of a head start you will be more apt to orgasm around the same time.

Ginseng not only gives you a boost of energy throughout your day, but it can also delay ejaculation and improve overall sexual function. This is one of the ingredients found in those penis pills you see all the time on TV. A couple other ingredients found in such herbal pills are ginkgo balboa and horny goat weed.

–Magdalena

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Valentines Day is just around the corner, a day filled with candy, flowers and best of all, lovings! So it is only appropriate that today starts National Condom Week. Condoms not only reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy but are also the best way to protect against STDs and STIs, besides abstinence. According to the American Social Health Association:

…each year in the U.S. there are approximately 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STI), about half of which occur among youth ages 15-24.

That’s a lot of sexually transmitted diseases and infections. So do your part to protect yourself and the ones you love by practicing safe sex, not just this week, but all year long.

Condom Myths BUSTED!

Having sex with a condom is safe.
As paradoxal as it sounds, the only safe sex is no sex. A condom is not 100% effective in preventing pregnancy, STDs or STIs. However, it is MUCH more effective than not using anything at all.

Why use a condom when condoms don’t work then?
Condoms DO work almost all the time when they are used correctly. The chances of pregnancy drop significantly: 2% to 15%. Compare that to an 85% failure rate of unprotected sex. Condoms are also 80% to 97% effective in protecting against STDs, STIs and HIV.

Condoms break a lot.
When used correctly, condoms break only 2% of the time. But this means you don’t use certain kinds of lube with condoms, nor do you double them up. Doubling up condoms actually provides you with less protection, since the friction makes it more likely for a condom to break.

All guys hate using a condom.
Number one: if a guy will not use a condom when you ask him to, he’s not worth it. Period. It’s not a matter of trust, it’s a matter of respect. Why should you put your health or even your life in danger? A lot of people carry STDs and STIs without even knowing it, a prime example of this being HPV (human papillomavirus). HPV can cause cervical cancer women.

Condoms don’t have to be a mood-killer in your relationship. In fact, condom play can be a fun thing for you and your partner to try out next time in the bedroom. Incorporate it into a little bit of foreplay or even roleplay and see what happens from there. They also make condoms with different textures and flavors!

Condoms can be reused.
First of all, yuck. Second, not true. Condoms are made for one-time usage. If used more than once, it’s more likely to fail, so spare the extra 5 bucks and invest in a whole box.

Guys can’t feel anything while wearing a condom.
While sensations are a bit dulled, it’s not to say that your guy will not feel anything at all during sex. Actually, because you are more relaxed, since you’re not thinking about becoming pregnant or contracting an infection, the love you make may even be more enjoyable.

–Magdalena

Do you have a condom myth to share? Comment and tell us about it.

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