Medical Self-Care
(Page 3 of 3)
March/April 1981
By the Mother Earth News editors
THE REAL DANGERS
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Herpes sores are sometimes confused with those of syphilis. Both appear as red blisters, and both clear themselves up after a (variable) period of time. Herpes blisters, however, are almost always painful, while those of syphilis, a much more dangerous disease, are generally painless. If you even think that a genital sore might be a symptom of syphilis, call your local health department or visit a doctor. It takes many years for the symptoms of advanced syphilis to appear, but when they do, they can be terribly serious.
Another real danger associated with herpes is its apparent link with cervical cancer. It is not yet known whether herpes can actually cause this cancer, but a correlation has been found between the two diseases. Cervical cancer is nearly 100% curable if detected early. Women with herpes should probably have two Pap tests a year, rather than the one test usually recommended.
Finally, it is true that a pregnant woman can— only if she's in her prodrome or has active sores at the time of delivery—transmit herpes to her child. Because of this, most doctors insist upon performing caesarean sections on mothers who are in a contagious stage.
RESOURCES
HELP, a program of the American Social Health Association, provides personal support for people with herpes. Membership includes access to the private HELPLINE telephone service staffed by health educators and resource librarians, and to the local herpes support groups now meeting in many cities in the United States and Canada. HELP membership also includes a subscription to THE HELPER . . . a quarterly newsletter, which is the best resource for keeping up on the research, psychological, and public policy aspects of herpes. For free information on membership send a stamped, selfaddressed, business-size envelope to HELP/ASHA, Dept. TMEN, Box 100, Palo Alto, California 94302.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Tom Fergu. son's quarterly journal, Medical Self. Cam, is available for $15 per year from Medical Self-Care, Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box 717, Inverness, California 94937. A sample issue is $4.00. Dr. Ferguson's new book, also titled Medical Self-Care, is available from Mother's Bookshelf, P. O. Box 70, Hendersonville, North Caro. lina 28791 for $8.95, plus 950 postage and handling.
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