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to be really angry that Molluscum Contagiosum is being described by "French Experts" as a sexually transmitted disease

31 replies

somewhereaclockisticking · 22/03/2013 10:46

Researchers have looked at 30 patients with the average age of under 30 who visit a private clinic to have bikini waxes and fear that the spread of this STD is down to hair removal in this way - WTF?

Alot of the time when I mention Molluscum, people claim to not have a clue what it is and yet later admit that their kids have had it - and it's a bitch to get rid of because there are no effective treatments out there but it is NOT an STD - it can be easy to pick up via skin on skin contact - hence why alot of youngsters do get it around "that" part of their body - but it can be caught by anyone of any age and because it is easy to pass on it runs rife throughout schools. It is actually related to smallpox but is completely harmless although very ugly when your skin is blistering up and the spots can become very itchy (usually before they are about to burst). Unfortunately the virus is untreatable and can last up to 4 years so children cannot be kept off school for such a problem and are best just keeping their skin covered and not sharing towels/bedding etc.

The best thing would be for the "experts" to inform all schools and nurseries so people don't panic about the condition. All my children have had it at some point and the youngest was bullied at school so badly that she had to be removed - the "Head" claimed she was trying to "infect" the other kids! I had to drag my dd3 into school crying her eyes out because she was being teased and bullied over her condition - this left her deeply scarred long after the molluscum cleared up. I bought everything I could to try and help speed up the process (Zymaderm from the USA - Molluscum no More from Holland and Thuja tablets from the chemist) but nothing worked. It just had to work it's way through her system. To now read that it is being called an STD will only make it worse for children at school and for those that can't hide it - the bullying and stigma will only make their lives even more of a misery.

My dd2 caught it first from her friend when they went swimming - at least that's what I believe because it was after this incident that the spots first appeared and my friend then said her child had it. DD2 passed it on to dd1 but then they both got rid of it after a few months (and not many spots) and dd3 first showed signs about a year later but she suffered the worst. When kids asked what the spots were she just replied "oh that's just my molluscum" and for 2 years no-one batted an eyelid until we moved area and herb new classmates (and teachers) weren't so nice - imagine now some parent reads that it's an STD - would you let your child play with a 6 year old that you thought had an STD?? I just feel so angry and I wish that doctors would campaign so that people are better informed about it rather than allowing people to continue to think that this - very common - disease is an STD.

Thank you - rant over - but hopefully anyone out there who doesn't know about Molluscum will now know it's horrible but not sexually transmitted.

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ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 22/03/2013 10:52

I've actually never heard of it so I had a google. It seems that the example given for adults who get it is indeed sexual contact. click here but children and young adults are most commonly the ones who get it and it's through close contact and sharing.

So yes, some awareness raising would be a good idea. It even says that it's mostly children who get it! I don't see how it can be called an std. That's just lazy when the facts appear to be that one of the ways adults may get it is sexual contact, but it's mostly something that kids get.

That's not the same thing, really, as something like gonorrhea or syphilis!