AIBU to think a 14 month sentence for passing on herpes is thin end of wedge?

[Cheria]

This article has really annoyed me. Herpes is a common virus. Her ex- boyfriend denied passing it on, and lied so is a twunt, of course, but jailing him for 14 months?

With all the STDs tehre are now, some of which are really serious, is this not the thin end of the wedge? Herpes, for me, is a nuisance, but there is no way I would want the person who gave it me to go to jail. It's not AIDS FFS.

Suing someone over this is just opening the way for so many revenge cases. It's worrying that the judicial system is wasting time on this. Disclaimer: if he had knowingly infected her with AIDS it would be a different story.

Just to be absolutely clear - I think anyone deliberately infecting someone with any disease it is a truly horrible thing to do . I don?t have the answer as the best way to people for something like this given how common and how difficult to prove it must be (I am still talking generally at the moment and not just about GH). I would say if I was to be infected deliberately or otherwise with a disease, I would favour GH everytime over some of the other diseases that have been mention, because it is coldsore, nothing more or less. You can talk about the extremely rare complications that can arise but the same could be said of any 'minor ailment' for an unfortunate few.

I don?t know enough about the case in question to comment but for those saying he must be guilty because he pleaded so, perhaps you should read the Private Eye article as this provides a different slant on the case. This case aside though, I suspect very very few people deliberately infect other people - I imagine it is misinformation or embarrassment that is the route cause in 99% of cases. Ironically it is the sort of BS written in these types of threads that perpetulates the misinformation and embarrasment and prevents more people being upfront about it.

What I find amusing is that you are all so outraged about the pain and suffering this awful "incurable" virus can cause yet no-one seems particularly outraged by facial coldsores depsite the fact they are 'incurable' and painful too. Perhaps we could cut through the bullshit and accept that the problem many people have with genital herpes is because it is 'sexually transmitted' and therefore a lot of people find it? well? a bit disgusting! If it's on a respectable place like your mouth that is fine, but on your fanny? omg no! So people hide behind their outrage for this girl and her "ruined" life (despite the fact she is happy in a new relationship withsomeone that isn?t bothered and has a healthy child - just like me and many others on here).

I honestly think most of it is really about fear?. fear that they too could one day get this awful thing too . And lets face it, given how common it is and the fact that most of us are sexually active, there's a good chance they could!

I'm 35 now, I've had GH for 16 years now, I've had time to accept it for what it really is and honestly barely give it a second thought unless I have an (rare) outbreak or because I read something like this. Therefore nothing that has been written has upset me (infuriated me perhaps but not upset me!). I can you now though that if I had read some of the comments on here when I was first diagnosed and therefore not very knowledgable about the subject, I would have been absolutely devestated. Because in that vunerable state I would have believed that my life was over, no-one else would ever want me, that my baby would be born blind or worse blah blah. I also couldn't have failed to pick up on the barely disguised disgust that some people clearly feel about GH, and coming from intelligent, articulate women like yourselves, that would have hurt me a lot. Please just think about that, because we have no idea who is reading the thread and the needless upset it could be causing them.

"?. fear that they too could one day get this awful thing too . And lets face it, given how common it is and the fact that most of us are sexually active, there's a good chance they could!"

Given that more people in the UK are herpes carriers than aren't, even taking into account those posters who have said they have GH, we are looking at around 50% of the other posters having it but not knowing they've got it. As a couple of posters have also said that it is not tested for at GUM units unless the patient is in the middle of an outbreak, those 50% also have absolutely no way of finding out they have it unless they happen to develop an outbreak.

I thought it was the other way round Damsel, that the viral infection was catergorised as to the site of the infection ie herpes on the face (cold sore) is called HSV1, herpes on genitals HSV2

I got that info from Wikipedia "Herpes simplex (Ancient Greek: ἕρπης - herpes, lit. "creeping") is a viral disease caused by both Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Infection with the herpes virus is categorized into one of several distinct disorders based on the site of infection"

or perhaps i have read that wrong?

You've read it wrong. There are two different types of HSV and you can get either anywhere on your body.

wickipidia is very inaccurate on thier info on herpes by the way, they state it is infectious through bodily fluids which is incorrect, so I wouldnt take what they say on any as fact.

there is HSV1 and 2 and either can be contracted on face mouth or genitals, generaly a swab is not carried out.

Claw3

If you'd read a bit further on, you would have seen that the two different strains of HSV can cause herpes infections anywhere on the body.

Roughly 10% of the UK adult population carry HSV2, 60-70% carry HSV1. Both of these strains can manifest as Genital Herpes.

Another thing to note; asymptomatic carriers can infect via viral shedding.

thanks minipie I was just going by what others on the thread have said about the law only covering STDs.

I haven't read the whole thread but there are some glaring inaccuracies in the information that people are stating about herpes.

Herpes is not dangerous, yes it can be painful but in essence it is from the same group of viruses as chicken pox - its a virus that produces small blisters, resolves and goes and sits in a nerve and can come back when you are run down (with chicken pox it comes back as shingles). Most people actively encourage to their children to get chicken pox and nobody is really bothered about coldsores - so really what is the issue?

Herpes has a bad reputation solely because it is a genital infection and people are a little bit prudish!

Other points

1. Yes it can be fatal to newborns if the mother has an infection of primary herpes (first ever infection) and she has a vaginal delivery. If you are having a recurrence of old infection its not really a problem and you would be treated with aciclovir anyway. The chances or a pregnant woman having a primary infection would mean her having a new partner/ new infection within 2 weeks of delivery so unlikely and the woman would be offerred a c/s which would prevent transmission.

1. You can pass on the virus when you don't have any blisters (asymptomatic shedding)

1. You can have the infection and never have any blisters and therefore pass the virus on without knowing

1. A significant proportion of the population have the HSV infection anyway and just don't know it - it could be you!!

1. It is not going to lead to harmful long term health problems

It is absolutely disgraceful that this gentleman has been given a jail term for this - hopefully he will get a decent lawyer who will appeal and this will be quashed shortly. It is a digrace.

MYOB

Thank you for the voice of reason .

I have been reading this thread with interest and have swung from confused to ahhhh right , back to ohhhh okayyyyyyyyyy .

Your posts have been consistent and being a GH sufferer yourself I personally appreciate and respect you sharing your honest opinion.

I have already admitted to ignorance re GH, thanks to the non hysterical posts I can at least have a more open minded and informed discussion with my children and grandchildren should the case arise.

Claw3

Do not trust wikipedia!

Basically, herpes type 1 lives best and travels best at the top of the spine, herpes type 2 at the bottom. So the virus tends to occur more often and be more strong if it is residing in the "right" place. Doesn't mean you can't get both at each end or more than one outbreak of.