Lecture reawakens students knowledge about Herpes

In the '70s, a fear of sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea, was prominent in the consciousness of the American public. Throughout the '80s and now in the '90s, anxiety of HIV infection has held center stage, overshadowing the dangers of other STDs, leaving them virtually forgotten.

In an effort to reawaken awareness of those forgotten STDs, Cal State Long Beach Student health Services hosted a lecture Tuesday in the Formal Lounge of the University Student Union featuring Stephen Brunton, director of the Long Beach Memorial Medical C enter.

Brunton's lecture focused on herpes education, a topic in which he has been involved during the past decade.

"As HIV is the STD most talked about, people have forgotten about the other problems and there has been a resurgence of other STD's," Brunton said. "The problem is that STD's all travel together, so if there is a chance for one, there is a chance for othe rs."

Now, three weeks after returning from spring break, is the time to get tested at the Student Health Services for STDs. More cases are diagnosed a week to two weeks after people return from spring break than any other time, Brunton said.

Herpes is the most common of the STD's, followed by gonorrhea and chlamydia, which are among the most common causes of female infertility, said Brunton. "studies show that 1-in-10 to 2-in-5 individuals have herpes."

Brunton focused on herpes simplex one, the cold sore virus and simplex two, which causes genital herpes.

"A cold sore can cause genital herpes through oral-genital transmission," Brunton said.

"Once you've gotten the virus, you've got it forever," he said. "Although a person whose gotten it once may never have another outbreak, about 70 percent of the people do."

Studies have shown that for people who have come into contact with herpes, the most common time of transmission is not during an outbreak, according to Brunton, although that is when it is most contagious. The virus can still be contagious when no symptom s are apparent.

"The bottom line for all STD's is that prevention is the easiest thing," Brunton said. "Just as in the case of HIV, safer sex is the key through the use of a condom which has spermicide."

But most people don't know how to use a condom correctly, said Brunton, because most people don't go to how-to-use-a-condom classes.

"It is important to squeeze the tip of the condom so that it can expand with semen and it must be rolled completely down," said Brunton. "The most important thing is that after ejaculation occurs, sexual activity must cease because there may be a leak bac k, where the semen leaks along the shaft of the penis and then along the outside of the condom."

"Not only can a person get pregnant that way, but STD's can be transmitted."

For students diagnosed with STD, discussion groups for men and women have been formed by Student Health Services. For more information on the Students-Helping-Students discussion groups, students may call Health Educator Mary Byron at (310) 985-1732.