WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for October, 1999: Re: vaginal dryness

Re: vaginal dryness

From: Patti Tessler, FNP (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 31 Oct 1999 11:56:53 -0600 (CST)

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In reply to: laura: "vaginal dryness"

At Sun, 31 Oct 1999, laura wrote: >
>is it possible for you to get small cuts from itching due to vaginal
>dryness?

Definitley.

>What other causes could this be?

You've come up with some good ideas: infection, allergy, mechanical or chemical irritation. I suggest you see your gynecological health care provider, who will be able to look carefully at the area for any clues about its cause.

>I have been diagnosed with
>herpes about ten yrs ago and hvae only had about 5 outbreaks, latley I
>have been under alot of stress.

That's a good recipe for having an outbreak. Don't forget that you can be contagious without seeing actual blisters, so you should use condoms whenever having intercourse, and abstain during outbreaks or suspected outbreaks. Doing so does not guarantee that one's partner will not get herpes, but it will reduce the risk. If you're wondering whether this area of irritation could be caused by herpes, you might want to schedule an appointment as soon as possible to have the area cultured.

>The current problem does not seem to
>take on the symptoms of herpes. Is it possible that it could be related
>by frequent sexual intercourse and vaginal dryness? Could condoms cause
>this irritation?

Either could be true, due to allergy, friction, or irritation from chemicals on the condoms.

>I have no blisters or any othe symptoms that could be
>herpes. I have a Rx for valtrex, should I fill this?

There are different reasons for taking anti-herpes medicines. Some people take the medicine every day to reduce the number of outbreaks and the possibilility of spreading the virus. Some people take the medicine every day for a brief period of time during a time when they want to minimize the odds of an outbreak (for example, before a wedding). And, third, some people take the medication only at the outset of an outbreak to reduce the symptoms and the time, as well as possibly reducing the odds of spreading the virus (although, again, one should avoid intercourse during an outbreak). I'm not sure what kind of prescription you have for Valtrex; perhaps your best bet would be to call the prescriber to discuss the matter.

>Do men have less
>of a chance of getting herpes than women?

I can't put my hands on any source that says yes or no. In general, though, women have a greater chance of getting a disease from men than vice versa, because a woman's vagina is more likely to suffer small tears that allow germs to enter. The issue is not gender, but sex practices.

>When would the symptoms first
>appear and is it possible that the man would have no symptoms?
Symptoms can appear as early as 2-12 days after contact with an infected person, but studies suggest that many people have herpes and don't know it, with symptoms going unnoticed and the virus more easily spread. Unfortunately, there is not a reliable, commercially available blood test for herpes.

For more information about herpes, I highly recommend the Herpes Resource Center http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/hrc.html, a joint effort from ASHA (American Social Health Assn) and the CDC.

--
Patti Tessler, BSN, MSN, RN, CS
Family Nurse Practitioner

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