European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 08, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 20 the stars and stripes tuesday August 8, 1978 seeking a cure for genital herpes modern living by Larry Roberts i noted press International Ike thousands of others Norman is trying to forget his disease while he Waits for someone to develop a looks like i m a Guinea pig until they come up with one said Norman a 31-year-old Aero space worker. But you can t just sit arond and worry about it. That does t do anyone any Norman has genital herpes a sexually transmitted virus that until a few years ago was a Little known Vene real disease unfamiliar to Many doctors. Now it it spreading fast through the Young Popula Tion. Scientist believe herpes May be linked to cer Vical cancer and As interest la the debase has increased so has government funding for research. Genital herpes is viewed As an epidemic from the University of Washington in Seattle where researchers painstakingly sift through the medical evidence for clues that May Lead to a cure. Norman and Many other victims of the disease have found their Way to the University s 4-year-old herpes clinic at Arborview medical Center. It s one of the few clinics in the country devoted solely to the research and treatment of genital herpes. There hundreds of persons every month eagerly submit to experimental treatment techniques and drugs in the Hope they can contribute to the efforts of the re searchers. Or. Lawrence Corey head of the clinic and of the University s virology department said herpes has spread rap idly in recent years due to increased sexual activity among the Young. It s a Young person s disease Corey said. And it can Only keep increasing in incidence. There s no question that people have More sexual partners today. Herpes is the one disease that will keep Ven a geologists herpes was named from the greek word for creep or when it first infects its victims the herpes simplex virus cases a series of painful sores in the genital area often accompanied by symptoms Akin to a bad flu. The sores generally Are More painful for women than Formen. After about three weeks the infection clears up. But the virus Only retreats and lies dormant near none endings. It usually strikes again at varying intervals year after year although the recurrences generally Are much Milder and of Shorter duration first bout. Nothing known to medical science will kill the virus in the victim s body and there is no known effective treat ment for the disease. In some cases certain drug and techniques such As exposure to ultraviolet Light under care of a physician have been said to Speed Healing and reduce pain but these measures still Are experimental. Currently there is no Way to predict Why when or How often the infection will return and the victim remains extremely contagious during each recurrence. Corey said be believe genital herpes is far More widespread than government figures indicate. He said the estimate of one Case of herpes to every 10 gonorrhoea is Malarky and believes there Are Many More than the estimated 300,000 new cases of the disease a year. There s really no Way to get a handle on it he said. But at the i w 1 see five cases of herpes to every one of gonorrhoea. It All depends on the Type of patient Popula Tion you re tiie search for a cure has been a Long one. Genital herpes was described by French doctors in the 1700 s. But it was not until the Early 1960 s that scientists were Able to distinguish it from its Oral Cousin the virus that causes the relatively minor lesions commonly known As cold sores. Doctors named the herpes simplex virus that occurs above the Waist Type 1 and the below the Belt Strain was labelled Type 2. Herpes was considered mostly harmless and often called virus of love until the disclosure in recent years that the incidence Ollic virus in women May be lined with the incidence of cervical cancer. Doctors also believe that women who give birth during a recurrence run the risk of passing the disease on to their children who face the possible consequence of brain damage or even death. In such cases. Cesarean sections usually Are cod la now now about a coital herpes than Ever before thanks in part to the fact that More people have it than Ever before. But Many who contract the disease still Are surprised when told what they be got. I was said Ann. A 19-year-old University Stu Dent i heard the name but i did t know what it was. When the doctor explained it i realized i was t such a horrible thing. There s a let More people that have it than you think.""1 guess my reaction was what s herpes said Jen Nifer. 26. An artist. Corey said there Are Many myths floating around about the disease not the least of which is that " it s a Young person s disease. And it can Only keep increasing in incidence " herpes ends a person s sex life. That s absolutely not True he said. There s Only i need to abstain during a recurrence. Herpes does doom one to celibacy or having retarded children or Eva caesarean the disease does bring other problems. Jeanie said the initial infection hit Here especially hard. Most of my body ached. 1 could t stand up that Long 1 could t walk that far because i ached. It goes without saying that sitting Down was painful she , 29, then a graduate student at the University said extreme emotional distress accompanied he physical discomfort. It was one of the Low Points of my we she said. 1 was Laid up for five Days. I was really sick with for Many the worst part of having herpes is the fact that it looms id front of every potential relation ship with another person. There was a time period there when i did t wan anything to do with men. It made me not want to have seat All Jennifer said. When i started wanting to be i solved again that s when it seemed totally unfair and thought Why should it happen to me 3 it really docs affect my life Hannah said. I feet Spon sible for my partners. I feel that it has be be Somi thing they re aware of. Some of them have rejected n and that has been Tough. Sometimes the response is Tbs just Don t want anything to do with me at All. " but at this Point because it s something that s offed ing a lot of people i think the pressure is going to Comet Bear on finding a cure she said. They be got to get handle on it. Pretty soon it affects All kinds of fighting inflation with Good cheer Denver liquor dealer Harry Hoffman was having a drink one night and figured there just gotta be a Way to bring Down prices. Now his store offers tequila Bourbon Vodka scotch Gin Canadian whiskey and rum in simple generic labelled bottles instead of the fancy ones with big name brands. Dpi
