herpes symptoms : Treating It, Beating It

Think that's as bad as the news on herpes gets? Well, it isn't — not quite. There's more: Herpes is still incurable.

But there's good news, too: We're closer to a cure than ever before.

Probably the best news is acyclovir (Zovirax™), a prescription drug that eases herpes symptoms and speeds the healing of sores. Sold as an ointment, an oral pill, and an injectable solution, acyclovir also blocks recurrent attacks in some users.

The drug does have drawbacks, though, including possible harmful effects during pregnancy and increased resistance by the herpes virus. Still, acyclovir offers one of the best and brightest hopes for herpes sufferers today.

A second ray of hope lies in research which suggests that some herpes sufferers literally worry themselves sick. Investigators now believe that stress and depression play a key role in lowering immune system response — and in triggering herpes flare-ups.

The solution? Keeping anger, fear, and tension under control, they say, is one way victims can keep a handle on herpes. And joining a support group or learning a stress-reducing technique beats facing the loneliness and dread alone.

That's what you do if you've got it. But what's the

best bet in avoiding herpes?The only really foolproof technique is celibacy, or giving up sex altogether.

Since that's not likely to become a fad any time soon, the next-best advice is taking care about whom you share your body with, particularly partners with sores near their sex organs. Always use a condom if you're unsure — and with AIDS and herpes lurking around out there, you should almost always be unsure.

Other back-up measures provide only a small degree of protection: urinate before and after sex and wash thoroughly with soap and water (which kills the herpes virus). There's also evidence that sperm-killing agents in birth control foams and jellies may destroy the virus.

Handling Herpes

Probably the best news in the war against herpes has been the progress we've made in understanding the disease — and applying that knowledge to treating its symptoms.

And while reports of treatment breakthroughs and miracle "cures" have excited more than one sufferer, we should point out that any real cure is probably years away.

That means that the best way to handle herpes right now is to avoid it altogether.

And while the solution doesn't have to involve scarlet letters or a ban on kissing, you can minimize your risk by being careful about whom you do kiss — and have sex with.

It's been said a few million times before, but it's worth saying at least one time more: An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.

And when an ounce of prevention prevents herpes, it may even be worth more than that.

Think about it.

Danielle Hain