#needacure

24 hours a day.

7 days a week.

365 days a year.

hey.... I haven't written anything in long time because honestly there wasn't anything relevant to write or post. I have just been so busy living life and being selfish for once. But let's get relevant to my title. Recently, I reconnect with a friend that I haven't seen in ages. (I can't write her name for several reasons but let's call her Betty.) Betty and I reconnected through Facebook and after weeks of messaging, we decide to link up at my house. We reconnected hangout like old times. We played horror video games, talk about freshman year at NCCU, cook some Stromboli and Netflix it out. The night couldn't get any better. 

While we were watching our 5th episode of Orange is the New Black, Betty said "I have to tell you something serious." 

I jokingly replied, " Oh my god, don't tell me. You're madly in love with me". We both chuckled and Betty slapped my shoulder. 

Betty said," No, seriously...after this, i'm scared you might even treat me differently. and i don't want you to and ........."

I interrupted her long tangent, "Just spit it out already" 

".......I have herpes",Betty replied. 

Betty explained how she got it and the reason she didn't hang around me and our usual crew.

And I automatically froze for three reasons. One reason, the hell that got with being your friend too. Second, OH MY FREAKING LORD- who do i have to kill (anyone who is a good friend would react like this) Third, She is going to have this for the rest of her life. Of course, she got the herpes from someone she trusted and loved. I was heartbroken for her.

After we hung out, I started doing research about Herpes. From prior knowledge, i knew it was not curable and there are two types: oral ( Type I) and genital (Type II). Through this research, i realized that there was little of what i knew about herpes at all. Culturally, i knew that it was an itch that you can scratch nor get rid of. If you had Herpes, you were a promiscuous person which is false. Most people who were infected got it from someone they trusted and loved. Matter of fact, the statisics of how many people have the virus is actually incorrect because people haven't been diagnosed. People usual pass off the symptoms as a random bump or a jock itch.

Questions I had :

How long have Herpes been "roaming" around?  

Well, Herpes Simplex Virus has been around for many many years. There isn't an exact date on when it was discovered. It has been documented around the early Greek time period. 

Why isn't there a damn cure?

 Herpes Simplex Virus is virus. Unlike other STIs that can be cured by antibiotics, herpes is not so easy to cure due to the fact that the virus lives in the nerves. It is hard to locate in its dormancy.  When the virus passes its first two years, it will stay dormant within the spinal cord.

Another reason, less money within the research to fund a cure. There is more focus on curing HIV/AIDS and plus more foundations towards HIV. But there are those who are willing to work towards a cure. I looked online and found that Professor Bryan Cullen of Duke University is much closer to a cure. I can't explain but here is more information on this link, http://cullenlab.duhs.duke.edu/faq/ ---->> This link is from September 2014 which is very recent.

I know this isn't my fight because i don't have the virus but what if i get infected accidentally. I don't want that to be my life. To be in Fear of Relationship or Being Lonely.

I think there needs to be more education on this virus and also more funding to find a cure.