[sara2020]

I was watching this old black and white training film about preventing STD's for US Navy sailors made in 1942 who would visit brothels and sleep with STD infected prostitutes. Seeing as this was before penicillin and many of them did not want to use condoms, prevention was key. The short film can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDlK38svSeM (skip to 3:59) Basically it said that if you took a shower, urinated and washed your genitals right after sex and then applied a antiseptic cream to your penis, your chances of catching a STD were very low. They even had a chart and for every hour you waited to do this your chance of getting a STD would increase. This led me to wonder if applying a broad spectrum yet gentle antiseptic such as betadine (povidone-iodine) which is used in hospitals and is available over the counter at any pharmacy to prevent wound infection, would prevent catching genital herpes if used right after sex. You would let it sit on the skin for the recommended time which varies between one minute and 15 minutes depending on what you read and then wash it off to prevent drying out or irritating the skin. I personally use betadine any time I get a cut and have never gotten a infection, I also use it if I get a boil or staph infection and it gets better 24 hours. I think I should be clear I am talking about regular betadine and not betadine surgical scrub which contains detergents and is designed to be immediately rinsed off. Think about it if you cut your hand and put betadine on it, it prevents infection. You put betadine on your penis afterwards it prevents herpes infection, and your penis does not even have any cuts so transmission is less likely anyway. It makes logical sense. Betadine is safe for use on the penis and is applied before inserting a catheter to prevent urinary tract infections. Condoms do not necessarily prevent herpes so I think it's worth discussing whether you think it would work. Unfortunately there has not been much research on this kind of thing since the release of penicillin in 1945 cured the most serious STD's of the time. And because betadine is cheap and available as a generic, there is not funding to do a formal study on whether it would work as big pharma would rather people catch herpes and then have to take tons on expensive oral drugs to get rid of it and then have it come back and take them again and again. The only real research I could find on preventing STD's was this US navy film and a book written by a urologist in the 1920's who said urinating immediately after sex will reduce your change of getting gonorrhea by 98%. Back then they used to treat gonorrhea by injecting antiseptic silver solution's into the urethra with a blunt tip syringe. Interesting book.

[smoothy]

Bwaaaahahahaha.

THe best way to prevent herpes... is avoid messing around with people that have herpes. THere is no cure for herpes at this time.....

[CravenMorhead]

I was watching this old black and white training film about preventing STD's for US Navy sailors made in 1942 who would visit brothels and sleep with STD infected prostitutes. Seeing as this was before penicillin and many of them did not want to use condoms, prevention was key. The short film can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDlK38svSeM (skip to 3:59) Basically it said that if you took a shower, urinated and washed your genitals right after sex and then applied a antiseptic cream to your penis, your chances of catching a STD were very low. They even had a chart and for every hour you waited to do this your chance of getting a STD would increase. This led me to wonder if applying a broad spectrum yet gentle antiseptic such as betadine (povidone-iodine) which is used in hospitals and is available over the counter at any pharmacy to prevent wound infection, would prevent catching genital herpes if used right after sex.

I am astounded that you believe something that is easily 70 years old and not current medical knowledge. Herpes is a virus and will infect regardless of how you wash your post hooker sex penis. I mean I did get a good laugh out of this but I am kind of concerned. I have seen medical manuals from the dark ages and renaissance, and their cures are more likely to kill than help. I believe that most people in those day said they were cured because the treatment was worse than the illness.

You would let it sit on the skin for the recommended time which varies between one minute and 15 minutes depending on what you read and then wash it off to prevent drying out or irritating the skin. I personally use betadine any time I get a cut and have never gotten a infection, I also use it if I get a boil or staph infection and it gets better 24 hours. I think I should be clear I am talking about regular betadine and not betadine surgical scrub which contains detergents and is designed to be immediately rinsed off. Think about it if you cut your hand and put betadine on it, it prevents infection. You put betadine on your penis afterwards it prevents herpes infection, and your penis does not even have any cuts so transmission is less likely anyway. It makes logical sense. Betadine is safe for use on the penis and is applied before inserting a catheter to prevent urinary tract infections. Condoms do not necessarily prevent herpes so I think it's worth discussing whether you think it would work. Unfortunately there has not been much research on this kind of thing since the release of penicillin in 1945 cured the most serious STD's of the time. And because betadine is cheap and available as a generic, there is not funding to do a formal study on whether it would work as big pharma would rather people catch herpes and then have to take tons on expensive oral drugs to get rid of it and then have it come back and take them again and again. The only real research I could find on preventing STD's was this US navy film and a book written by a urologist in the 1920's who said urinating immediately after sex will reduce your change of getting gonorrhea by 98%. Back then they used to treat gonorrhea by injecting antiseptic silver solution's into the urethra with a blunt tip syringe. Interesting book.

What I don't get here is this Big Pharm thing. A few people suggest that the money is in the treatment and not the cure and suddenly EVERYONE is against any business that isn't organic, home made, or run by some toothless hippy playing with himself. Traditional medicine has some good medicine, willow bark tea for example. This has the same pain reliever as Asprin. A lot of the drugs we have were discovered as components of natural remedies. A lot of natural remedies are completely useless and more so dangerous. Drug companies make drugs. They're not suppressing any cures. Get over that and don't believe everything you hear on "The Conspiracy corner" on late night TV. It isn't an us VS them. It never has. That is ignorance and acceptance of information is suspicious at best and more likely just plain wrong.

Regardless. Iodine antiseptics won't stop herpes. Anti-biotics won't treat it. Herpes is something you get for life. Don't believe me? Herpes infects the genitals but it also infects your face. Cold sores? More often than not that's face herpes. No mater what anti-septic, antibiotic, or treatment you use it won't go away. The skin lesions will heal and disappear but it will come back when your immune system is compromised. The virus will hide in your body's cells and kept in check until your system is compromised and than an infection or break out will occur.

STIs are cured if possible, and treated/repressed is you can't cure. That is the way it is. Talk to your doctor, that one that took a oath to heal and not hinder, before you do any of this. It could be a matter of life or death.

[joypulv]

Can't improve on what has been said!

Yikes. I can't believe that you can diagnose your own staph infections. Do you have a microscope and a good knowledge of what the bacteria looks like? And you do know that BACTERIA and VIRUSES are very different things, treated in different and mutually exclusive ways? Herpes is a VIRUS.

I don't like Big Pharma. I watched both parents take ever increasing amounts of drugs and then die anyway, just as they would have without pouring a gazillion dollars into the entire medical establishment. In addition, each drug had side effects that cause other conditions, each of which can be treated with yet another drug. All they needed in their 90s were a few pain killers and maybe a blood thinner and diuretic. I'm getting to those decisions myself, and opting out of most but not all. Doesn't mean I plan on stuff like this cure-all.

[sara2020]

There are some very ignorant responses here. Betadine kills viruses including herpes, that's why I said it was broad spectrum, do you even know what that means? And once you get diagnosed with a staph infection once by a doctor, you know if you get it again which is what happened to me. If you treat them early with betadine or other antiseptics you don't need antibiotics.

[smoothy]

What part of its does not work do you not understand. A staph infection is NOT the same as Herpes... as was pointed out... but its clear YOU want to believe what you want to believe no matter what anyone else tells you.

[tickle]

There are some very ignorant responses here. Betadine kills viruses including herpes, that's why I said it was broad spectrum, do you even know what that means? And once you get diagnosed with a staph infection once by a doctor, you know if you get it again which is what happened to me. If you treat them early with betadine or other antiseptics you don't need antibiotics.

The replies received were from very well read individuals. Not at all if ignorant. I take exception to your comment.

I know what 'broad spectrum' means and I also know betadine will not cure herpes.

You asked a question, you got qualified answers and then you proceed to argue.

i would love to hear your cure for a urinary tract infection

[joypulv]

I'm willing to give a cautious apology. Betadine for herpes simplex infection. [Int J STD AIDS. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI
Not sure how these old studies panned out over large trials. I don't think they did. All other sites I have just looked at say that Herpes is incurable, and that there are soothing treatments for symptoms only:

• Topical treatment such as aciclovir cream or povidone-iodide ointment. These treatments work on already present outbreaks, shortening their duration and severity.

[smoothy]

And there is a core issue... betadine is only applied to the surface of the skin... Herpes lives and thrives UNDER the skin (way under the skin)... and is shedding the virus even when outbreaks are not occurring.

[tickle]

Yes. Herpes goes deep. Any topical antiseptic will LESSEN the discomfort of an outbreak but will NOT cure herpes.

Yes. Herpes goes deep. Any topical antiseptic will LESSEN the discomfort of an outbreak but will NOT cure herpes.
By the way, penicillin was made available to the general public in the 40s.

[odinn7]

So your question was: Do you think betadine antiseptic could prevent herpes?

You were told, no....so then you want to argue about it....based on a report from WWII....and then you want to compare it somehow to a staph infection. You know the answers so why did you ask?

[CravenMorhead]

There are some very ignorant responses here. Betadine kills viruses including herpes, that's why I said it was broad spectrum, do you even know what that means? And once you get diagnosed with a staph infection once by a doctor, you know if you get it again which is what happened to me. If you treat them early with betadine or other antiseptics you don't need antibiotics.

The problem is that it is a topical again. Since you're a woman we'll approach this from the female side of things. If a man who has herpes has sex with you than you will have the virus implanted into your vagina and any place around. Your skin is smooth but if you look at it under a microscope there are micro tears and abscissions. This comes worse if you shave or wax your vulva. When the virus is placed in you and on you than it will quickly absorb into the skin. The iodine suspension will not be able to soak that deeply and, unless you're injecting it into your vaginal canal, it won't get the herpes virus in there. Even if the person is wearing a condom but has sex with you during an outbreak the virus can still get into your system. Even if you scrub down with iodine afterwards. There is no way at all that a topical iodine wash will prevent a herpes infections. This goes for the same for men, there are always micro tears on the shaft of the penis and all over the body. If the virus gets into there, or a hair follicle or pore or anything than the iodine wash will have no effect. Even if it gets 99% of the virus there still might be enough to become infected.

You had noted that there was a surgical grade of this iodine wash. If you notice ALL surgeons also wear non-porus rubber/nytrile gloves. Why? Because the iodine wash will kill most but not ALL viruses and bacteria on their hands. Think about that.

Now we get to the difference between bacteria and viruses. Virus is a glorified DNA or RNA chain in a protein/molecular coat that injects itself into a host cell, commandeers the DNA/RNA synthesis machinery to reproduce itself and it's coating that will then kill the cell and disperse the newly generated viruses. Bacteria are cells that already have all this stuff and reproduce on it's own. Most often the bacteria live and die on your skin and you don't notice. When they infect, like a staph, or strep, or e. coli, or what not, they are growing out of control. They can consume other living cells and use that as fuel. Most viruses will be fought off by your body. Absorb the viruses and excrete them. Some viruses will live on, dormant, in your system and can come out when your immune system is depressed. About the only way to treat a bacterial infection is with anti-biotics. Gut infections usually pass as diarrhoea, but cutaneous infections are hard to get rid of and if you get infected internally... it can be bad. The flesh eating diseases are an example. Your body can fight them off but sometimes the toxics that are produced are too much and can kill you.

The other problem is that there are many, many different varieties of bacteria on your skin and any cut/scratch/wound can let one in. It could be S. Aureus, the common staph infection, but it could be strep or a hundred known or unknown bacteria. The iodine wash might work for some but not others. The other problem is that it will mess around with the natural bacterial balance on your skin and that'll mess things up in a completely different way. You might have had a staph infection before an this current could present itself as a staph infection but it could be a different bug and you could do yourself HUGE harm by self-diagnose and self-treating. Leave that to people who have had YEARS in CURRENT medical training. The post antibiotic era training.

For the love of god don't use dated techniques, leeches sound like a good idea, but they aren't.

[Fr_Chuck]

It was the only treatment available at the time. It did not and could not cure it but it could treat the signs.

At this time, there is no cure.