I'm curious to know, how does the debate about "telling" your partners about your HPV break down along national lines. All you Aussies, Brits, Continetals, Canadians, and whoever else, out there, what's your opinion? The US has such a screwed up attitude towards sex that I don't trust my own opinion sometimes.
Comments:
12/15/2003 3:59:30 PM
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What's the US' attitude towards sex?? I'm from the US and I didn't know we had a collective attitude??
12/15/2003 6:22:51 PM
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WE want alot of it, but its bad to have to much heh.
12/15/2003 7:31:03 PM
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original poster
Yeah, it's definitely a generalization, but I would say that at least as compared to continental Europe, the US attitude seems to be mired in a certain sort of denial and reticence about sex that leads to bad decisions, because people don't accept it happens. Compare our unplanned pregnancy rate to the Scandianvian rate, for example. So my theory is that in a more open country, people might not see HPV as such a big deal.
12/15/2003 7:43:49 PM
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So you're saying that in general the US has this kind of "closed door" mentality that leads to bad decisions regarding sex? I don't doubt it, I know European countries are generally more liberal. I wonder how they deal with this stuff.
12/16/2003 1:50:37 AM
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Maggie
I don't think being more liberal sexually would make you feel any better when you found out you had HPV. If anything, it might be worse because sex would be shared more freely. It would get passed along at a higher rate. Also, my opinions and attitudes about sex aren't conventional, and they certainly aren't the same as everyone in our country. Even wise decisions merit unexpected changes.
12/16/2003 7:00:32 PM
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CF
I'm from Australia. We have a pretty liberal attitude about sex here. My reaction to being infected was far greater that my doctor's. He acted more like I had the flu! He said it's SUCH a common virus and that most people have it. He acted like it was nothing at all to worry about. He said it certainly wasn't worth STOPPING a sex life for, and just make sure you use condoms. He realises that they aren't 100%, but felt it's too common a virus to give up sex for.
12/16/2003 11:42:44 PM
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CF-that is very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I think Americans also have a problem in thinking we need to look totally perfect everywhere. It leads to us getting ourselves sick over a little white bump!
12/17/2003 4:03:09 AM
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CF - Fellow Aussie here :) I got the same reaction from my Doctor. When you think about it, that's perhaps how we should be thinking about it. I mean, treat it with the seriousness that it deserves in that future partners should be informed etc etc...but really we should stop beating ourselves up over it and realise there are much worse ailments in the world :)
