Yup! Exactly this. It’s amazing how people like to ignore that fact. Parents/relatives kissing their kids are how most people get HSV-1 to begin with.

First off, it isn’t strictly an STD. You can get it on your back for instance. Skin to skin contact will do. The stigmatization occurred after the medicine came out. We are talking 90% of people with oral herpes and 20% general population with genital.

The only reasonable comment on this topic thus far. It’s amazing how people react to herpes when as recently as the 1970s or whatever decade pre-Valtrex, it was not a big deal! It was only stigmatized to make money for pharma. And before everyone gets up in my face about it, yes it’s deadly to babies but that is both…

Oh god Melb in winter ... memories of my sad, cold studio with mold growing and not running the sad little heater because electricity was so expensive. I do miss that city though!

I didn’t say that, did I? But I won’t forget what Ted did to that woman, and some of the good things he’s advocated for doesn’t absolve him of it.

Well... Ted Kennedy did leave a woman to die....

Yep, I was prescribed beta blockers in college for anxiety in seminars. It helped physically that I didn’t panic, have a racing heart and stutter but not mentally to where I actually *felt* less anxiety.

It’s not that unusual. My friend has HBP in her 20s because her kidney is smaller than normal.

I once lost my mom’s college ring at work. I posted a letter in the bathroom after asking at the HR of the other company in the building. Offered a $100 reward and a woman texted me and I got it back, but was a little annoyed the woman didn’t turn it in to the HR desk. Either way, I don’t wear that ring anymore!

I used to pretend to like Iron Maiden and the Dead Kennedys when in my heart of hearts I loved AFI and The Postal Service and Simon and Garfunkel. I’m still embarrassed I bought their CDs and shirts and pretended to like them when I likely listened to maybe a couple songs...

The annoying thing is, people have been saying she’s “almost 30" since she was 25!! And they’re going to be saying it now for another two years until she actually IS 30. Somehow all the men who do dumb shit at 30 plus get a pass...

Australians annoy the shit out of me... what with their superiority complex when they have Manus Island, turn away refugees and treat the Aboriginals terribly. All the nice Aussies I met were Kiwis.

Lmao it’s totally true Australians are very racist and they do love to hate on Americans.

It’s interesting you’re insisting NJ doesn’t have a high cost of living. It does. I’m not saying it’s not a good state, but the property taxes and house prices are very high. No one in their right mind would suggest moving to NJ for its affordability, and it’s why a lot of people are looking to leave.

Hunterdon County? Sure it’s not super close to the city but there’s a train line, great public schools and nice towns. I didn’t particularly like growing up there because I’m a city person but it works. However, the property taxes are high... my parents now own their house but pay around $12,000 a year in property tax.

People are downright nasty to Americans traveling post-Trump. Mostly the vitriol comes from Canucks when I’m just trying to enjoy my time away.

Whoa I’m really surprised about Laci Green. Last I saw years ago, she was fine and popular on the Tumblr-verse.

It’s in the US, a coastal blue state. It definitely varies a lot. Some costs can be negotiated (how much for breast milk) but others not so much. A Death Sex and Money podcast interviewed one woman who was a surrogate in Oregon, and it was interesting to hear what the cost breakdown was for her case. Commercial…

The point is, that’s why frequently payments for surrogates is capped (state dependent). If the payment can be negotiated to extremely high fees, it would be even more exploitative, yes. It would be less about “compassion-care” (which is why in my state, if your sister is the surrogate, a contract stipulating payment…

My sister is looking into surrogacy. 45K is standard.