Ben
The ones who aren't as close to me probably don't know everything, if they haven't gone looking. Most information is common knowledge — to an extent. People don't like to think of werewolves as suffering from anything, and would rather look past the details in favour of widely-held superstitions and misinformed ideas about how lycanthropy is spread. It's difficult to find work in the wizarding world where they can find out what you are, and almost harder in the Muggle world when you've got to attribute your condition to some sort of mundane disease.
Apparently, werewolves in other worlds can control their transformations, or they can maintain some level of humanity even when turned if they try hard enough. Believe me, I've gotten into enough arguments with Ruby over whether or not I should be proud of what I am — not that she remembers any of it.
And [...] yes. I'm aware of the books, though I haven't read them. Half my boyfriend's family has, however, which is disconcerting.