How to Have “The Talk” — And Why It’s Not What You Think
The conversation most people with herpes dread is not actually the conversation they need to be having. The standard advice — the version you will find on every herpes forum and in every well-meaning article — frames "The Talk" as a confession. You have something to...
Herpes and Pregnancy — What Your Doctor Should Be Telling You
There is a lot of misinformation circulating about the risk of herpes during pregnancy, and much of it is designed to frighten women into unnecessary caesarean sections. Let me set the record straight. If you have herpes and you are pregnant or planning to become...
What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About Antivirals for Herpes
I am going to say something that will make some doctors uncomfortable. Antiviral drugs — Valtrex, acyclovir, famciclovir — are presented to most people with herpes as the primary, and often the only, meaningful response to their diagnosis. They are prescribed widely,...
Shame Is the Disease — How Stigma Makes Herpes
I have said this for twenty-three years and I will keep saying it. The stigma is the disease. Not the virus. The virus, for the vast majority of people who carry it, is manageable. It is inconvenient. It is sometimes painful. It disrupts relationships and creates...
The Scipio Diet — What to Eat and What to Avoid When You Have Herpes
Diet is the most immediately actionable thing most people can do to change their relationship with herpes. Not supplements. Not expensive herbal formulas. Not specialised equipment. Food. What you put in your body every day, consistently, over time. It is unglamorous....
Why Holistic Herpes Management Works When Nothing Else Has
Most people who find their way to holistic herpes management have already tried everything else. They have taken the antivirals. They have googled every supplement on the market. They have bought the lysine tablets, the essential oils, the alkaline diet books. Some of...