Living with Herpes – Why I am not Ashamed
Why should I be?
I will not allow myself to be ridiculed, stigmatized, or disrespected by others for having a disease. It is a natural part of life whether you are human, animal, or plant. Nobody is exempt from disease, almost no one will live their full life without getting at least one sexually transmitted infection.
Some people are afraid of diseases and those who have them -this is an ancient, primal fear, and one I understand well. However, this doesn’t excuse anyone’s mean-spirited, ignorant behavior towards those living with herpes.
Those who make sick jokes about herpes are not only aping the same mentality as those who make racist or sexist jokes, but also exposing their lack of courage. It’s much easier to ridicule the things you are afraid of rather than having the courage to face those fears. They are creating a stigma that causes millions of people with herpes unnecessary grief.
How Common is Herpes?
Nearly every animal can be infected by a member of the order Herpesvirales, including cats, horses, elephants, and fish. (Source)
You can explore the taxonomy of the herpes virus here!
At least 60% of the population has herpes above or below the waist. 70% of the population will get HPV as genital warts or cervical dysplasia. 80% will get chlamydia at least once- most women will get it more than once.
Interested in more information on herpes spread? Check out the World Health Organization’s article.
Living with Herpes
Having herpes doesn’t make me less moral, less attractive, less ethical, less worthy of respect, less sexy, or less of a great catch, so why would I be ashamed to have herpes?
I am not afraid of my body. I know that sometimes I will get sick, that my faculties will decline as I age, and that I am destined to die someday. This is the beauty of life- the contrast and balance between health and disease; between happiness and sorrow, summer and winter, fullness and emptiness, or between life and death.
I am a natural person, not ashamed or at war with any part of my body, including the herpes virus. I am at peace with the virus, my body, and my place in this world as a person with a lifelong herpes infection.
I am most definitely not ashamed.
Stop the stigma and learn about options for natural herpes outbreak management.
- Published in Herpes
Holistic Health in a Time of Dread and Fear
Christopher Scipio is an Herbalist and Holistic Viral Specialist, and is the most experienced practitioner in North America in the Natural Treatment of Herpes and HPV.
We haven’t changed much. What we seem to fear more than almost anything else is invisible things that can invade and take over our bodies and sometimes kill us.
Viruses are especially scary to most people because they are so alien. Viruses are not animals like bacteria and other microorganisms. Viruses are not even alive. They exist in an in-between world between life and death and as I’ve written before they are more similar to computer viruses than anything else. Every year since I can remember there’s always some virus that is terrifying the world whether it was SARS, or Ebola, or Zika or West Nile or Avian Flu. Ironically fear, stress, and anxiety all impair our immune systems and make us more vulnerable to infectious diseases. The same Holistic Health Protocol I’ve always advocated my patients for herpes prevention is the same protocol that will help you stay healthy in this time of fear and dread. Do 20 minutes of yoga or tai-chi or qi gong every day at home to help your body deal with stress and strengthen your immune system. And certainly, this helps put in perspective just how minor viral infection herpes is compared to the deadly potential and disruptive ability of some other viruses. Limit- or even better, completely avoid sugar, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, and other drugs… Spend as much time as you can outdoors in nature. Stick to The Holistic Herpes Diet That I’ve recommended to you all. Use the Milena Cold and Flu Remedy daily as directed. Stay as calm and grounded as possible and remember that the regular flu kills about 40,000 people in The US alone each year- so pandemics are nothing new and only affect a small percentage of the population. Fourteen Years ago, I developed the Milena Cold and Flu Formula to protect against SARS and the H1N1 flu virus and a wide array of Rhino and Corona Viruses. I have spent the past two months updating the formula to also help protect against COVID-19 as more became known about the virus. The Milena Cold and Flu Formula combines Lomatium Dissectum, Tulsi, Osha, Boneset, Elderberries, Elder Flowers and a proprietary Botanical Anti-Viral Complex. It is hand-made by me in a base of Caribbean rum with all organic, ethically-harvested herbs. It’s already saved me from getting ill several times this season. The average person can get the cold or flu three times a year. The real power of the Milena Cold and Flu Formula is its ability to help prevent a Cold or Flu. Take it as directed at the first signs of any symptoms and there’s a good chance that you will avoid becoming ill. However if you do feel yourself becoming ill, do not hesitate to see a doctor and get tested for COVID-19 and follow your doctor’s recommendations from that point on. The First Ten People who Order The Milena Cold and Flu Formula will get it for $110 Instead of the Normal Price of $140. And please do employ these additional measures: • Use a pen on the keypad of ATMs • Use a latex glove or plastic bag to open doorknobs • Be wary of gas pumps, credit card processing machines, and poles in buses and subway trains. |
Alice’s Story
My journey began two years ago this past March when my girlfriend was visiting from another state. I had begun experiencing some strange symptoms “down there” and scheduled a doctor’s visit right away. My girlfriend and I went together and I told her it wouldn’t be but a minute and I’d be right back out.
An hour later – why it took this long is beyond my comprehension – I received the diagnosis of HSV2. WHAT? Are you SURE? Has there been a mistake? But, I’m 64 years old… I’ve been in the same relationship for 9 years and had just remarried a year ago. In a state of shock, I wasn’t able to recover enough to make up a story to my girlfriend about this diagnosis so I told her the truth. It was hard for me, but as I said, I was in a state of shock. Bless her for being understanding, as I was freaked out enough for the both of us!. Since I hadn’t recognized any obvious signs of an outbreak in the past, there is no way to really know how long I had been infected.
My doctor prescribed Acyclovir, which incidentally is not very effective to alleviate symptoms and home I went…stunned. A couple of months passed and since I didn’t feel as if I was getting any relief, I searched the internet and found Christopher Scipio, Holistic Viral Specialist; scheduled a telephone conference and purchased his book. During our telephone call, he listened with empathy and understanding and urged me to ask him any questions I had. He’d heard it all, which I believe, so I could feel free to ask away. Of course, many thoughts were running through my mind so I asked what I could verbalize at that moment. He ran down the list of things I shouldn’t be eating and some things I could do such as exercise, meditate and try to get good restorative sleep.
Well…I started to feel better! Great! And you know what happens when you start to feel better? You begin to slowly forget yourself and tuck that HSV2 away somewhere in a dark corner and before you know it you are back to your old habits of eating inflammatory foods, not taking care of yourself properly and forgetting your important goals to change your habits. I’ve always exercised on a weekly basis so this was no problem for me. I will admit to having a hard time meditating and am still working on this!
Fast forward to two years later and I began noticing outbreaks that just wouldn’t go away with the Acyclovir. So I went back to my local practitioner and she sort of looked at me with glazed-over eyes and said, “well….we could do an ultrasound.” It was my sense that the abdominal issues I was having were related to the HSV2, so I thanked her and said I would think about it.
I went home and called Christopher again. We set up another telephone call. In a gentle but firm manner, he scolded me. “I thought we discussed what you should and shouldn’t eat?” Yes, we did and I became lax, as I hung my head. My sleep was suffering due to some other issues and I knew that this wasn’t good for my overall health and well being. Although I wasn’t eating a lot of bad things, what I did have was definitely affecting me. He patiently went over the list again with me and also suggested a change to Valtrex.
In about a month’s time, I have to say that with my renewed attention to my diet and elimination of foods such as nuts, cereal, purchased salad dressings, sugars, processed foods, etc. as well as the change to Valtrex, my health has done a complete turn-around! I feel so much better! I am still working on meditation, but eat a very healthy diet; a lot of which I harvest from my own garden. I feel that I am stabilized and beyond a doubt, I am reaffirmed. Christopher knows what he is talking about as he guides you through and teaches you how to manage your HSV2.
I won’t say that it was a fun learning experience, but I will say that I have adopted a pledge to myself to take care of my body and mind and live a healthy life. I can’t thank Christopher enough for his kind and thoughtful words when I was first diagnosed. At that time I didn’t want to talk to anyone about my diagnosis, but he really and truly put me at ease. If you rely solely on Eastern medical practitioners, you will be absolutely disappointed in their treatment suggestions. I couldn’t help but feel that they just wanted me to leave the office as they didn’t have any suggestions for me to pursue on my own that Christopher did, other than ineffective pharmacology. Oh yeah…I also want to express my sincere thanks to him for sternly putting me back on the right track with my health decisions. His advice is sound and based on his knowledge of HSV2.
Thank goodness!
Thank Christopher!

Herpes and The Therapeutic Importance of Sleep
Herpes is one of the infections of the skin and mucous membranes in the genital and surrounding areas (buttocks, inside of the thighs, and anus) which is caused by the herpes simplex type 1 or 2 viruses. The mucous membrane is the thin, moist lining of many parts of the body such as the mouth, nose, genitals, and the throat. Both types of virus can infect the mouth thereby producing cold sores, or the genital area leading to genital herpes. Herpes simplex type 1 virus is quite common in genital herpes in people aged below 25 years, while in people 25 years of age and older, genital herpes is most often caused by herpes simplex type 2 virus.
All animals need sleep, and human beings are no different. Even though we live in a macho culture where we brag about how little sleep we can get by with, the verdict is in. If we want to be holistically healthy and happy, everyone – men, women, and children alike – needs between 7 and 8.5 hours of quality sleep each day.
This is especially important for those of us with herpes. I consider depriving oneself of sleep as a form of self-abuse. Torturers know this too – policemen, intelligence officers, and army interrogators from Guantanamo Bay to Syria, Zimbabwe, and local police stations know that depriving prisoners of sleep is one the most effective techniques in forcing “co-operation.” In as few as four days in a row of less than 7 hours of quality sleep, we start to lose our ability to make sound decisions and have short term memory problems. We even begin to become pre-diabetic.
It’s been clinically proven that you get better results studying or working to a deadline when you get a good night’s sleep instead of pushing yourself to exhaustion with an all-nighter. If you continue to be sleep deprived, you will quickly start displaying dysfunctional, even psychotic behaviour. The sleep-deprived are far more likely to be angry, violent, irritable, and irrational. Brain scans show the brains of sleep-deprived people behave similarly to those with the most severe mental health issues. Sleep-deprivation will diminish men’s sexual performance and reduce fertility for both men and women. That won’t matter much for the sleep-deprived, however, since lack of “beauty sleep” will make you less attractive.
When you are feeling ill, even if it’s just a cold or flu – an essential thing to do is to call in sick, clear your schedule, and get plenty of sleep. This is essential for dealing with herpes outbreaks because sleep deprivation is a common trigger for severe outbreaks. So if you cannot get enough sleep at night, make sure you make up for it with a long nap or extra sleep on your days off – and contrary to the popular myth, naps that are 90 minutes or longer are far more beneficial than ”cat naps.” The best time of the day to nap is the afternoon, hence the age-old tradition of the siesta.
Getting 7-8.5 hours of sleep a day is essential, but it is also vital that we get enough “deep sleep.” Even if you are in bed for the required amount of time but are woken up or disturbed often, you will not get enough “deep sleep.” The older you are, the more critical “deep-sleep” is. A person in their 30’s gets 100 minutes of deep sleep each night; by the time you are in your 60’s, you only get 20 minutes of “deep-sleep.” Without enough “deep-sleep,” you can develop diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and many other health problems. “Deep-sleep” is vital for your immune system and for keeping the herpes virus dormant.
So how do you ensure that you get enough “deep sleep”? Don’t drink or eat anything within 2 hours of bedtime – eating before sleep can give you bad dreams, and drinking may force you to wake up to go to the bathroom. Don’t watch the news, music videos, or disturbing imagery just before going to bed. If you are wound up, relax in a hot bath, ask your partner for a massage, or have sex. (or all of the above!) Make sure you sleep in an environment that is dark, quiet, and comfortable – wear earplugs and/or a blindfold if needed. Don’t allow children or pets to wake you up if you can avoid it, and don’t let someone else’s snoring keep you awake. And if you’ve fought with a loved one, make peace before going to bed. There are a great many reasons why all animals sleep. Lack of sleep now guarantees negative health consequences in the future. I wish you all a lifetime of lovely, restorative, holistically healthy sleep.
- Published in Herpes
My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition One
erpes Nation Newsletter Volume One, Edition One
Welcome Home
If this is your first e-newsletter, welcome home to the Herpes Nation, a virtual environment that accepts all and refuses no one. I started this newsletter to provide empowerment and encouragement to those of us with “the gift”. If you have been receiving my updates for awhile, you already know that the Herpes Nation is an enlightened place of responsible sexuality, self acceptance, and healing. Welcome home – to a healthy community where majority rules apply.
Barack Obama has been talking lately about the forces in society that divide us. We live in a society where some groups work overtime to keep people afraid of sex for their own political gains. One way they keep us divided is by setting the STD-free against the majority of the population with STDs. Just because a few mean-spirited and ignorant people wish to continue the stigma doesn’t mean we have to buy into it.
90% of the shame of herpes is imagined and only 10% real – I guarantee it.
What we fear and imagine is almost always worse than reality, and fortunately many individuals are waking up to embrace truth rather than fear. Those of you who are newly diagnosed will likely be angry, ashamed, stunned, numb, and scared, but remember this; most people are reasonable, open and supportive if you give them a chance to be. And if you run into some of the destroyers out there, that’s okay too, it’s all part of life. When clarity and distance comes there’s an opportunity to make peace with herpes and see the opportunities and challenges it creates.
We can’t control what others say or do, but we can control ourselves. We can be honest, upfront and unashamed. There is no more reason to be ashamed of having herpes than of having acne or arthritis. There is no excuse for not disclosing your herpes status before you have any kind of intimate contact with anyone. There is a lot to life, and having herpes is only a tiny part of it – unless you choose to blow it up way beyond what it actually is.
Join Us
Please join me and the people already contributing to this newsletter by sharing your stories and articles. If you paint or draw or make art of any kind, express your feelings about herpes through your art and send it to us to share with the Herpes Nation. If you are a musician send us your herpes songs. Send your recipes. Empower yourself to sign your work, or use a pseudonym to protect your privacy. Either way, don’t be shy! We want to hear your voice.
Regards and love,
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http:”//www.natropractica.com
Moving Away from a Dependence
on Substance-based Medicine
by Christopher Scipio
One of the few things upon which Natural healers and scientists agree is that the universe is energetic rather than material-based. Yet both allopathic and much of natural medicine still place a heavy emphasis on healing through taking substances.
Taking substances can be a powerful component of a healing plan. In the case of Natural medicine the remedies can re-connect us with the natural world and allow us to harness the billions of years of experience of the plant master chemists. But I caution you not to focus too much on substances when you have so much healing power within you.
Love is the ultimate engine of healing. Love is unlimited, inexhaustible, transcendent, illuminating, liberating.
Liberation is key. Often our chronic illnesses are a result of our failure to break free of negative patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Love can change anything. Love can set you free.
Without an abundance of love, healing will never be complete.
If and when you take a substance to aide your healing, spend at least five minutes focusing and directing your mind/spirit on what you want the medicine to do for your healing. Feel the medicine’s effect on your body, and pay close attention to how your body reacts. If you cannot do this at first keep trying until you can.
You have the power to become a healing alchemist. You can transform the substances you take into your body into the healing instrument that you need. You can limit the negative side effects of prescription drugs with your personal power. You can make natural medicines more effective.
You can even turn water into wine. So unlimited is your potential.
What It Feels Like For a Girl
by Nancy Olson, member of the Herpes Nation since 1995
I know that every individual experience of herpes is different. I know that it is an emotion-driven infection, and that we each bring our own baggage to the news that we have contracted an incurable socially stigmatized disease. I am beginning to think however that because most women experience herpes from a largely shame-based self-image, picking up herpes along the road to dharma can be yet another oppressive and hysterical experience of mainstream femininity. If we let it be.
I’ve talked to enough women about herpes to know that the virus doesn’t play favorites – no one is exempt. Having herpes isn’t unusual – God hasn’t singled anyone out for punishment. When a woman gets herpes, she is simply dealing with the reality of life in the 20th century. We are all hosts for a variety of microorganisms some of which cause minor sexually transmitted diseases, like herpes. Between herpes, HPV and Chlamydia there’s probably no one you know who has had more than six sexual partners who hasn’t caught a sexually transmitted disease. It continues to astound me however, how differently the disease can affect men and women, on both physical and personal levels.
Let’s start with my friend Sally. A brilliant, creative and self-assured woman, when she learned she had gotten herpes from a recent ex she fell to pieces. She became quite literally hysterical. I stuck with her through a variety of humiliating visits to clinics and doctors’ offices and comforted her as she suffered the slings and arrows she suffered, mostly slung at herself. She had survived a complicated childhood and an unhappy marriage, only to have her blossoming sexuality nipped in the bud – she thought – buy an incurable STD. To top it all off, she was in a new relationship that was looking like it might last more than a month or two. I think what she dreaded most was being stereotyped by the new guy when he discovered he might have gotten more (or less) than he had bargained for. Dealing with her first herpes outbreak nearly pushed her over the edge.
At just about the same time, I noticed that the man I had just started seeing had developed some nasty sore spots on his penis, and he seemed uncomfortable with having as much sex as we had been lately. Since I had been learning about herpes with Sally, I knew right away what was going on. We talked about it, and he seemed genuinely surprised. He acted angry, and seemed truly pissed off, but he seemed to roll with it. He didn’t personalize the situation or blame anyone, or ask himself what he had done to deserve it. He shrugged it off instead with a characteristic sense of entitlement, recognizing it only as a minor setback. Either that, or it wasn’t a new situation for him. I know now that men and women both can be decimated by the news, so I have to wonder if it was news to him at all.
My first outbreak waited a couple of years, so that by the time I went to my doctor to see what was going on with some unfamiliar discomfort “down there” I had even forgotten about herpes as a possibility. I was annoyed, but because I was a few years into a stable relationship I decided to let go of the idea of herpes as a problem. It kept me off my bike seat from time to time, but I figured I was safe from having to deal with social ostracism or the rejection by a lover that might follow “outing” myself. Sally’s worries were not mine – or so I thought.
Then my partner and I broke up. After 10 years together, I found myself alone, dealing with an almost unbearable level of grief at the same time as I wondered how having herpes was going to affect the rest of my life. I was thrown completely off balance and out of touch with who I was, and for the first time I was plagued by one painful outbreak after another. I went looking for help from the only source I had, but the last time I saw my ex, he was pushing a full vial of Valtrex at me through the half-closed door of our condo. I was left standing outside in the hall feeling rejected, worthless, unloved, and ashamed.
Having the herpes virus didn’t cause this situation, but it sure didn’t help. Like most women, I had spent my entire life and enormous amounts of time and effort loving others without ever paying myself the same attention. Being raised a woman in North American society I had been socialized to believe that my needs would never come first, and that at my core I was unclean and unworthy of real love. I might have two university degrees, but all it took was losing a lover to remind me that I was incapable, unlovable and undesirable. And waking up single with an incurable sexually transmitted disease, I was certain I would never be loved again.
I don’t think my experience is unique. The fragile female psyche, whether due to socialization or dysfunctional parenting – sometimes both – will immediately personalize a herpes infection. The medical community tells us that women are more susceptible to herpes infections because our genital area has a greater surface area with more mucosal cells than men, or that hormonal changes interfere with local immune responses. This may be true, but I further believe that female susceptibility to and experience of herpes symptoms has just as much to do with learned beliefs about femininity and female sexuality. Female physiology makes it easy to convince little girls that what can’t be seen should be left alone because no good will ever come of it, and the patriarchy in which we live has wasted no time in labeling the sexuality of independent women as dangerous. (Faithful wives and mothers receive different treatment – but that’s another story.) So when you believe at your core that you are fundamentally ugly, dirty, and undesirable, it is easy to blame yourself for your disease.
Across the centuries diverse societies have demonized female sexuality in order to control it, positioning women not only as a source of life, but also of death due to the dissemination of morally reprehensible desire and disease. Female sexual pleasure has been denied and repressed both socially and physically, with female genital mutilation an example of an extreme measure of control and domination.
So if herpes is emotion-driven, then why wouldn’t women suffer differently? We have been taught that we deserve to. At least that’s how I felt standing in that lonely hallway, the bottle of pills in my hand very cold comfort indeed.
I have since learned that it doesn’t have to be this way. Because for me this most recent assault was only the latest in a string of many, I was finally forced into therapy, and the counselor I worked with used a diverse range of tools to help me discover and dislodge my beliefs of personal worthlessness. I have always been good at maintaining a strong positive network of friends, and I leaned on them mightily. And as part of my healing process I began to meditate, exercise, and practice yoga. I visited reiki masters, and trained to become one myself. I went on a wilderness retreat, and spent days alone in the mountains with little food or shelter and only a candle and a journal for warmth and reflection.
As I came to understand and make peace with myself, I made peace with herpes – one cannot happen without the other. Life got better and better. A year passed, and I noticed that the outbreaks had slowed considerably. The more I made peace with my past and learned to love and forgive myself and others the less often the virus came to remind me to pay attention. I am now considerably more self-aware and consistently happy and healthy than before becoming a host. Doing my personal work has taught me not just to I love myself, but that I AM love, which is always greater than herpes. I am not just in touch with the goddess – she is me.
It’s almost three years now since this journey started, and aside from a few tingles during a particularly difficult period at work, I have been outbreak free. Interestingly enough, I have never felt freer to explore my sexuality and female power with friends and lovers. I have found ways to protect us from the spread of STDs, and have loved only those who care enough about me to take the risk – a truly liberating and self-affirming situation.
Now in an ideal world, the outcome of this process would transcend day-to-day identity politics, and shared experience would count for more than perceived difference. But we still live in a world where markings of gender, class and race determine the shape of our lives. Women continue to contract herpes more often than men, and to suffer more severe symptoms. I only know that as a woman, forgiveness and self-inventory has done far more for me than that bottle of Valtrex ever did.
I am in touch my true nature enough now to understand that herbal and naturopathic remedies are the only healthy alternative to the chemical treatment of disease and discomfort. Holistic health is an ongoing process that requires a commitment to and responsibility for one’s own health, a source of wisdom and healing like Christopher Scipio’s Holistic Herpes Protocol, and membership in an enlightened collective that understands that we are ALL living in a Herpes Nation. If happiness is defined as an absence of negative energy, then making peace with herpes can be a way for any one of us to be happy and whole for the first time. Happiness will cease to be an emotion that can be undermined by negative experience and societal judgments – it will become a self-defined way of being. Because making peace with anything leaves little room for negativity, having herpes can be a path to fulfillment if you let it be. Come home to the Herpes Nation where happiness is not an emotion. It’s a state of mind.
In Conversation with a Hypnotherapist
Several months ago I commissioned hypnotherapist Karen Miller to create a self-hypnosis programme based on my herpes and HPV protocols and my book Making Peace with Herpes, to be used in conjunction with my book and remedies.
Recently my associate Nancy Olson sat down with Karen to talk about how the programme, available now as a CD set along with my book “Making Peace With Herpes”, works to alleviate physical and psychological symptoms of having herpes.
Nancy: Let me start Karen by telling you what a great help your CD’s have been to me. They are a great way to relax after a stressful day, and I have been using the second set of exercises to supplement my own personal healing work. So to get started tell me what made you decide to pursue hypnotherapy as a healing modality?
Karen: 16 years ago I was pregnant and looking at self-hypnosis as a way to prepare myself for the birth. I was so pleased and intrigued by that experience that I became interested in learning more and then in sharing what I found. Initially I began presenting to groups however in 2005 I shifted my focus to one-on-one sessions and special programs – like this CD set.
Nancy: Tell me about your work as a hypnotherapist today.
Karen: I’m based in Nanaimo and work primarily with individual clients in one-on-one hypnotherapy sessions. My clients come because of a variety of issues, from herpes, chronic pain, to addictions, phobias, or personal growth.
Nancy: What makes hypnotherapy such an effective therapeutic tool in treating men and women with herpes?
Karen: That’s a really involved question! The role our mind plays in our healing is
only just beginning to be examined, never mind understood. Some terrifically
interesting findings are coming out of our relatively new brain-imaging
technology. And the studies that have been conducted on hypnosis are
fascinating but really only scratch the surface…
The simple answer is that herpes is not just a physical disease. It is a deeply
emotional experience. And so it makes sense for many that hypnosis (which
impacts the physical and the emotional, the mundane habitual responses as well
as memories and beliefs) would be such an effective tool.
Nancy: How does hypnotherapy do that? How is it different from meditation say, or guided visualization?
Karen: Well, there is certainly some overlap there. There is a focused state of awareness that is often common to all three. Meditation is an opening – often involves a sort of persistent passivity, if you will- an intent to be present. With guided visualization, imagery is used to direct the experience in a specific direction. With hypnosis, the mind is open to suggestions. And with hypnotherapy, that openness is used to benefit the person in hypnosis. Hypnotherapy may, but does not have to, use guided imagery. The
key is that the part of the mind that would normally block suggestions for
change is circumvented.
Nancy: How does this technique support the recommended psychological and lifestyle changes outlined in the book?
Karen: In this case, many of the suggestions for change I just mention are elements of Christopher Scipio’s recommendations in Making Peace With Herpes. So, at the most basic level, listening to the CDs will help you integrate the lifestyle changes, for example, making the best food choices, more easily. And the CD program will help you relax and alleviate stress. And doing even only that has such a positive physical effect. But perhaps the most profound effects will come from the emotional growth the program encourages. By providing opportunities for the listener to release old wounds and rewrite their internalized truths, I hope to offer peace and real healing.
Nancy: Can you describe for me the process you and Christopher followed in creating the hypnotherapy CD set he offers as a companion to his book “Making Peace With Herpes”?
Karen: When Christopher and I first met we had an interesting discussion and found significant common ground in our understanding of the nature of health and healing. After I read his book we spoke further about our shared belief that
hypnosis could really be an elegant support to his readers and clients. So, at
his invitation, I set about combining the techniques my clients have found
helpful with the content of Making Peace With Herpes. I’m really pleased with
the resulting synergy.
Nancy: The CD set has a number of tracks meant to enhance the listener’s ability to relax. Why is that so important?
Karen: Scientific studies, like work done by Kemeny, Zegans and Cohen at the New York Academy of Science (1997), have shown that long-term stress is a strong factor for recurrent herpes outbreaks. And to look at the picture even more broadly, I would point out that the negative effect of chronic stress on the immune system in general is well documented by studies with titles like The relationship of depression and stressors to immunological assays: a meta-analytic review. Brain Behavior and Immunity (Zorrilla, Luborsky, McKay, Rosenthal, Houldin, McCorkle, Seligman & Schmidt, 2001).
Relaxation and specifically relaxation through repeated hypnosis supports the immune system and decreases recurrence of herpes outbreaks. So, it is my intent to provide listeners with an opportunity to change their immune system chemistry and decrease outbreaks by doing something that feels great. It’s an absolute win.
Nancy: Tell me more about the second set of tracks. What are they meant to do, and how do they accomplish it?
Karen: The second set of tracks is really about the roots of the emotional issues that may be tied in to a listener’s experience of herpes. So they provide opportunities to clear negative feelings and to take the power out of past events and to put it back in the listener’s hands, where it belongs.
Nancy: What changes can listeners expect, in an immediate, short-term and long-term basis?
Karen: Everyone’s path will be different. You might begin by working through and clearing your emotions, or with shifting your physical symptoms, with feeling more in touch with your wise innermost self, or with changing your lifestyle so
as to be in line with Christopher’s protocols. Your changes may be gradual. Or
you may be one of those who experience dramatic relief or release and then
plateau before the next big surge. Some people feel like nothing much is
happening, but they keep at it and just let it be part of their routine. Then
one day they wake up and realize they’ve been symptom-free and peaceful for
months ‘for no reason’.
Nancy: What would you recommend to listeners who feel hypnotherapy isn’t working for them?
Karen: To begin with of course, there are so many healing modalities, and it’s
important to recognize that some people may simply be more comfortable making peace and healing through another method. Realizing that you have choices is very freeing. Having said that, I should also say that it’s been my
experience that everyone who can learn to read can also learn to go into hypnosis and to experience it’s benefits.
So what’s going on when ‘it’s not working’? Well, trust plays a fundamental role in hypnosis. And ultimately, I don’t mean trust in me, or in Christopher, or in the program, but rather trust in one’s self. Certainly that can be challenging, and the issues that herpes stirs up can exacerbate the challenge. Sometimes the most helpful thing is to call or e-mail me (Kpi@telus.net or 250-741-1461) and we can pinpoint where the resistance is coming from and decide how to best circumvent it. And for people who would like the support of a one-on-one session with me to get past a block or to learn how to really deepen their trance that’s possible too. For many clients, however, discovering that everything that they do with this program is completely under their control and that this experience can be as gentle as they’d like makes all the difference. Once they truly find their way into that understanding, it’s amazing how quickly things proceed!
Nancy: You raise some really good points about things I have experienced myself. For example, one or two of the second set of tracks stirred up some powerful emotions for me, without the attendant support of a therapist or counselor. How do you recommend listeners in that situation deal with those ideas and emotions when they arise?
Karen: That depends so much on the individual. Some people will want to work
concurrently with a therapist or counselor. And some will want to speak with me
about the experience and to work through a session or sessions together. And
for many, time to integrate their new understanding; an attitude of kindness
toward themselves, journaling, talking and/or creating will be most helpful.
It is also very common for people to enjoy a real feeling of lightness and
peace afterward, as they have finally had an opportunity to set down and
release emotion they have carried for a long-time. But of course I would
encourage anyone to seek whatever support feels best to him or her.
Nancy: Knowing what you know about herpes as an emotion-driven disease, are there any other underlying issues you recommend that Christopher’s patients use
hypnotherapy to address? How can you help them with that?
Karen: I would encourage them to contact a hypnotherapist if they have a sense that there are underlying issues that need exploring in the company of someone who has guided and helped others. Take the time to choose someone who you feel will be both skilled and compassionate. My website is www.nanaimohypnosis.com.
Nancy: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Karen, and especially for your work on creating the programme. I know it’s been a great help to me, and now I know a little bit more about how and why.
A Recipe for Herpes Health
Being healthy and outbreak-free need not mean deprivation. In each edition of this newsletter I will be sharing recipes for a deliciously holistic herpes diet. Have you got a particularly good healthy recipe? Send it to us, and we will publish it!
Curried Chicken with Bok Choy or Cabbage
Choose local organic ingredients as much as possible.
2 cups of Bok Choy or cabbage chopped
2 medium sized chicken breasts (chopped)
2 tbsp of olive oil
3-5 garlic cloves chopped
2 tsp of ground Tumeric
2tsp of ground Cumin
2 small cans of crushed tomatoes (or one large can)
1/2 onion chopped
1-2 tsp of curry powder or paste
1/3 cup of chicken stock
1/3 cup of plain organic yogurt
Heat the oil in a fry pan and sauté onions and garlic until soft, then add the chicken. Cook until golden, turn down the heat and add the spices. Stirring occasionally, let it cook together for another 5 minutes. Then add the greens and cover. Let it cook until the greens have softened. Add the chicken stock and yogurt and heat till warm, but not boiling. Let it all simmer together for another 5 minutes and then serve.
From The Holistic Herpes Cook Book by Cassa Wood
Why Go Organic?
Some of you might have heard about the importance of organics, free range, and buying local when purchasing food, and clients often ask me “What’s the big deal with Organics and why should I pay the higher price for it?”
MY reasoning is, if you have a choice between foods covered in pesticides and foods that are not, which would YOU choose? If you have a choice between foods that damage the water, earth and creatures on the earth and foods that don’t, which would YOU choose? It isn’t easy making that decision day in and day out, but making the world a better place for everyone sometimes costs a little more time, money and effort. This might explain why our planet is in such a state.
Emotional Freedom Now!
By Kannara Daniel
EFT Practitioner, Medical Intuitive, Channel and Clairvoyant
kannara@telus.net
There are very few techniques that can be learned in a few minutes that will help you relieve the fear, anxiety, stress and many other issues that can cause your herpes virus to awaken. Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is based on acupuncture and psychotherapy, and increases energy flow in the body while neutralizing negative emotions. It has proven successful in thousands of clinical cases and applies to just about any emotional, health or performance issue you can name, and it often works where nothing else will. I’ve used it to prevent herpes outbreaks and to accelerate the healing process.
For those who suffer with recurring herpes, the worry of having another outbreak can bring up feelings of absolute powerlessness and anxiety, which can in turn allow the virus to re-assert itself. Stressing over the stress goes round and round until an outbreak occurs – its a truly vicious cycle. Yoga or meditation and visualization can help slow down the mind and relax the body, but it’s hard to keep it up all day long.
EFT can be done anywhere, at anytime. It involves tapping gently on pressure points around the body (see below) to increase energy flow along traditional energy meridians, and once you learn the technique, you can even just visualize the tapping routine to get your energy re-balanced. Often it will take only two minutes of tapping to alleviate the impending stress of recurring outbreaks, thus reducing occurrences. When you use it as an everyday tool you assist your body to remain in a state of balance!
Follow the basic instructions below and feel the energy of each tap while you focus on the issue you want to address.
First rate your worry on a scale from 0 – 10.
Then begin by tapping on the top of the head (TH) and say what you are feeling: i.e.: this worry, or this stress, or this pain…etc.
Then tap about 7 times at each point below with your two first fingers. You might have to repeat it a few times, but you will begin to feel your energy flow as you use this process regularly.
TH = Top of Head
EB = Beginning of the Eye Brow (inside)
SE = Side of the Eye (outside)
UE = Under the Eye
UN = Under the Nose
CH = Chin
CB = Beginning of the Collar Bone (side of throat)
UA = Under the Arm (6 ” beneath arm pit)
WR = Inside of Wrists
Repeat the exercise until the number on the scale has come down to at least 2 or less. Repeat the exercise as needed.
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Christopher Scipio’s Natural Herpes Treatment Protocol
Christopher Scipio is the most experienced practitioner in the natural treatment of herpes and HPV.
- Published in Herpes
My Holistic Herpes Newsletter Edition Two
Herpes Nation Newsletter Volume One, Edition Two
Why I am not Ashamed of Having Herpes!
Why should I be?
I will not allow myself to be ridiculed, stigmatized or disrespected by others for having a disease. Disease is a natural part of life whether you are human, animal or plant. Nobody is exempt from disease, almost no one will live their full life without getting at least one sexually transmitted disease. These are the facts.
Some people are afraid of diseases and those who have them. That is an ancient, primal fear, and one I understand well, but it doesn’t excuse anyone from mean-spirited, ignorant behaviour towards those with diseases.
When I was a kid we made fun of “retarded” and “handicapped” people. I am deeply ashamed of that now, but children can be quite brutal. Adults need to hold themselves to a much higher standard.
Those who make sick jokes about herpes are not only aping the same mentality as those who make racist or sexist jokes, but they are also exposing their own lack of courage. It’s much easier to ridicule the things you are afraid of rather than having the courage to face those fears. They are creating a stigma that causes millions of people with herpes unnecessary grief.
At least 60% of the population has herpes above or below the waist. 70% of the population will get HPV as genital warts or cervical dysplasia. 80% will get chlamydia at least once- most women will get it more than once.
All animals with backbones get herpes including cats, horses, elephants and salmon. Most animals without a backbone get herpes including worms.
Having herpes doesn’t make me less moral, less attractive, less ethical, less worthy of respect, less sexy or less of a great catch, so why would I be ashamed to have herpes?
I am not afraid of my body. I know that sometimes I will get sick. I know that my faculties will decline as I age and that I am destined to die. This is the beauty of life- the contrast and balance between health and disease, between happiness and sorrow, summer and winter, fullness and emptiness, life and death.
I am a natural person; I am not ashamed or at war with any part of my body, including the herpes virus. I am at peace with the virus, my body and my place in this world as a person with a lifelong herpes infection.
I am most definitely not ashamed.
Join Us
Please join me and the people already contributing to this newsletter by sharing your stories and articles. If you paint or draw or make art of any kind, express your feelings about herpes through your art and send it to us to share with the Herpes Nation. If you are a musician send us your herpes songs. Send your recipes. Empower yourself to sign your work, or use a pseudonym to protect your privacy. Either way, don’t be shy! We want to hear your voice.
Regards and love,
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
An Interview with Dr. David Koelle
by Angie Richardson
What are your thoughts on the origin of the herpes virus?
Herpes has been with us for several hundred million years. It has evolved with us, it has changed with us. The herpes hosts have changed and evolved over the millions of years, and the herpes virus is no different.
What are the genetic differences and similarities between type 1 and type 2?
Overall, herpes type 1 and type 2 are 50 percent identical. Some portions are 95 percent related, and other portions are 20 percent related. They are very similar on a global level. Whether herpes will present itself orally or on the genitals depends on which place the virus likes better, which place is better suited for the virus. Herpes type 1 and type 2 are extremely related, though not as closely as the flu strands, which are 95 or 98 percent related. In terms of relation, we could consider type 1 and type 2 to be brothers, and chicken pox a cousin.
Why has herpes been such a successful virus?
Simply put, because it is clinically mild. The overwhelming majority of its hosts have no increased mortality. This virus is lifelong, and can be transmitted again and again throughout the lifespan of its host. Herpes’ infectious forms are periodically present on a highly transmittable surface (lips when kissing, genitals when having sex, etc).
Why has it been so challenging to find cures for herpes and other viruses, such as chicken pox and epstein-barr?
This is because of the latent property of the virus. The virus goes into the neurons, and stays for the entire life of the cell. The cell itself would need to be killed in order to successfully remove the virus. No drugs can go into these cells and take the virus out. There are 8 different types of herpes that infect humans, and all 8 have the property of latency.
How have viruses impacted human evolution? Since viruses are neither alive or dead, what evolutionary and ecosystem niche do they occupy?
Viruses help speed up evolution, they help to stir up the DNA, to create more mutations and to allow for more transfer of DNA. Retroviruses (not herpes) have contributed to evolution in a positive way, they make DNA mobile. They can move DNA laterally from one person to another. In fact, 20 percent of our DNA is made up of old retroviruses. Retroviruses copy and paste themselves into our DNA, they insert into our chromosomes.
Which came first, type 1 or type 2 herpes?
There is no way to be sure. The share a common ancestor. If one looks at two brothers and asks which came first, the question does not really make sense: they both came from common ancestor. One did not differentiate or evolve into the other.
What is the prospect for new types of the herpes virus evolving?
Imperceptibly slow. As evolution continues, people will slowly begin to look different, just as herpes will slowly begin to look different. It will happen so slowly over time that we wont even be able to notice it. Its not like the flu, where a new from of it will show up in another country. When herpes replicates, the accuracy of its replication is extremely high. It doesnt mutate on a time scale that is easy for us to perceive from our human lifespan scale. The likelihood of it mutating or evolving while we are alive is almost zero.
On the Path
by Jessica Lauryn
Why? Why is this so hard for me to write about something I’ve been so open about, yet so troubled by, for over a year now? Herpes. That insidious cellular parasite that crept into the nerve ganglia of my sacral cells. Sacral. Sacrum. Sacred?
The quote I remember most from Tom Robbin’s “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,” was, “I believe in everything. Nothing is sacred. I believe in nothing. Everything is sacred.”
In the past seven years, I have grown closer and closer to believing in the sacred nature of my vulva, my vagina, my breasts, my womb, my clit. I study myself in the mirror. Breasts beginning to sag, their firm, supple nature a relic of a past body, a body that had yet to mother. They are now reminders of the suckling of two tender infants and toddlers, nourished by their goodness during their formative years. My breasts, heavy on my belly, have served their primary purpose. A job well done.
My belly, stretched to its skin’s very limits, is defined by pale scars, soft depressions reminiscent of tree roots. It protrudes a soft mound of loosened flesh reminding me of its emptiness, void of the life it once had the divine privilege of manifesting.
My vagina, in all its pains and glories, sheds the blood of my womb each month with the moon to remind me of my sacred role as a woman, creator of new life. My vulva, sweet mound I hold so dear, home to the holy bundle of glorious nerve endings, all of which I had no words for until post-pubescence. All of the sweet, mysterious sensations that I felt while secretly pleasuring myself as a young child were accompanied by a predominating sense of guilt and fear. There were years of disdain for my vulva. How it looked (when I was brave enough to examine it,) how it felt, when I was finally overcome by desire enough to touch it, and most importantly, how I thought I was supposed to feel about having one.
A little girl learns that the pains of childbirth are akin to torture. It filled me with a fear most morose. Menstruation. . .”the curse.” I felt condemned to a life of inconvenience, monthly pains, and a dirtiness I was required to hide to avoid embarrassment. Shame. There was no mention in sex-ed of female masturbation, but plenty of information about erections and “wet dreams.” I had no language to describe my own experience. I lived with the guilt and anxiety that I was somehow “hurting myself.” I lived in fear of the inevitability of the pain that would accompany my first penetration and the new realization that virgin or whore, there lay the same degradation.
And now, seven years into my own personal sexual revolution, having finally freed myself of the guilt I harbored for so long for being so sexually alive and curious from such an early age, I must choose to transform my relationship with my herpes virus.
Herpes. Oh, herpes. Why must you attack that which I love and pride so much, so violently? Why do you send little shoots of pain, panic, neurotic, spasmodic, low voltage shocks directly through the path that brings me ecstasy? Why do you birth and multiply in my wetness that I once reserved for myself and my lovers? Why do you rob me of my of energy and insist in keeping me away from the goodness of the sunlight? Why do you make me cry? Again, and again?
In this moment, I can feel the lymph nodes in my groin begin to swell, trying to protect me from another attack. In my mind, I imagine the beauty of my lover, sending currents of pleasure rushing to my clitoris. I hesitate to engage it. To quell it. To LOVE it. It seems my vagina is plagued and confused by your all too frequent reappearances and sudden disappearances. Can I not grow to understand you better so that I can once again reclaim the purity and the goodness of my sexuality?
Today, you make me so sad. You make me wish I would have never trusted my former lover who passed you on to me. But what good is dwelling on regret? This image, branded somehow into my psyche of a single, suspicious, small wound on the tip of a flaccid penis. The lovemaking was over when I noticed you. The damage already done.
Ten days later, my genitals had not experienced such burning and misery since the crowning of childbirth. And when the diagnosis was confirmed all I could think of was, “No! No! No! Please, no! Not that! Anything but that! There is no cure! It will never go away!” Such a loss I am feeling. A loss of my sexual health, and my sexual freedom, an essential part of my being.
I trust that my body, this body who has birthed and re-birthed itself, will in time learn to better accommodate this virus so that it will lie asleep, contentedly asleep. I want to love again. I want to fuck again. I want to be relieved of any shame that I carry for having contracted this disease. I want to enjoy my own body without the fear of an orgasm disrupting the nerve endings and causing me more grief. I want to be understood and accepted. I want to be humbled by the reality of the vulnerability of the human body without wallowing in self-pity and remorse.
If I were to believe in everything, and that nothing is sacred. . .then I am one with all the is good and bountiful and beautiful as well as all that is dark and scarce and subject to pain and suffering. If I were to believe in nothing, and that everything is sacred. . . then I fully embrace the same paradox that is life with the possibility of finding something sacred, something true and something to be grateful for. . .in Everything.
Profile of a Dater by Karen Weiner
When you read my profile you may not want to date, but I’d rather tell this to you now before it gets too late!
I hope you’ll have the patience to listen to what I say, because this is a scenario that happens every day.
What follows is a story about 3 women and a guy. (Now that got your attention – if it didn’t…then you lie!)
Mr Lucky Dater goes on a date with “one”, and they have a great evening full of laughter and of fun. But she tells him she has HSV and he is quite dismayed. So of course he does a runner and she feels a bit betrayed.
So onto number “two” he moves, and she is *squeaky clean*…of course as far as she’s aware, clean she’s always been!
But like so many people here she has the virus too. The problem is she cannot see it, yet it can spread to you!!
They share many nights of passion, but this comes to an end. Lucky for Mr Dater, number “three” is around the bend.
Number “three” is a wonderful gal, and they date for quite some time…but sex is on the horizon (as it is in any good rhyme)!
She isn’t sure what to tell him before they get too ‘wild’. She had a coldsore as a kid, but now it’s really mild.
She decides it’s not a problem and they spend the night in bed. She still avoids the issue and decides to give him h**d!
But like all his romances so far, this one too must end…and now our Mr Dater is back looking for a “friend”.
And when he finds the next one, and she asks if he’s been tested, he’ll say “Oh not to worry, I would know if I’m infected”!
And when she says “well that’s too bad ’cause I have HSV”, he’ll turn around and run right back to number “two” or “three”!!!!
So am I woman number “one”, number “two” or number “three”?
And are you absolutely sure YOU don’t have HSV?
A Recipe for Herpes Health
Being healthy and outbreak-free need not mean deprivation. In each edition of this newsletter we will be sharing recipes for a deliciously holistic herpes diet. Have you got a particularly good healthy recipe? Send it to us, and we will publish it!
Baba Ghanoush’s Herpes-Friendly Cousin
by Beki Rosenthal
Choose local organic ingredients as much as possible.
1 lg eggplant
1/4 cup whole plain yogurt
1 tbsp tahini
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
1-2 lemons, juice and pulp
3 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp hemp seeds
dash cumin and coriander (optional)
dash hot pepper (optional)
dash salt & pepper (optional)
dash cinnamon (optional)
1. Cut eggplant in 1/2 lengthwise.
2. Put cut side down in roasting pan.
3. Bake 30 min @ 375° or until soft.
4. Transfer to plate to cool.
5. Spoon out cooled eggplant flesh onto cutting surface and mince.
6. Put in bowl and mix with other ingredients.
7. Adjust seasonings to taste.
8. Dip with cut veggies or baked chips.
An Interview with Alix Bacon, Sex Educator
By Angie Richardson
What advice do you give your clients and the general public regarding safer sexuality, and the testing and prevention of herpes?
I caution them to assume that everyone has herpes (themselves included unless they have a Western Blot test proving otherwise). Based on this assumption, I recommend that people use condoms and dams for each act of sex for the duration of all their relationships. I think knowing your herpes status is valuable so if they can afford a Western Blot test I recommend it. That being said, even if you have a positive result you still may not be able to recognize an outbreak if one were to happen. Therefore I encourage them to really tune into their bodies and specifically, their genitals. Have a good feel and a good look in the shower once a week. For males this is easily incorporated into their weekly testicular self exams. Pay attention to “pimples”, “razor burn”, lymph nodes etc. Become familiar enough that you will notice if something is different.
Why do you feel there is still such a false stigmata toward herpes?
a) Herpes is the one common STI that you can’t get rid of. The only other life long STIs are HIV and sometimes HEP. HIV and HEP have their own stigma- the common misconception is that only IDUs and sex trade workers are infected. Therefore for Jo Schmo herpes is viewed as the only incurable STI. Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphillis are all cured with a course of antibiotics, HPV and molluscum contagiosum are transient infections (ie our immune systems will deal with them within 2 years) with cosmetic treatment options but herpes is with you for life.
b) People don’t realize how common herpes is (1/5 adults in North America have genital herpes).
c) Herpes is associated with infidelity.
d) People don’t understand how to prevent herpes, or don’t want the “hassle” of using condoms.
How do you feel you are making a difference in the public’s perception of herpes?
I have a holistic approach to herpes. I acknowledge the fear of living with and disclosing herpes while at the same time taking a clear, scientific approach to sharing information. I strive to demonstrate that physically (and dare I say socially) herpes usually doesn’t have to be a big deal. We can not separate the physiological and emotion aspects of our sexuality- they must be addressed as a package. I feel this is a significant departure from previous, failed education attempts. These include employing scare tactics, dispensing misinformation and shaming.
Why is it so difficult to get herpes tests?
Herpes testing options are confusing, individual tests can be expensive, tests have significant limitations and accessibility is poor.
There are 3 ways to test for herpes.
The free blood test looks for antibodies, which can take up to 12 weeks to develop. 80% of people test positive for this test (because that’s how many people have been exposed to HSV 1- which is usually what causes cold sores), and it does not distinguish between type 1 & type 2. It will not tell you if you have had or ever will have an outbreak.
The second blood test is the western blot. This is the gold standard of herpes blood tests & it will confirm for you whether or not you are a carrier and if so, whether you have type 1 or 2. Some people will have an accurate result after 2 weeks, but some may require up to 12 weeks after exposure before they will get an accurate result. It will not tell you if you have had or ever will have an outbreak.
To get a western blot you must request it by name from a doctor, who will write a lab requisition for you. You take the requisition to St. Paul’s hospital on Burrard St. in Vancouver, where you will have to pay approx $120 for the test.
The 3rd test is a swab of a suspicious bump, rash, fissure etc. This is a viral culture & is the only test that will confirm for i)if you have herpes ii)what type iii) what an outbreak looks & feels like & where you can expect them to appear in the future. Unfortunately, the culture is only accurate in the first 24 hours after the outbreak begins, so its best to go in as soon as possible when symptoms appear.
Why aren’t medical professionals encouraging people to get herpes tests?
I can’t speak for a body of medical professions but I suspect its a combination of things.
a) herpes is so prevalent and has so few physiological side effects that it isn’t financially sensible to test
b) they understand the limitations of the tests
c) they feel confident they can diagnose based on a visual examination and anecdotal description of symptoms
d) GPs have to stay on top of so many things, are overworked and underpaid and they can’t possibly stay on top of everything. STIs are only covered in brief in medical school and while continuing education is required doctors choose which areas they wish to further explore.
Doctors often treat herpes like its not big deal. This may be in an attempt to destigmatize the virus, or perhaps it is because they are jaded by its prevalence. This attitude, combined with a lack of information, lack of time and lack of appropriate sensitivity training result often result in health care providers failing to give clients all the information they need on how to prevent transmission and how to communicate with their partners about STIs. They also fail to provide the counseling, emotional support and validation necessary for a newly diagnosed client to be able to really hear information on transmission and communication.
Why is their such a temptation for people who get herpes above the waist to either act like they don’t have herpes at all or at least be more complacent about disclosure and safer sexuality?
Many people do not realize that cold sores are caused by the herpes virus. They also do not realize that they can spread it from the mouth to the genitals. This is aggravated by the fact that transmission of oral herpes is often not sexual and therefore it is not framed as an STI. And of course, there is the herpes stigma!
What more can be done to educate youth and seniors better about herpes?
Schools need to develop curriculum requirements for comprehensive sexual health education and they need to create a system to ensure the curriculum requirements are being fulfilled. Youth clinics need to proliferate and become more accessible. In the meantime (since holding our breath isn’t going to help) there are fantastic new forays into using technology as a tool for sex education. Facebook and mySpace pages, blogs, comic books, SNL style skits that the Midwest Teen Sex Show (http://midwestteensexshow.com/). These sassy for-youth-by-youth provide a social context for sex ed which is not just palatable but enjoyable. Parents need to educate themselves, if not about STIs then at least about resources, and share this information with their children.
As for seniors- where do I start. First, we as a society need to acknowledge and celebrate sexual expression among our elders. We need to empower them to access and share information about STI’s. We’re talking culturally sensitive, low tech, large print! The information needs to be shared in a way that honours their life experience and maturity-after all these are the experts when it comes to experience. Lions Clubs, Rotary, seniors centres and care facilities need to offer sexuality education nights and access to a doctor or nurse for confidential, not judgmental sexual health information and health services. We need condom dispensers in the bathrooms at these institutions too!
The Good Thing About Herpes
By Charles Q. Choi, Special to LiveScience
posted: 16 May 2007 01:00 pm ET
The herpes family of viruses can have a surprising upside–it can protect against the bubonic plague and other bacterial contagions, at least in mice.
Research into whether a similar mechanism applies to humans and other mammalian hosts should be conducted, said viral immunologist Skip Virgin at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “There may be symbiotic advantages to chronic infections with these viruses.”
These new results do not mean people should go out and get infected with herpes, Virgin stressed. They probably already are. Nearly all humans become infected with multiple herpes virus family members during childhood. These germs not only include the herpes simplex viruses, which lead to cold sores and possibly genital herpes, but also the diseases responsible for chickenpox and “mono,” as well as several less well-known ailments. Herpes infections have bedeviled animals for more than 100 million years.
After the initial period of infection, these viruses enter a dormant state known as latency. Many lurk for the lifetime of their hosts “as permanent passengers” without causing overt symptoms, Virgin said.
Virgin and his colleagues experimented with viruses highly similar genetically to ones that cause mono and other diseases in humans. These germs normally cause fatigue and ruffled fur in mice, although the researchers used dose levels too low to cause symptoms.
The scientists discovered latent infections with these viruses could protect mice from bacterial infections, including Yersinia pestis, which causes bubonic plague, and Listeria monocytogenes, which causes one kind of food poisoning, findings detailed in the May 17 issue of the journal Nature.
The herpes viruses spur the immune system to boost levels of a protein hormone called interferon gamma “that in effect puts some immune system soldiers on yellow alert, causing them to patrol for invaders with their eyes wide open and defense weapons ready,” Virgin said. As a result, the bacteria grew more slowly and were less likely to kill the mice. Future research can investigate whether these latent infections protect against other viruses.
Still, while people might benefit from symbiotic relationships with the herpes family of viruses, they can also have serious consequences, such as deafness, blindness, encephalitis and cancer.
“The presence of these viruses seems to be a two-edged sword,” Virgin told LiveScience. “I am quite concerned that we be sensitive to these true human tragedies while recognizing the potential of a new way to view these infections.”
Uncovering any potential benefits of these viruses in humans will prove hard, Virgin cautioned, “since nearly all humans are infected with these viruses at a young age, so it will be hard to find people without them for comparison. ”
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- Published in Herpes