Want herpes support?

Zoom sessions are twice a month.

London-based events (in person) are on the first Saturday of the month. There’s a social evening on 26th April… Plus other events, look down the page…

in Bath: Mariani Nicholson MBE, director, is giving a talk on “Cold sores, shingles and other herpes viruses” at 4.15 pm at the SATIREV show at the Ralph Allen School on Saturday: 10^th May, from 9 am. This is a women’s health show, with lots of different talks and workshops. Sign up at SATIREV using GIFT to get the FREE tickets.

In Bath, 10th May, you can join Marian for a support chat at From 6 pm at the Royal Hotel Bath, Manvers Street, Bath BA1 1JP  – in the lounge or bar. She’ll be in a bright green shirt with the yellow SPHERE sign on the table. (See photo of sign below)

There was a Birmingham meeting on 30th April – for see below. Watch out for more dates.

An Assurance Day – learning how to talk to a new partner – Saturday 17th May – see below

See TABLE OF DATES below.

To register for the Zoom events, email us at [email protected] In the subject line, write ‘virtual event’ and the date you are interested in. We will send you Zoom link prior to the event and answer any questions you may have. These events are open to everyone, you don’t have to be a subscriber. There is no obligation to speak or show your video during the call, but rest assured, it is confidential and others on the call will be in the same boat as you.

Zoom session testimonials:

“It was one of the few perks of the Covid situation for me. You moved the meetings to Zoom so I was able to join the support group online! It really was very useful and such a massive relief to finally meet other people in the same situation (other than the ex). I know such people exist, but meeting you makes a whole world of difference, you know?!”

“Don’t sit battling your feelings about herpes on your own, come and join our Zoom meeting and meet others, who have the same diagnosis, and chat and share your experiences or just listen. It’s not so scary, honest.”

“It’s given me a new confidence having met with lovely people from different backgrounds and different parts of the world who have the same condition as I have and are coping with it. We discuss our fears, feelings, symptoms and medication and how we have told partners. The HVA team are down to earth and honest and have put myths to rest. It’s helping me to feel normal… As we all are by the way. Oh, and we can also have a laugh as well.”

“I entered ‘how can I get herpes support?’ and yours was the listed third. I am so glad I’ve found you as you have really helped me get my head around it.”

TABLE OF EVENT DATES These are all free, unless a price is shown.

Meetings in person in London

Next one: Saturday, 3 May, then 7 June, 5 July and every first Saturday of the month, from 3 till 6 pm. Join us! We have found that we can discuss ‘it’ in public without hotel staff or guests being aware we are a herpes support group.

To get to the President hotel, turn left out of Russell Square tube, take the first left into Herbrand Street, and the President is ahead. Inside, turn right to the Atrium. Marian (who has all the answers about herpes) or another trained volunteer will have yellow ‘SPHERE’ sign on the table. Full address: 56-60 Guilford Street WC1N 1DB. Just walk-in and join us, no appointment necessary.

BIRMINGHAM

Wednesday, 30th April from 6.30 – 9 pm to chat about ‘it’ with others who understand. This is hosted by long-time helpliner, Lou. She has the answers and has it herself. There was a meeting on 19th March, which was a great success. The 7 people who attended of all ages 23 to 71 said they’d try to be here again.

It will be in the same venue: Holiday Inn lounge/bar in the Holiday Inn near New Street: Smallbrook Queensway, B5 4EW.  The host will put a yellow SPHERE sign on the table (see photo above).

Expert talk

You will have a one hour presentation by a herpes expert. See dates in table above. This PowerPoint will equip you with everything you need to know. The second hour will be questions and answers, so you can ask about your own particular situation. It might be more beneficial that you can imagine to talk with others who understand…

Send an email to [email protected] – or just make the £15 “donation” on the https//herpes.org.uk/shop page. Put ‘expert talk‘ in the instruction box under the email address box.

Assurance Day – next one 17th May

Our hugely popular in depth online course – on Zoom – on how to feel confident again, learn about herpes from the experts, defeat the stigma and talk to a partner with ease, equipped with the facts. This is for members.

Course duration – one day – on Zoom.
Cost: £40 for our subscribers. You have to subscribe before you can join this event. See https://herpes.org.uk/join.

Assurance Day timetable on 17 May:

10:30-11:15 – Managing recurrences, treatment and why it is so common.

11:15-11:30 – Q&A with HVA director, Marian Nicholson.

11:45-12:45 – Knowledge is power: History of the herpes stigma with herpes expert Nigel Scott.

12:45 -1:30 – Lunch break.

1:30 – 2:30 – How to talk about it to a partner and how partners usually react (with guest speaker).

2:45 – 3:15 – The psychology and what you can do about it.

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3.30 – 4:00 – ‘When to? Where to? How to?

4:00 – 4:30 – Partner notification role play (optional).

5:00 – 5:30 – Open session and recap.

Assurance Day testimonial:

“I was obviously a bit nervous but the discussions we had on the Assurance Day I attended definitely helped – and in the end the conversation was much more simple that I expected.  In case you are interested, it went something like this (on a walk after dinner):

Me: So have you ever had any STDs?

Him: No, I haven’t, have you?

Me: Yes, I had chlamydia once. And now, sometimes I get herpes.

Him: Oh, well, I had that a few times I think on my lips, but ages ago. But I don’t know if it was herpes or a cold sore. 

Me: It’s the same thing. So I sometimes have that, just in a different place. I just have to avoid sex when I have it.

Him: Ah! Ok. (Pause) That was a weird way for you to break the silence!

And then we carried on as normal!”

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This page was last updated on 6-05-2025.