We have been following the development of Theravax from Rational Vaccines. This is the work of Dr Bill Halford’s team. (I recently spoke to their business manager on the phone.) This is an interesting vaccine, because it is different from the others currently being worked on and it is more like the successful chickenpox vaccine.
Continue reading Potential vaccine?
We run these days to help you develop confidence, information, skills – and to meet others in the same boat.
Nine people attended recently. They marked their score cards with the top rating: a ‘very helpful’ day and several commented that it was even more enjoyable than they had expected. “Meeting the others on the course is a bonus,” said one lady. “In fact I have made two new friends and we support each other and meet up.” These days happen every three months.
Continue reading ‘Talking to a New Partner’ – Come to an Event That Will Give You Confidence (and Information)
If you get cold sores, you might like to try the new cold sores treatment with melissa. The researcher is keen to have more people to try this new, improved formula – and report back to him. A man who tested an earlier formula is totally thrilled at the results: much better than anything else he’s tried, and he’s tried a lot of different products!
You may have read some headlines in the Sun or the Mail, etc. They report “‘Women infected with herpes while they are pregnant are twice as likely to have a child with autism.” This headline comes from a study looking at whether maternal infections during pregnancy are associated with the risk of neurological developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
Continue reading No “Link between herpes in pregnancy and autism”
Go to Events
We organise a support groups/social get-togethers – mostly in London. The hosts for these events are people with herpes. You can meet others with the virus, share experiences…
We hold informal, interactive days when you can learn how to talk to a new partner. These events – next one on Saturday, 17 February, 2018 – are extremely popular. The usual comment from people who attend is always something like: “I wish I had gone to one of these sooner…”
And a formal seminar – once a year – with a doctor who is expert in genital herpes. We always ask the doctor to be sure to allow time for answering all your questions. Next one is on May 12th, 2018.
We need a volunteer (or more than one) to come into the office to do the routine tasks of administration. (We had a great guy, but we found him a full-time paid job in this building, so now we need ‘you’!)
Continue reading Volunteering
Do you know the difference between genital herpes (caused by herpes simplex types 1 or 2) and glandular fever (caused humanherpes virus 4 i.e. Epstein Barr virus)? Of course you do, but the Daily Mail doesn’t! On 20th July 2016, health writer Mia De Graaf confused these viruses and also Kaposi’s sarcoma virus (humanherpes virus 8). Herpes simplex is not, ever involved in cancer-causing activities, HHV 4 and 8 are. Simples!
Continue reading When the media gets it wrong!
The information on this site is written to the high standards required by The Information Standard. This means that all medical statements about genital herpes are referenced – often from the guidelines written by doctors who are specialists in genital herpes.
Continue reading Are you reading everything on this site?
Because Claire Henderson had never had a cold sore (or any other herpes simplex virus) her baby did not have any antibody protection when someone with a cold sore kissed baby Brooke. The newborn baby became very ill. Luckily, the hospital put the baby on an aciclovir drip and this ensured that she made a full recovery.
If you have genital herpes, cold sores, or whitlows (on the finger), your new babies have ‘borrowed’ antibody protection that will last them until they are old enough to catch things without danger. So you do not have to worry about infecting your baby.
Since no one knows the antibody status of a new baby, don’t kiss a baby that is not yours!
This vaccine is available from NHS GPs for people in their 70s. (Except 75-77 years for now! They will be offered it later.)
Check the Shingles Support Society news on the above link.
