Sexual Health Buzz

In an encouraging development, an investigational vaccine regimen has been shown to be well-tolerated and to prevent HIV infection in a clinical trial involving more than 16,000 adult participants in Thailand.

Following a final analysis of the trial data, the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, the trial sponsor, announced today that the prime-boost investigational vaccine regimen was safe and 31 percent effective in preventing HIV infection.

“These new findings represent an important step forward in HIV vaccine research,” says Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, which provided major funding and other support for the study.

“For the first time, an investigational HIV vaccine has demonstrated some ability to prevent HIV infection among vaccinated individuals. Additional research is needed to better understand how this vaccine regimen reduced the risk of HIV infection, but certainly this is an encouraging advance for the HIV vaccine field.”

For more information – Talk about clinical trials and vaccine research – Talk about HIV – More HIV Information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 25 percent of HIV-infected people in the United States are also infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

HCV infection is a major cause of liver damage and progresses more rapidly in HIV-infected people. Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are enrolling volunteers for a clinical trial to evaluate a new treatment that may suppress the HCV virus in HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

The clinical trial is being conducted at the NIH in Bethesda, MD.

For more information – HIV Information – Talk About HIV – HEP Information – Talk About HEP

NIAID News gave me permission to share this information with you. I want all of my readers to know what is going on with HIV. Thanks so much for reading my blog.

A new, large-scale clinical trial is examining whether antiretroviral medications normally used to treat HIV infection can also prevent HIV infection in women when applied as a vaginal gel or taken as oral tablets once daily.

The study, called Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic (VOICE) or MTN-003, will involve up to 5,000 HIV-uninfected women at risk for HIV infection in four African countries. The trial will test the safety and efficacy of two different HIV prevention strategies: an investigational microbicide gel containing the antiretroviral drug tenofovir, and oral tablets containing tenofovir or a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine known by the brand name Truvada. The tablets would be taken prior to exposure in an approach known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. Testing a microbicide and PrEP in the same trial will enable scientists to directly compare the two strategies in terms of their safety and acceptability.

The premise behind PrEP is that taking an antiretroviral drug before exposure to HIV could potentially inhibit HIV replication immediately after exposure to the virus, thwarting permanent infection. This strategy is used globally to successfully prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to infant.

Notably, the VOICE study is the first efficacy study of an investigational microbicide in which participants apply the gel once daily rather than shortly before sexual intercourse.

For more information – HIV Information – Talk About HIV

NIAID News gave me permission to share this information with you. I want all of my readers to know what is going on with HIV. Thanks so much for reading my blog.

I learned I was exposed to herpes last year. It has been very difficult dealing with the emotions concerning the impact to society as well as the social response. I have repeated to myself over and over again that I will not transmit to anyone; as such I have personally elected to remain without a husband and without sexual contact of any kind.

I am not innocent as some are who also share in the discomfort and in this experience with me. Shamefully I am guilty of sin, many times over, that led to this.

My biggest heartache is the fact that I am a carrier of a contagious disease, but as someone said before, I believe I learned something that until this came along- I had not learned by any other means and that was to fear the Lord.

I have desires just as anyone else, but the fear of the Lord and the sadness that fills my heart of compromising someone else’s health as mine was compromised, hurts me.

When I read that the Lord said that our bodies are his temple and that fornication was the only sin against the body, I began to respect the body of others–but not until I learned I was afflicted. I contracted my disease from my husband just before I married him. Needless to say I sinned.

The word helps me to see how important the body is to the Father. I know you ALL love the Lord as I do and perhaps even more than I. I am so glad that there are some of you who found a man or woman to share your life with. I left my husband, he and his entire family deceived me on several major issues and when confronted, their response was “who cares” it was so early in the marriage that I elected to leave. When I returned home to my family I went to get tested and that’s when I learned there was more. Thankfully I did not sin like that since then.

I am grateful to know that the Lord made provision for me to leave so long as I do not seek anyone else to marry. I think that the Lord is extraordinarily just and merciful.

Please, if you have not found a husband or wife to share your life with and you ask the Lord to bless you, he will. Our circumstances are not all the same as you have seen through the testimonies of others, God knows what is and what is not appropriate-he decides and he gives accordingly.

Remember that he loves you deeply and wants you to make good choices; choices that will help you inherit life forever with him. He loves you so profoundly. Just please understand that his kingdom is very different from the one that deceives the world and we are given the option to chose whom we will love, that we might give him our loyalty as the Righteous King is worthy!

If he were not God, he would not be able to punish anyone. I have not known of any statue or image on the planet that can see everything we do and correct us, not one.

~ Elisa

More Inspirational Stories
Christians With Herpes
More Herpes Information

Hi! I came across your website looking up the proper information for my boyfriend on herpes since I have it and he doesn’t.

I wanted to let you know I think what you are doing is great! I also wanted to let you know in reference to oral sex women can buy dental dams (they are latex or latex free sheets that almost act like a condom so a man can “go down” on you without having to worry about contracting your herpes!) I buy mind on the website undercovercondoms.com and they come flavored and unflavored!

I am finally in a relationship where I’m being 100% honest with my partner about everything and we are protecting him! In the past the men I have told haven’t really taken it seriously and have decided to not protect themselves. And it took me a long time to tell people, I was scared of the judgment I would receive and the wrong person knowing and telling everyone! So I didn’t tell some people either and now look back on it and feel soooooo bad about it! I will make sure not to make that mistake again!

But….. I just wanted to say from a woman who has had herpes for 11 years I appreciate all that you are doing! I know how it feels to be lost and scared and “not beautiful” because of this disease and I hope they do perfect that vaccine!!

All the best!

~Anonymous

More Inspirational Stories

I sent this note to everybody in my address book so 1.) I can say hello and 2.) I can see who’s e-mail addresses still work. I’m also posting it on my blog so those that are following it can stop by and say hello. I’d love to hear from you and find out where you are reading this blog from. Is it helpful to you?

I know I haven’t been around much lately. I’ve been pretty busy getting the 17 year old off to college, the 5 year old off to kindergarten, and the 3 year old still stays home w/me. We are super busy these days between swimming lessons, bible study, awana, working out at the gym, and still trying to keep up w/everything — it’s any wonder I make it through all the e-mails OR all the projects that need tackling on a daily basis. But … that’s life. You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. You just take things one day at a time, one moment at a time, one hour at a time, and you do what you can when you can get it done. Right?

I have a confession to make. I have been playing that scrabble game on Facebook called Lexulous. It’s pretty fun. What’s neat about that game is you don’t have to sit and finish out the game. You can log on, make your move, and then go about your business. You can also have more than one game going so that you can make your move on several games and then go about your business. It’s just been nice to take a break from the usual and have some fun. Even if that fun is just for five minutes in between everything else going on.

Ok … so I have been behind on getting my site updates out and for that I do apologize. Two days ago I did manage to get a few things tackled. Here’s what I completed:

1.) People have had some really cool things to say about me and the site which is nice. It’s nice to get encouragement, ya know? So thank you for that! :-)

2.) Do me a favor and make sure I’ve got your social group listed, k? There are a few newbies on the page and some national events to check out. Let me know if you’d like me to add one of your social outings. I’m happy to do that for you.

3.) Would you believe the last time I posted something on the blog was September 1st? And before that August 28th? I promise I am not slipping. I was able to get a couple of new posts up tonight. I think you’ll be able to appreciate them.. at least I hope so.

The Bathroom And Herpes
You Are Beautiful Inside And Out
Personal herpes questions asked & answered

4.) Are you guys ready for the fall? I love this time of the year. The only thing I could really do w/out is the high pollen count. Oh yeah.. one more thing. Picking Up the Pieces will be celebrating it’s 11th birthday. I hope you will stop by and say hi. We are 11 years old on October 1st. That’s just around the corner.

Ok… I’ll be checking the rest of my e-mail tomorrow and will get the rest of the stuff added here and there soon. I’ll probably send out another update when I finish just like this one.

Happy Fall Y’all,

Angela ;-)

Twitter: @Yoshi2me
Herpes Help
Message Board

Feel free to share this note with friends that share in our common bond. [[hugs!]]

When we aren’t on Picking Up the Pieces you can find us here:
— We have a pretty cool VIP room going. So far 30+ people have shared their photos. It’s been wonderful being able to put a face with a name. What’s nice about this forum is the only way to get in is to share your photo. Once your photo is posted, you get added to the VIP room. If you decide to take your photos down at any time, we remove the photos upon request, and then we take you off the VIP list. Pretty Cool, eh? Let me know what you think! :]

WOW – I guess I had a lot to say. ;-)

Seeing many people out there suffering & staying positive, it inspired me to write my tragic story so that others who are the victim may get inspired too. I say tragic because the emotional pain I went through is much more painful than the virus.

I got married 6 yrs ago. I noticed blisters type in the private part during my pregnancy. Doc said it is herpes without any testing. I refused to believe and lived in denial for a year.

It got worse and at the same time my marriage breaking up due to so many silly reasons. Naive as I am, I initially thought that it was just a kind of irritation that women get especially during period. But when my loving hubby who promised me moon before the marriage stopped sleeping with me, I realized it is something serious and I got it tested but from wrong doctors again (gyn).

After several visits to doctors & testings, I could got it right. Like any other infected person, I got shocked, ashamed and even angry at myself. The worse part is that I dont know how I got it & when exactly. I started my medication & by taking care of myself, the outbreaks became lessor except for small irritation once in a while which do not worry me much. I’m basically a woman who dont get frighten easily by anything.

What I want to point out here is that my hubby started fighting with me for all wrong reasons and even stopped sleeping with me. To make it worse he throw accusation on my face every time we argue that he got it from me. But what I dont understand is that he is the first one who showed me the red spot on his penis.

I honestly dont know who contracted whom but I dont care even if I got it from him. I only want a cure if there is any and if there is no cure than remedies.

I would still love him even if I got from him but unfortunately he seems to stopped loving me. He has even started cheating on me. We have not sleep together for the past five years and he even refuse to talk to me. Now we are like a total strangers even at home. No one can imagine the emotional turmoil and mental harassment I gone through, in these past five years. The only beautiful thing that happened to me in these hard period of my life is my beautiful son. He brightens my life and keep me going. I feel suicidal at times not because of herpes virus because my hubby refuse to even touch me because of the disease (as though he is not having).

I am a christian and as a strong believer I ask God to make me strong and give me energy & also tolerance to bear it all.

His rudeness, his accusations, his unfaithfulness & my mental tension due to the virus is driving me crazy. But God is great! He gives me strength to bear and motivates me too.

Today my marriage on the verge of break up & I have even told my husband to leave me if he so scared of the disease because I know without making love, there will be hardly any compassion or care for each other. I also know he will cheat me again if we keep going like this which I cannot tolerate any more.

As for me, I want to live life as any normal person and not bogged down by getting guilty because of disease nor do I like any one reminding me. yeah! He let me feel guilty by not sleeping with me and making me feel dirty at my self. But in reality I feel it is not something you have to worry so much about.

I would rather say am happy because it is not AIDS/HIV or cancer. I am also happy because through this emotional & physical pain I have become closer to God and today I can proudly say that God is with me and he inspires me in everything I do. If its God’s will he will even heal me one day for good.

Lastly I would like to thank all of you out there for inspiring me with your stories.

God bless.

Love rose

Sometimes when people read my Herpes Biography they have more questions to ask about what’s going on with me today after all these years. I don’t mind answering these type of questions at all. In fact, I am compiling a list of Frequently Asked Personal Questions about my life and what’s it been like having herpes all these years.

1.) When you took Valtrex for two years and after had that one little outbreak did you or do you have anymore outbreaks?

Let’s see … I’ve had herpes 14 years now. I would say that I probably get an outbreak maybe once a year … if that?

2.) Did you shower when you had an outbreak like it didn’t exist?

The only thing I don’t do if I’m having an outbreak is scrub too hard in the shower. You know … you kinda have to take it easy when you are cleaning sensitive areas down there. I tend to use a wash rag pretty regularly so if I’m having an outbreak, I might choose to wash and soak in the bathtub instead.

To be honest, my outbreaks don’t last that long because I can usually tell when I’m about to have one. I pop a Valtrex as soon as possible and only have to take them for about 3 days.

I think you can pretty much bath however you want to with or without an outbreak. Obviously you’re going to want to take it easy on yourself so as not to irritate an already sensitive area. I hope that makes sense.

3.) Did you ever take a bath with your babies? And of course when you had no outbreaks?

Yep! I always took baths with my girls when they were babies. They are still small enough that sometimes they think it’s fun to bathe together. Sometimes we shower together too.

When I’m having an outbreak I don’t take a bath at the same time but even if I did and didn’t know I was having an outbreak … my kiddos would not contract herpes from me that way. Herpes is spread through skin to skin contact through sex, oral sex, anal sex, kissing … some form of sexual contact AND only when the virus is present and active on the surface of the skin.

You are not going to contract herpes from a bathtub, toilet seat, or shower stall. That’s just not how it works AND the virus can not survive on surfaces for too long anyway. And you’re not going to contract herpes from a swimming pool either. It’s all good.

4.) When you had an outbreak and after you showered did you dry it with your towel and used it the next day?

I think what the answer to this question boils down to is whether or not you share towels with your friends and/or family members. That’s not a very good practice in terms of cleanliness. Each person should have and use their own towel, not because of herpes, but just because sharing towels just like sharing drinks is not a very good idea.

5.) When you had an outbreak did you clean your toilet and bathroom sink everyday?

No Way! lol :] You don’t have to clean your toilet seat and/or bathroom sink every single day because of herpes. That’s just not how transmission works so go easy on yourself with all that cleaning.

Here are more questions that I’ve answered over the years.

Dear Angela,

Just shy because of this condition, Herpes Type 2. I leave your herpes biography on my computer everyday for when I come home I can read it again because it makes me feel so much more of a person.

I spent hours on the computer wanting to know more about this condition and everything I’ve seen couldn’t stop my tears but YOU! There’s nothing like it, having the support from people more so YOU! with the same problem.

Angela, lately I have been having trouble with myself as in thinking of harming myself but I came across you and I want to thank you so so so much there for not feeling so alone.

Sadly there are no groups here in my city for us to talk to face to face with people with similar conditions but I’m trying. For now Angela I need you and I have questions, simple questions to ask you if you dont mind?

Thanks again for you time… you have no idea what an impact you are to me….

~ Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

I will do my best to answer any questions that you might have so feel free to write me any time day or night.

Before I get to your questions I just wanted to let you know that I have a listing of Support Groups, Social Groups, and even Social Events that are planned for the year over on my main site: Yoshi2me.com aka: Herpes Help – I hope that is going to be helpful for you.

Here’s more information About Herpes too. :]

There are also two online support groups you might want to check out: Picking Up the Pieces as well as our Shut Up and Post! STD Message Board. I’m almost positive you will feel better about everything once you’ve created an alias with which to post and start communicating with other people.

Be sure and pick an alias and e-mail address that nobody knows about so that you can have some sort of anonymity. Whatever you do, it’s better not to use a work e-mail addresses as sometimes those are monitored.

Ok… so I will do my best to answer your questions and if any of you out there have questions for me you are welcome to write to me too from here. I will post your question here on my blog and answer your question within the same post. Don’t worry, I will tweak your questions and make sure to take out any personal identifiable information. Everything that gets posted does so anonymously and this way we can kill two birds with one stone and help others find the answers that they are looking for without giving away who you are.

Lastly, you are the wonderful human being that God created. Having herpes doesn’t define who you are. You are beautiful inside and out and life is always worth living – ALWAYS. You are never alone and only an e-mail or posting away. [[[hugs]]]

I’d be interested in hearing from some healthcare professionals out there and what their take is on H1N1.

Last year our entire family got flu shots. It turns out that even though we had flu shots, they missed the mark on the type of flu that was going around. So we wound up getting flu shots for nothing.

Now people are all a buzz about the H1N1 flu that is on it’s way to our schools, day cares, work places, and anything in a public setting. Everybody is running-a-muck on what to do should this pandemic hit us and what to do with our families.

First of all, I’m not so sure I want to get the flu shots OR the H1N1 vaccine this year. I’m not so sure it’s going to be the right thing. Watch the video and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Ok, now I want to hear from you. Are you planning on getting the flu shots, the H1N1 vaccine or both? Why or why not? Thanks!