To The CEO’s of Valtrex
Posted on Friday, November 9th, 2007 at 11:02 AM
I live in CA and I cant stand your commercials anymore! I see them on TV and in magazines.
If your company wants more customers, why don’t you focus on the real spreaders of genital herpes–those who don’t know they have it. If you are going to bother advertising to everyone that 70% of people who contract genital herpes contract it from someone who isn’t showing any signs or symptoms, why not mention that most people DON’T!!!!
In fact, you’re unlucky if you get even one “classic” outbreak of blisters/sores, let alone recurrent “classic” outbreaks. 90% of the people who have herpes, don’t know it. A lot of people have initial outbreaks so slight they don’t notice or they think it is something else like a yeast infection or ingrown hair.
Doctors don’t test for it on standard STD panels and most people don’t want to get tested because its such a stigmatized virus. Only HIV has a higher stigma.
So I suggest to you
STOP spreading the herpes stigma!! The stigma is what makes people with herpes “suffer,” not the outbreaks. The statistic you use makes it sound like those with genitals herpes are just waiting to give it to someone who doesn’t. Heck, if you include the 90% statistic you’d have a whole heap of new people getting prescriptions for Valtrex.
I sincerely hope you listen to this
This letter was sent to me to post on this blog because the person who wrote to GlaxoSmithKline did not receive a response from them and they thought my blog would be a good platform for such discussion.
If you would like to comment on what you think of the Valtrex Commercials and what GlaxoSmithKline might do to improve them, send me your thoughts OR leave a comment.
I am tired of my 6 year old watching cartoons and an ad for a sexually transmitted disease comes on and he watches it. I think a channel with cartoons on it is safe to protect his innocent mind, but no, your ads only confuse him and make him ask questions. I am very offended by the ads.
Actually — it’s not an ad for a sexually transmitted disease. It’s an ad for Valtrex which is a clinically proven antiviral used to treat herpes simplex virus.
Putting your child in front of the television to watch cartoons is not the best way to babysit your child in the first place.
Little children don’t understand these type of commercials anyway so why you would even worry yourself over it is beyond me?
I don’t see anything offensive about any of the Valtrex Commercials.
I’ve had it 8 years. I HATE the commercials. They are so inappropriate. Those that have Herpes know about Valtrex already. Thos that don’t just make jokes about the commercials. It help perpetuate the stigma. Additionally, I have to LIVE with this but I don’t want to hear about it every hour. “Just in case you forgot, you have Herpesm” it is just a constant reminder. I feel like I’m being terrorized just to watch tv!
Sincerely hoping they’d stop the commercials.
Also, why does it focus solely on genital herpes when the meds are used for other types of herpes? It again further perpetuates the stereotyp and makes me feel like an outsider.
I am 34 years old single bi male been diagnosed with HSV2 and on valtrex. I need to talk to soemone real bad to discuss my situation as doctors in health clinic wont even give you any information they will just perscribe you meds but we need more than that I live near Windsor Ontario in Canada and there no local support group and I need some big time support from you .Please let me know whom I can speak to get more information as I am so depressed and think my life is over . Thanks and Regards..Joe
Joe
i am too am from windsor and there is no support group. it is very scary indeed. i have had it for two years. someone gave it to me and did not know and he seemed pretty uncaring about it. its only two years later that i told someone close to me. i have not dated.
Slove,
I do not believe the Valtrex Commercials are inappropriate at all. I believe they are educational.
The people that perpetuate the stigma are those that are ashamed and embarrassed about having herpes. There is nothing to be ashamed OR embarrassed about. Get over yourself and stop taking everything in life so seriously.
The commercials were not designed only to reach out to you. You are not the only one in this world. I get e-mails all the time from people that don’t have herpes that didn’t know about some of the things that are mentioned in the commercials.
You feel horrible about the entire situation because you have not educated yourself enough and you don’t want to face reality. You would rather pretend that your reality does not exist.
Remember, you hold the keys to your own happiness.
Joe Smith,
If you send me an e-mail I have some brochures that I can send you to read.
I promise you that your life is not over. Your life is always worth living. There is a destiny and a purpose for your life.
Hi Lucy,
Have you tried signing up for our online support group?
Shut Up and Post! STD Message Board
Your life does not have to be over just because you have herpes.
Come and join us on the message board.
kiss
Since I’m new to herpes those commercials are the last thing I want to hear. I wish I had a choice, but my partner at the time didn’t even tell me that he had genital herpes. If I would have know I would have never have slept with him. Non of my friends know this, so every time they see those commercials they just start laughing, and making tons of jokes. If ppl need those commercials to educate them then the schools and parents aren’t being very responsible. And yes I am embarrassed because ppl think that ppl with herpes sleep around. that’s not true at all!!! That’s just me though.
Those commercials work to educate the public about the virus. Did you sit down with your partner and discuss the possibility of STDs before you had sex? Did you make a date to go and get tested beforehand? The people that laugh at the commercials is because they don’t know any better and they they are immature. I think pointing the finger at schools and parents is a cop-out. People that are mature and adult-like in their behavior eventually realize that all it takes is one time.