To The CEO’s of Valtrex
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.
Read about what others think of the Valtrex Commercials
Filed under Yoshi2me's Buzz |4 Responses to “To The CEO’s of Valtrex”
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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