Home Topics Herpes TreatmentsGenital Herpes Support

Genital Herpes Information and Support Groups

Despite the fact that one in four people will contract herpes in their lifetime, many of these victims will inevitably feel ashamed and helpless after learning that they have this disease. Seeking support, especially from others afflicted with this STD, can help you move on and continue to live a happy life with this disease.

Basic Genital Herpes Support

In many cases of herpes, the symptoms will disappear without pain or any other accompanying unpleasant symptoms. However, some people’s symptoms do not go away but show varying degrees of improvement over time. Because symptoms can be so varied, seeking support from others who have gone through what you are experiencing can be an enormous help.

Several online groups offer herpes patients a forum in which they can eliminate embarrassment that may come with face-to-face encounters while still getting answers to their questions about this STD.

There are also several books that provide genital herpes information and support, including:

“Controlling Herpes Naturally: A Practical Guide to Treatment & Prevention” by Michele Picozzi
“Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Talking about Herpes” by Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer
“Managing Herpes: How to Live and Love with a Chronic STD” by Charles Ebel
“The Truth About Herpes” by Stephen L. Sacks
“Understanding Herpes” by Lawrence R. Stanberry

You can also attend face-to-face support group meetings. While it may be hard to go to your first, the human contact you have with other herpes patients can provide you with the comfort you need in particularly hard times.

Genital Herpes Support Groups

Support groups for any problem, such as alcohol, drugs and eating disorders, have proven effective. Genital herpes support groups can be just as effective because they can:

Explain herpes to new members. Sadly, most people do not learn about herpes until they have been diagnosed with the disease. Genital herpes support groups allow victims to learn about their condition.
Give members confidence to face life with herpes. Sometimes when a patient hears that he or she has herpes, it can feel like the end of the world. Genital herpes support groups help patients live their lives despite the setback.
Inform members about effective herpes treatment options. Genital herpes is a treatable disease, and genital herpes support groups can keep their members abreast of the latest treatments and medicines in the field.
Inform members on how to tell their partners that they have herpes. One of the most uncomfortable aspects of having herpes is having to tell your partner that you have the disease. Support groups can give you strategies for explaining the disease, as well as tips for how to prevent spreading it to your partner.
Provide a better way for people with herpes to meet each other. One advantage that herpes support groups have over one-on-one therapy is that herpes patients can talk to others struggling with the same issues they face. At meetings, they can share advice and lend support to each other.
Provide links to confidential herpes testing, as well as any testing for any other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Considering that most people want their herpes to remain as secret as possible, it is beneficial that genital herpes support groups provide confidential testing services for genital herpes victims.
Reduce the risk of spreading herpes. Considering that between 80 and 90 percent of people who have genital herpes have not been diagnosed with the condition and less than 10 percent of people who tested positive with herpes even knew that they were infected, it is important that a victim of herpes does not contribute to the spread of herpes.

Going to a herpes support group is often the best way to learn more about the disease, as well as treatment. Similarly, herpes support groups are extremely effective in helping patients work through the emotional and psychological effects of this STD.

Resources

Foy, Nathalie. What can herpes support groups do for you? Retrieved July 1, 2007, from Best Herpes Treatments Web site: http://www.best-herpes-treatments.com/herpes-support-groups-article.html.

Got Herpes (2006). Genital Herpes Information and Support. Retrieved July 1, 2007, from GotHerpes.com Web site: http://www.gotherpes.com/.

Health Science Report (n.d.). Genital Herpes Support Group. Retrieved July 1, 2007, from Health Science Report Web site: http://www.health-science-report.com/herpes/genital-herpes/genital-herpes-support-group.html.

Herpes.com (2007). Herpes Epidemic Rise. Retrieved July 1, 2007, from Herpes.com Web site: http://www.herpes.com/.

Other Topics in this Section

Add a Comment

Print this Article

Email to a Friend