Herpes Heroes

The is only a one letter difference between the words herpes and
heroes, and the letters p and o are only one letter apart, which means
that no two words can be closer than herpes and heroes.


The world needs more herpes heroes both for those of us with "the
gift" and for those lucky 40% of the population who don't have
herpes.


A herpes hero is someone who willingly foregoes their privacy to
publicly be identified as a person with herpes and speaks out in order
to educate, encourage and enlighten others. A herpes hero helps put
human faces on this often-faceless worldwide pandemic.


Not all herpes heroes will choose to take their message to the media,
most herpes heroes are making a difference on a much more personal
level. They have come out of the closet and have discussed herpes with
friends and loved ones and have been like ripples in the water of their
own communities.


Why do we need herpes heroes?


Those of us with herpes need herpes heroes because too many of us are
living ashamed and stigmatized by the disease. Having herpes heroes
lets us know we are not alone, not in the minority. We are 6 out of
every 10 people. We are our own nation. But we are a nation without
visibility, respect or power.


In this society you are only respected when you stand up for who you
are and what you believe in. Herpes heroes believe that it is wrong for
people with herpes to be made to feel stigmatized, ashamed and
disrespected.


Both the infected and uninfected need herpes heroes to speak out and
dispel the misinformation about herpes and speak the truth about this
misunderstood disease, especially to the youth. We need herpes heroes
to also help promote safer sex. We need herpes heroes to encourage
anyone who thinks they don't have herpes and who has had six sex
partners or more to get a blood test for herpes since 70% or more of
people with herpes don't know they have it. We cannot rely on
governments, the medical profession, drug companies, or the media to
get the message out.


I am not suggesting that everyone who has herpes needs to become an
activist and make their herpes status public. Every community needs it
leaders. We need a small number of brave people who care to step up and
make a difference.


There are no major charities raising money for herpes awareness. There
are no celebrities famous or not so famous, willing to admit they have
herpes and put a human face on the disease. So it's up to few of us
to do more. Each one teach one, each one reach one.


Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
Christopher's Weblog
http://www.herpesnation.com
http://www.natropractica.com


Luanne's comments:

Christopher,

Woo hoo!!! I think we have a winner. You are so brilliant :-) Your concept is RIGHT ON!!!

After having had a lengthy phone conversation recently with Christopher in regard to Herpes Awareness, I felt that this was a wonderful twist on words. What we would like to do is put out a challenge to "celebrities with herpes". We are looking for a celebrity to be a spokesperson for this virus. We are challenging those "celebrities with herpes" to step forward and humanize this virus. The millions of people who are diagnosed with herpes suffer more emotionally than physically for the most part and why should they? It's so ridiculous that those of us living with herpes should have to feel ashamed for having this virus. We won't die from it, but it also shouldn't have such a dreaded or dirty stigma attached to it and it does. The majority of us didn't even know we were signing up for it when we got it and chances are, the ones who gave us this lovely gift had no idea they were even carriers, because you can have it and not even know you have herpes. Of course, sadly there are many people who have this gift and simply don't know enough about it to realize that they could be shedding asymptomatically and passing it on. Many people, myself included, before I learned more about it, assumed that we couldn't pass it on unless we were having an obvious outbreak, but we were wrong. So we believed that if we were having an outbreak that it wasn't necessary to have "the talk" with our sexual partner, that we would simply abstain from sexual relations. I mean, who wants to admit to it, it's not an easy thing but it's the right thing.

So I'm calling out to the Magic Johnson's of the world who might be living in silence or even shame with oral and genital herpes. Please step forward and help those of us who simply want to show the world that even "pretty people" can get this virus. So many people have even considered suicide as a way of coping with their herpes diagnosis and WHY??!! Short of putting the rumored names of celebrities who are "supposedly" living with oral or genital herpes, here in my blog, I encourage you to REACH OUT TO US, to those of us who are wanting to squelch the stigma, to help others realize how common this virus is and that they too might even be carriers and not even know it. I'm sure we could even help those of you who might be hiding behind cesarean sections and papparazi photo's of you sporting a coldsore to let that weight be dropped from your shoulders as well. We're all people and we're all in this boat together. Herpes is what it is and why be ashamed. Life is too short and it's "JUST" a virus to me. Together, we CAN make a difference. Do some good for those who are suffering needlessly. There are many people who would appreciate your support.

Read my letter to Dr. Phil McGraw (still waiting to hear back from his producers).