To most people being diagnosed with herpes simplex virus is devastating news. Living in isolation and ignorance about the virus further adds stress to one’s life. At times it’s difficult to question someone about the disease and get satisfactory answers. It pays to have a reference material where you can refer to over and over again for a deeper understanding. Resourceful materials are therefore the best.
Outlined below are some of the places to broaden your knowledge on the subjects:
- Books
- Support group
- Social resources
- News
- Sites
BOOKS
1. The Good News About the Bad News– by Terri Warren
Managing herpes symptoms like the painful sores is easy through medication. However, the disease also attracts the social stigma. To live with the virus you need the antiviral drugs and learn how to manage the social shame people associate with the infection.
That’s why Terri Warren in the book the Good News about Bad News gives you the practical approach on how to live with the lifetime infection. The book provides comprehensive coverage of the following topics;
- Highlighting the symptoms together with the triggers
- The treatment options
- How to lessen the risk of transmitting the virus to your future partner
- Breaking the news to your friends or partners
Borrowing from his vast experiences as a counselor on genital herpes, the author also covers the commonly asked questions about herpes. The book is widely available including on Amazon
2. YES, I Have Herpes: A Gynecologist’s perception In and Out of the Stirrups – By Dr. Sheila Loanzon, DO
Yes, I Have Herpes give you the first hand experience from a medical standpoint. The gynecologist begins on narrating her true story of how she contracted the viral infection and the resulting blow to her self-esteem and relationship. The book is full of insights; dispels myths and presents facts about the disease. Reading through the book will enrich you with a wealth of information on the physical and psychological therapy of the disease.
She even tells you of her coming to terms with the viral infection, finds love, and picks up on enriching relationships again. To get enlightened n the infection by a doctor, read the factual information from a gynecologist herself
SOCIAL GROUPS
National HELP Secret Facebook Herpes Support Group
National HELP is an underground support group majoring on herpes related themes. Although it’s a hidden group, it boasts thousands of members drawn from all over the USA. However, performing the usual search of the group on Facebook reveals no results on its existence. To join the group you have to go through the group administration for instance But first, you’ve got to own a Facebook account.
After joining the National HELP herpes support group, you can then extend your search to find a herpes social media support group within your territory. Being a member of such a social group makes you aware of the group’s social gatherings.
SITES
World Health Organization
Without a trusted reference source, weeding out the facts from myths surrounding herpes treatment and medication becomes difficult. Managing herpes stigma becomes easier when you know the statistics on how widespread the infection. The world health organization newsroom gives you the facts. In addition, it gives the verified statistics on the virus prevalence in different regions.
The site gives an in-depth coverage of genital herpes treatments, 44 pages literature. The website covers the two herpes simplex virus with regard to the following subtopics:
- Signs and symptoms of the disease
- Statistics on how widespread the infections are
- Mode of transmission
- The possible complications brought about by each type
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC
The CDC website gives both the basic and the detailed fact sheets ob understanding the infection. From the simplest question of what is herpes to the treatment options, the CDC websites enlighten about the disease. Unlike other medical journals which employ technical terms to explain themselves, the site gives the information in a plain language. Can you tell the difference between herpes simplex virus and HPV, Human Papillomavirus? The website sheds light on the two infections clearly.
It even incorporates commonly asked questions about the disease in the FAQ screening and supplies their answers. Finally, it avails a link through which you can download treatment guidelines for the common STD.
New Zealand herpes foundation
The site aims at providing help and hope to those affected by the disease. As such it highlights the facts about the disease and dispels the myths associated with the disease. As such it presents the factual information on the following topics;
- What causes the disease?
- Diagnosis of the genital infection
- Genital herpes in men and women; the sites commonly affected by the disease
- Fresh infection and the subsequent outbreaks,
- Triggers and treatments
- How to manage the infection
- Download link containing a detailed guide to understanding the viral infection, how it affects pregnancy and relationships.
Conclusion
Having the facts on the causes, symptoms of an outbreak, medication, and triggers about the virus is a crucial step in fighting the disease. The above resources present some of the places to dig out for those facts. Join support groups and get practical tips on living with the infection. Let not the disease thwart your hope of a brighter future. Through the therapies either episodic or suppressive treatment you can suppress the herpes symptoms greatly.
