Life With Herpes

What Types of Tests are There For Herpes?  [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9uVDVUNDFTM2pRQQ==[/video_player] The breakdown of herpes tests, false positives and retesting. So maybe you’re wondering if your herpes test came back with a false positive. Or maybe you are wondering if you were even tested for herpes when you did your other STD testing. Or maybe you are just wondering where to even begin. Well here it is, there are 2 types of herpes tests; the culture test and the blood test. I want to make sure you are aware that you have to ask for a herpes test. Just because you got STD/I tested does not mean you were tested for herpes. You specifically have to ask for a herpes test. Not knowing this little bit of crucial information can really cause for some false hope in a clear STD test.  Why this is the case is beyond me but I wanted to make sure you knew this essential tidbit. If you are like me then you are probably thinking, with different types of tests how do I know what type is best for my situation and I have to specifically ask for a herpes test? Basically, herpes testing is broken down into 2 categories; symptoms or no symptoms? So let’s talk about herpes symptoms: If you have symptoms like an outbreak with lesions or blisters then most likely your doctor or medical provider will do a culture test or commonly known as a swab test. This usually takes place 48 hours after the lesions appear and one of the downsides is the test results can take up to a week for the results. So if you are experiencing an outbreak and a ton of pain then you may have to wait a week to get a prescription.  The good news (if there is good news when we are talking about herpes :-) ) with the culture test is that the virus can be identified either as Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV1) or Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV2). The other piece is that if your culture comes back positive for HSV 1 or 2 then you can know for sure that you have herpes. The good news is you are no longer playing the waiting game even though it is not the answer you were looking for. The Herpes Culture Test Takeaways:

• Need to have an active outbreak for longer than 48 hours to test
• The test can determine if it is HSV1 or HSV2
• If the test comes back positive you can be sure you have herpes.

Now let’s say you don’t have symptoms and you want to get tested for herpes. These types of scenarios would be you slept with someone who has herpes or you are being proactive and in charge of your sexual health are getting tested or maybe your partner just told you that they have herpes. In other words, you don’t have sores or lesions. There are 2 types of blood tests that can be administered the IgM & IgG. Before we go into what the IgM & the IgG tests do I want to go back to 6th-grade science class. Remember what happens when you get a virus? maybe...lol? Well, when something foreign comes into your body that can be harmful like bacteria, viruses and or parasites our immune system kicks into full gear to protect us and keep us healthy. First, your B cells or your white blood cells come to the scene and fight to keep you healthy in return they create antibodies.  Then the fight T cells show up to kill off the badly infected cells to prevent the bad cells from reproducing and populating. There is a triage team of cells that show up when the herpes virus shows up. It’s kinda cool. Let’s look at IgM & the IgG blood tests for herpes.  The tests are looking for the IgM & IgG antibodies in the blood because the HSV virus does not live in the blood. The difference between the two is the  IgG appears soon after infection and stays in the blood for life. IgM is actually the first antibody that appears after infection, but it can disappear after. So the most accurate of the two is the IgG and the IgM is not typically administered. There are 3 reasons why the IgM is not typically administered and they are:

• IgM can come and go in the body so it may give a false reading and a false time frame of when the person actually contracted herpes
• The test can’t determine if you have HSV1 or HSV2 and most people in the US have the HSV1 antibody so you could receive a false positive for HSV2
• The IgM can sometimes pick up other viruses that are in the herpes family such as chickenpox or mono.

Here is the deal with the IgG:

• The IgG can determine if it is HSV1 or HSV2
• If you test positive for HSV than it is accurate
• The downside is the antibodies have to show up in the system and this can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Every person's body reacts differently.
• If you test too soon and the antibodies are not yet in the bloodstream then you can receive a false positive and then a few weeks later test positive

Is there a test that will tell me if I have oral or genital herpes? Well yes and no. The blood tests, IgM and IgG do not pinpoint if you will have an oral outbreak or a genital outbreak. The IgM & IgG do determine if it is HSV1 or HSV2. The swab tests will pinpoint if it is oral or genital because you have an outbreak and it will also determine if it is HSV1 or HSV2.  Typically if you have an oral outbreak then statistically you have HSV1 and if you have a genital outbreak then statistically you have HSV2. However, as we have discussed before the virus can be interchanged and you can become infected with either or both viruses in either or both places. Can I have False Positives on my herpes test?  As we discussed earlier it all depends on the antibodies showing up in your system and if you have an actually outbreak with lesions. If you test too soon and the antibodies have not popped up yet then you can get a false reading. Same as if you to a culture test too soon or too late. If you administer the test before the lesions or after they have healed up the most likely you will get a false reading. If A Test Comes Back Negative, Should I Retest?  Considering that there are chances of false negatives during any herpes test, it is important to consider a retest, especially if you are experienced lesion or you know you have come into contact with someone who is infected.   References: ASHA WebMD Planned Parenthood Here’s How I Can Help Join our monthly live Herpes Support Group - www.lifewithherpes.com/supportgroup Herpes Outbreak Toolkit - https://lifewithherpes.com/herpes-outbreak-toolkit Emergency Call - https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13691061&appointmentType=6092800 Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join The Live With Herpes Community If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show If you enjoyed this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you than a subscribe would be a great idea. Are you a YouTuber? Go ahead and subscribe to the show. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. When you subscribe it helps the algorithm in YouTube and it helps promote the show. If you are worried about your identity and your friends finding out you subscribed to a herpes channel then change your settings to private. And trust me I totally get it and would want to keep it a secret. Also, when you subscribe you will be notified in your inbox when a new episode is out or when Alexandra is live on Youtube Live. Subscribe Here Are you a podcast listener? Please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review

Condoms and Herpes Prevention https://youtu.be/L9LqhaGD-zM Life With Herpes One of my biggest pet peeves are when people say…”oh I always use a condom so I am fine or clean or there is no way I have herpes.” Firstly bravo and a huge pat on the back for “always using a condom” you are one in a very small majority. But I also want to let you know that just because you are using condoms it does not mean you are totally protected. Here is why… Everything you ever wanted to know about condoms…

• Male condoms are used to cover the penis to prevent bodily fluids from both partners from passing which prevents pregnancy and stds. They are made out of latex, plastic or animal skins. If condoms are used correctly and consistently they are very effective. Condoms should be used when having oral, anal or vaginal sex.
• Female Condoms -  Are bigger than a male condom and are used a little differently than the male condom.
• Both Female and Male condoms are hormone free and if used correctly are effective. Please keep in mind that male and female condoms cannot be used together.
• If you want to use lube then only used a water-based lube not an oil based lube. The oil can eat away at the latex and make them less effectiveness
• It is very important to know that the condoms that are made out of animal skin do not protect you against STI’s or STD’s’ or Herpes they are only to prevent pregnancy. Only the condoms that are made out of Latex or Plastic condoms prevent the transmission of herpes
• Always check the expiration date and don’t store them in a hot place like you wallet (guys) or your car. The heat breaks them down as well.
• For more information and videos Planned Parenthood female and male condoms

When you should use a condom… Oral, Anal and Vaginal Sex Yes, I said oral sex. Condoms should be used for all types of sexual activity oral, vaginal and anal sex. I have gone into specifics on other episodes 68 &  69 . But to touch lightly on this subject of using a condom or a dental dam for ladies for oral sex and why it is so important is because herpes can be transmitted from oral to genital. So if you or your partner have oral herpes and perform oral sex then you can be exposing your partner to herpes in their genital region. So yes, oral, vaginal and anal. Viral Shedding in episode 84 Pro tip: cut a condom down the middle to use it as a dental dam. Also, you can purchase flavored condoms so get creative. How the heck do condoms protect you? In this case we are speaking specifically about herpes and preventing the transmission of herpes. Herpes is a skin to skin transmission. When an infected person comes in contact with an uninfected person then the risk of transmission is there. When using condoms the condom creates a barrier between the skin thus hopefully not infecting one another. Here is what I want you to be aware of on why they are not 100% guaranteed to prevent passing herpes.

1. Actually using them and using them the entire time (guilty)
2. Using them correctly (this means foreplay and oral and anal)
3. There are other skin to skin areas that come into contact when having sex.

I want to cover this in detail for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if you are one of the people who always used a condom and ended up with herpes and are beating yourself up over this then I want you to STOP. I want you to understand that you didn’t do anything wrong and yes, even though you always used a condom you probably didn’t know (because of the lack of sex education in our society) that some STD’s/I’s were still able to be passed. I have people in their 50’s asking me how in the world they contracted herpes in their 20’s because they always used a condom. Well, this is why. And secondly, the reason I wanted to go into detail about the use of condoms is that I want you to know that if you are worried about telling your partner or think that if you just “use a condom” then it will be fine well it might not always be fine. In other episodes, I go into details on the best methods to use to prevent passing herpes to your partner. Just in case you want to keep learning more about this. Episodes 78 & 82 Need to order some condoms… go here for male condoms and go here for female condoms   Here’s How I Can Help Join our monthly live Herpes Support Group - www.lifewithherpes.com/supportgroup Herpes Outbreak Toolkit - https://lifewithherpes.com/herpes-outbreak-toolkit Emergency Call - https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13691061&appointmentType=6092800 Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join The Life With Herpes Community If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show If you enjoyed this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you than a subscribe would be a great idea. Are you a YouTuber? Go ahead and subscribe to the show. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. When you subscribe it helps the algorithm in YouTube and it helps promote the show. If you are worried about your identity and your friends finding out you subscribed to a herpes channel then change your settings to private. And trust me I totally get it and would want to keep it a secret. Also, when you subscribe you will be notified in your inbox when a new episode is out or when Alexandra is live on Youtube Live. Subscribe Here Are you a podcast listener? Please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel (Don’t Forget to subscribe)
• DoTerra’s essential oils

What you need to know about the herpes virus [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9BLXc1WGkybHRFTQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode of Life With Herpes. As always I am thrilled to have you here with me, and I am thrilled to be doing whatever it is you are doing. Today I want to get specific and nitty-gritty about viral shedding. This is a question I see a lot, and I also see it become the root to a lot of the questions I see so I thought I would get as detailed as possible when it comes to viral shedding. So let’s start from the beginning. What is Viral Shedding? According to Wikipedia (because I had to look it up lol), The term is used to refer to shedding from a single cell, shedding from one part of the body into another part of the body, and shedding from bodies into the environment where the viruses may infect other bodies. Let me put this into layman's terms; the virus is just like any other part of our body that wants to shed or get rid of waste. In other words, the virus pops up to the surface of your skin, and it is contagious at that time. What are the symptoms or signs of viral shedding?  Viral shedding is asymptomatic which means there are no symptoms or signs. Unlike when we get outbreaks we have tingling, or pain, or itching or another type of the trigger that let us know we have an outbreak. When viral shedding occurs, the person has no idea that is happening. The good news is there is no outbreak or swollen lymph nodes or any other symptoms we have to deal with when we get outbreaks. But the bad news is you don’t know it is happening, so it is hard to protect your partner or give them heads up. The only way to know if you are contagious and your herpes virus has decided to shed would be to go to the doctor and have a medical professional swab your genital or oral area. This is a waste of everyone's time, money, and energy because by the time you would get your results back your contagious window would be closed. Are there times when viral shedding occurs?  Unfortunately, we cannot predict when it happens. It is not like it’s a seasonal thing like the flu or a monthly thing like a period. It just happens. However, there is some good news. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) people with Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV1) viral shedding only occurs 5% of the time. If you have Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV2), then the virus sheds 6-10% of the time during the first year and then decreases after that. Why the first year? Most likely because your body is trying to adjust to the newest member of the family. Your body is trying to fight it off and protect itself from getting sick or having an outbreak. As time continues in most people, your body builds up immunity, and you will have fewer outbreaks. So it makes sense that you would have less viral shedding. Do antivirals help with reducing viral shedding? Yes, they actually do so this is great news. Studies have shown that daily use of Valtrex also reduces the proclivity of the virus to “shed”, or be contagious as often. Its use appears in studies to reduce the viral shedding periods by 50%. Antivirals such as Valtrex and Valacyclovir inhibit the development of the virus or in layman's terms prevent an outbreak from occurring. Antivirals do not cure herpes,  guarantee that there will not be an outbreak or prevent viral shedding. They suppress the virus so that it stays dormant in your body.   What are the best methods to prevent passing herpes to my partner? There is no magic pill or guarantee that herpes will not be transmitted. Unfortunately, the virus is very contagious and for it to survive it needs to continue to find more hosts. Otherwise, we would not be dealing with herpes thousands of years down the road. It would have died out like the dinosaurs. Two ways you can prevent passing herpes to your partner are condoms and a daily antiviral.  However, this is not a guarantee. For example, when using a male condom, there are still areas of the genital area that are not covered, and body parts will touch other exposed body parts during vaginal sex, oral sex, and anal sex. Yes, condoms cover a good portion and help protect you, but they are not going to cover the area completely. And as you have learned from reading this article taking the daily antiviral will lessen your chance of having an outbreak as well as lessen your chance of viral shedding. So using them combined will help protect your partner. Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join the community   If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show? If you enjoyed this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you than  a subscribe would be a great idea. Are you a YouTuber? Go ahead and subscribe to the show. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. When you subscribe it helps the algorithm in YouTube and it helps promote the show. If you are worried about your identity and your friends finding out you subscribed to a herpes channel then change your settings to private. And trust me I totally get it and would want to keep it a secret. Also, when you subscribe you will be notified in your inbox when a new episode is out or when Alexandra is live on Youtube Live. Subscribe Here Are you a podcast listener? Please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Life With Herpes   [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS8zblZmWWtUVnhWWQ==[/video_player] Changing the outlook for Positive People  Welcome to episode 83 of Life With Herpes. Today we have an extra special episode for you: not only do we have a guest but we have a male guest joining us! Courtney Brame of the Something Positive for Positive People podcast is here.Courtney works as a personal trainer and lives in St. Louis, Missouri - the STD capital of the US. We talk about why it’s the capital, his story with herpes and how that led to the creation of his podcast.   You’ll hear all of that and much more on the 83rd edition of Life With Herpes! More About Life With Herpes About six years ago Courtney was diagnosed with genital herpes simplex virus type 2. He had recently graduated from college and had a good job. He woke up one day with symptoms of the flu: he had a fever, aches, chills, etc. He went to use the bathroom and noticed the top of his penis didn't look right. He describes it vividly saying it looked like someone took a dropper full of acid and just dripped it on his penis! Naturally, he was very worried so he got his mom to take him to urgent care. The doctor gave him antibiotics for chlamydia, gonorrhea and gave him a prescription for herpes. The doctor also gave Courtney a pamphlet explaining the virus, and then sent Courtney on his way. With a new diagnosis and very little information, Courtney went home and went straight to Google to find out how to manage it, and treat it. Once he had sorted through the information and had a better handle on the situation, he contacted his previous partners. But to this day he has never found out who gave it to him. On this episode of Life With Herpes, we talk about the positive impact it had on his life. It helped him change his approach to relationships and to learn what it really means to have a healthy diet and lifestyle. He's taken all of that knowledge and applied it to his life, which has helped him have only a few outbreaks over the last six years. We also talk about how we've both learned you can't look at someone and know if they have an STD or not. Society at large promotes these stigmas, and the only way to break through them is to continue to educate people whenever possible. Society also programs us and our perceptions of sex, as well as getting and having STDs. We wrap up with a chat about his podcast, Something Positive for Positive People. It started out as a way for him to prove a point. He had met someone who also had herpes and she thought it was the end of the world. They became friends and one day she told him she had contemplated suicide because of her status. He then started to hear more people talk about having that same response - in various secret groups and support groups people shared they had also thought of suicide after being told they had herpes. Because of that he decided to put together audio of people with herpes telling newly-diagnosed people it's okay to have the virus, it isn't the end of the world. The audio got some traction online and he invested in the podcast platform so he could continue to reach a wider audience. The podcast has become an educational tool and continues to evolve. Today it also includes conversations with people who have HSV 1 and HSV 2 as well as HIV and HPV. You can hear Courtney share why reaching people in all of these communities - and beyond - is so important to combating stigma. Hear his story and more on episode 83 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• Something Positive for Positive People
• Courtney’s gift for you
• Follow Courtney on Twitter
• Courtney Brame on Instagram
• Courtney Brame on Facebook

  Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka   www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes   Join the community   If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Ask Answer And Get The Facts About Herpes [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS90cFBLMlJvUlZoTQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode on Life with Herpes, I am excited to be spending today with you whatever it is you are doing. You get to hear behind the scenes of me trying to figure out a time to shower and get my laundry done. So if you are watching this on youtube you will see that I am in my gym clothes and I had not yet showered. One of the main concerns or questions I get are how do I prevent passing herpes to my partner. And today’s question comes from David in Philadelphia.  He asks, “how do I guarantee I won’t pass herpes to my partner.” The short answer is, you can not guarantee you will prevent passing it. That is why this little virus has made it for generations and keeps on giving. I talk about more about this in episode 078 if you want to hotpover and learn more. Here are the 3 best ways to prevent passing herpes to your partner:

1. Educate yourself
2. Talk to your partner
3. Use protection

One of the biggest misunderstandings with herpes is we originally believed that you could only transmit the virus when there was an active outbreak. This is 100% false. 70% of the transmissions occur when there are no symptoms. So keep in mind that we can always transmit the virus due to viral shedding. The reason why I am getting this information out there is not to scare you or prevent you from having sex. That is the last thing I want for you. Sex is a part of life and is a beautiful part of life, because you have herpes you do not need to become abstinent or become a hermit. What I want for you is to be as educated as possible so that you can have a healthy sex life. Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join the community If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Aunt Flo bringing the gift that keeps on giving [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9OYjlKMUxqZVhVaw==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode on Life With Herpes, thank you for joining me and our other members. Today’s episode is always one of my favorites because I get to hear directly from you. It’s the #AskAlexandra section of the podcast! Today’s question comes from Rose in Franklin Tennessee. She says, “ it feels like I am always getting outbreaks on or around my menstrual cycle. It is possible that my period is creating outbreaks?” Well the answer is yes but hear me out. There have been no direct links or reports saying that women get more outbreaks on their period but from what I have personally noticed as well as what I have heard from the Life With Herpes community most of us get outbreaks on our period.  We are more sensitive on our periods, I know this is Captain Obvious , however, it is not just our emotions it is our vaginal region too.   Here is what happens to us emotional on a level that we are not really in control of  but as a female our bodies want to get pregnant, I mean that is how we were engineered. When we get our period that is the confirmation to our sex organs that we did not get pregnant again this month so our body  kind of has its own little pity party. Again, I want to remind you this is all on a subconscious level we are not incontrol of this and it even happens when consciously we don’t want to get preggers. So back to our vagina having a pitty party about getting our period. Now let's toss into our pity party the  feminum supplies that we use to prevent ourselves from bleeding all over our clothes. Our Tampons and pads are filled with crap. I can’t remember the last time I used a pad it had to be before high school but I can remember how itchy, prickly and uncomfortable they were.  Tampons are not any better they are bleached and cause toxic shock. Both of them contain toxic ingredients and we are putting them into our bodies and it causes irritation. My personal opinion is that our feminine product combined with the emotional state of our viginas are causing outbreaks.   So what can you do to lessen the opportunity for an outbreak when Aunt Flo comes to visit? We can’t really change our vigina’s emotional state but we can change the products we use on her. I have to say I swear by this and love thes products like no other. My first miracle is the THINX period underwear. They are underwear made by menstruating women for menstruating women. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors and they don’t leak. I know this may sound a bit overwhelming but trust me...they will change your life. I have a $10 off your first pair so click here to use the shopping link.  Then my other period go to is the diva cup. It is made out of silicone,  it is eco friendly and you won't leak. It replaces the use of tampons which is amazing and you save money and you are helping the environment. It is a win win. FYI if you are over 28 or have had a baby order the size 2 the rest of the baby birds will be a size 1 click here. Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join the community If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode on Life With Herpes, I am always grateful for your to be here, thank you. I love this section on Life With Herpes because I get to connect with you and hear what is going on with your life and your journey with herpes. Today’s question comes from Rosa from Albuquerque, she asks, “is it safe to have a baby when you have herpes”.  The short answer is yes, women have been having babies for as long as we know and the herpes virus has been with us the same amount of time. However, there are some things to keep into consideration.   One of the things to keep into consideration is where are you with your diagnosis, are you just finding out you have herpes and you are pregnant or have you had herpes for a while and you are pregnant. According to the CDC there are some health risks if you are diagnosed with herpes while you are pregnant. When you are diagnosed with herpes during your pregnancy your body is in OMG Freaking out mode. It is like WTF...I am pregnant, I have this virus and WTF. In fact, it can be quite dangerous if you are diagnosed during your third trimester basically your body does not know how to fight it. The risk of infecting your baby if you are diagnosed late in pregnancy is 30-50%. On the contrary, if have had herpes before you were pregnant then typically your body is capable of protecting your baby. Your body has had time to adjust and acclimate to this new virus that is with you. Needless to say, your body is not like WTF? In this situation, your doctor would most likely prescribe the antiviral for you a couple of weeks prior to your due date. If you don’t have an outbreak during delivery then it will be up to you and your doctor to determine if you want to deliver vaginally. However, if you do have an outbreak then you will have a c-section or a cesarean section. This will prevent your baby coming into contact with the active virus. Thank’s Rosa for asking this great question. I have a lot of potential mommy’s asking this so thanks for submitting your question. Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join the community If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Life With Herpes

  Thank you for joining us today on the Life With Herpes Show. As always, I am excited you are here and grateful you are here so thank you.   Ok...I want to get right to it. I am asked daily how do I prevent passing herpes to my partner. Or I’m asked can I pass herpes to my partner? OR I am asked if I take the antiviral and use a condom can I pass herpes to my partner?   First I want to address why we don’t want to give someone herpes. Of course, the main reason is because we don’t want to have the “talk”. Let’s face it, it’s awkward. The other main reason is we don’t want to pass it to someone we love. At the end of the day, we don’t want to pass it so let’s dive in.   3 ways to prevent passing herpes to your partner:

1. Education - education = power. The more you educate yourself on the virus the more comfortable you will feel with the situation. You will know how the virus is passed, you will know when you are most contagious, you will know what the best protection method is. Most of all you will be able to answer questions and put out some of the myths that go along with shitty stigma. Some of the best ways you can educate yourself is binge watch the past episodes in youtube, binge listen to this in iTunes, set up 1:1 coaching or you can purchase the Herpes Outbreak Toolkit that I have created. Everything you need to know is here.
2. Talk to your partner - I know that this is the hardest one to do. We are scared of the rejection, the embarrassment, the shame and the list goes on. But this is the best thing for you and your partner. Let them know you have educated yourself on herpes and let them know how you know you have an outbreak. At the end of the day, communication is the best thing. This is a conversation you will have to have the rest of your life. Even when you are in a monogamous relationship you will need to tell your partner that you have an outbreak. I know this is hard but in the long run it will help you prevent passing it.
3. Use protection - There are a couple of different methods you can use depending on your preference; there are the good old fashioned condoms, female condoms, dental dams and the antiviral. Latex condoms are the best at preventing the transmission. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to use a condom correctly.  A female condom is a little different than a male condom, it covers more surface area. The female condom goes inside the vagina and the base of it is left on the exterior of the vagina. Here are some tips from Planned Parenthood on how to correctly use female condoms. And lastly, for performing oral sex on a female it is best dental dams. You can make your own from a condom or female condom by cutting it open or you can purchase them. Here are some tips on how to make your own dental dam from the CDC. It is also recommended in conjunction with latex protection to take an antiviral. This will reduce the chance of having an outbreak (yay) as well as the chance of transmitting it. It is not 100% transmission safe and viral shedding can still occur if you are taking the daily antiviral.

So the bottom line is simple. Educate yourself as much as possible. Have the uncomfortable conversation (just do it). Use latex and an antiviral.

Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka

  www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes

Join the community

If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there.

Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show

And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review

More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

 

Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join the community If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review   More Episode Resources

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Dealing with your worst possible situation and herpes. Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode on Life With Herpes, as always I am humbled that you are here and I am glad we can talk about herpes. Thank you! Today I want to talk about what is worse, having herpes or the perception of having herpes. After talking to you, after doing my own research and of course experiencing this first hand I have come to the conclusion that the perception of having herpes is worse than actually having it. Don’t get me wrong, there are some outbreaks that are really really really painful especially your first outbreak. However, they go away and you go back to your normal life. It is a different story when it comes to the perception of having herpes. The emotional toll and  journey that we go through is far worse. Perhaps this is an aha moment for you? The stigma that is placed on us leads to fear, tears, all of our goals dreams are gone, we go into complete shock and the list goes on and on. Depending on your situation you may be wondering where or how you contracted herpes. Basically, our mind plays horrible games in our mind. Then let’s take the mental games that are playing in our head and add this to a social setting. The utter fear of keeping your secret. The utter fear of what if somebody knows plays through your head. I combined the fear of OMG what if someone knew to the mean girl phase. For me it was the 6th grade and man was it tough. I still would be mortified and I emotionally go back to that phase in my life if I had to talk to those girls about having herpes. I know that I have told the world that I have herpes but it is different when you are faced to have that conversation with some of the girls who used to make you cry. Taking herpes aside when I run into them or see their photos on Facebook I am happy for them and genuinely glad to see them but still I wouldn't want to have the conversation with them about having herpes. I wouldn't want the snickering. So I get it. I get the fear. I get the devastation. I get the idea of wanting to crawl into a cave. The bottom line is take your worst possible situation and that far supersedes the emotional pain vs the physical pain. So why is this a big deal? It is the stigma that is associated with having herpes. It’s used to control us or make us feel bad. How do we move through it? We educate ourselves on the virus. And the secret is self love. We learn to love every part of ourself including our herpes. Until we are able to do that the perception will pay a role and control your emotions. Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka www.facebook.com/lifewithherpespodcast   www.pinterest.com/lifewithherpes Join the community If you are ready to join a community of people who are living with herpes also then you will want to join our slack group. It is FREE and it is a great way to find the support and comfort that you are looking for. Head on over to www.lifewithherpes.com and join our community. You will receive a slack invitation as soon as you sign up. See you in there. Ways you can support the Life With Herpes show   And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please give the Life With Herpes show a review. It is a way to pay it forward to fellow friends who are living with herpes. You can Subscribe, Rate and Review the show through your iTunes app or on the desktop. Seriously, it helps out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. You see, iTunes has an algorithm that organically promotes the show, so the more ratings and reviews the Life With Herpes Show receives then the higher it gets ranked. This is your way of paying it forward and helping someone find the show who really needs it. Oh, and you can totally use a fake name, so don’t worry about a friend finding you in the iTunes review. Talking about herpes needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. You are totally a part of this movement so THANK YOU!   Subscribe, Rate and Review More Episode Resources  

• How can I help you? Tell me in a free 15 minute chat!
• The Herpes Outbreak Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

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