Life With Herpes

If you had to pick which one would you pick? [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9HVlo5SGhaTFZoUQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode on Life With Herpes, as always I am thrilled that you are joining me today. Thank you and welcome. I want to invite you to join our community over on lifewithherpes.com.   Let me ask you, would you prefer to have oral herpes or genital herpes? Upon first thought I would say that having genital herpes would be the worst one. It has to do with the stigma that is attached to it. The genital herpes stigma is you are a, slut, trailer trash, you slept around, you are dirty, you are a walking disease, you are a whore, you deserved to get this, you are the scarlet letter and the disgusting stigmas are far to long for me to put in this post. Then when we think of oral herpes there is no stigma that is attached other than the painful blister on your mouth. When you have an oral outbreak people feel bad for you opposed to judging you. Most of the time people contract HSV 1 or oral herpes as kids. We get it from being kissed as a baby or as a kid by our grandparents our parents or even from sharing a juice box on the playground.  In other words, people don’t associate sex with oral herpes.   So let’s have an open discussion about oral and genital herpes. If you had to pick, which one would you prefer? Oral or Genital?It really is a good question. When I ask myself this question I decided to answer it at different times in my life. Before I was diagnosed with HSV 1 & HSV 2 I would have said neither. Then when I was diagnosed with HSV 1 orally when I was 20 years old I was relieved that it was not genital herpes. And then being diagnosed with HSV 2 I was devastated and wished it never happened. In case you have not listened to the last episodes I talk alot about my oral outbreak. I got an outbreak on my mouth for the second time ever and it was 14 years after my initial diagnosis. I was like WTF?!?!?!?   After dealing with the oral outbreak, on my wedding by the way, I realized that I would much much much rather have genital herpes than oral herpes. Mainly, nobody knows you have an outbreak. Really, it is only your business and nobody really needs to know you have an outbreak unless of course you are going to have sex. It was an interesting lesson for me to walk around with this huge outbreak and have shame and disgust meanwhile oral herpes is not associated with shame. It was really interesting.   I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Let me know, would you rather have oral herpes or genital herpes? And why?   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 Life With Herpes   Welcome to today’s episode on Life With Herpes. As always, thank you for joining me and spending your time watching/listening/and or reading.  I take some time to let you know what is going on in my life. I actually have moved to Las Vegas so if you are watching this you get to see my new kitchen. Thanks for baring with me as I figure out the acoustics, angels and the best location for recording Today I go a little off track and talk about HIV and the link between HIV and herpes. I do want you to know that I am not an expert when it comes to talking about HIV but I want to make sure you are educated on this to prevent yourself from becoming infected or from infecting a partner. What is HIV? HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and it weakens the infected person's immune system and eventually killing them. When the HIV scare first came out it was an automatic death sentence but now has technology has progressed and we have more knowledge regarding the virus there is a treatment for this. I mean look at Magic Johnson! HIV is spread through bodily fluids such as; blood, semen, pre-seminal fluids, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. In other words, having unprotected sex with an HIV + partner can infect you with the virus. Here is the link between HIV and herpes and why I wanted to bring it to your attention. As you and I know, genital herpes can cause sores or papercuts like breaks in the skin or on mouth, vagina, and rectum. The genital sores caused by herpes can bleed easily as well as they are open areas for other viruses or bacteria to get in. When the sores come into contact with the mouth, vagina, or rectum during sex, they increase the risk of giving or getting HIV if you or your partner has HIV. So in other words having a herpes outbreak can make you more susceptible to contracting other viruses such as HIV. Make sure you use protection such as a latex condom as well has have a conversation with your partner when it comes to your sexual health. For more information on HIV please visit these websites:

• Center of Disease Control (CDC)  
• Planned Parenthood

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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Herpes, cold sores and outbreaks Life With Herpes   Welcome to today’s episode on Life With Herpes, I am always thrilled and humbled that you are here joining me and the other members of the Life With Herpes community. Thank you for being here. If you have not joined our Life With Hepes Community I am going to invite you to do so. Trust me….you will be so happy you joined.     Today, I talk about how I am frustrated at how the marketing and PR has played a role in the herpes stigma. Recently I have been talking about oral herpes as I had my second herpes outbreak in 14 years. You can go back a couple of episodes and tune in if you want to hear the entire story. But anyway, I had an outbreak on my mouth. It was painful, embarrassing, and just uncomfortable. I went to the local drug store to buy some supplies like Abreva and some cotton swabs to help treat my outbreak. Upon going to the drugstore I was pissed off. I was speechless when I went to the “herpes” section and I couldn't even find the word herpes.  Not to even mention there was nothing for genital herpes. Heaven forbid there is a remedy for genital herpes. Every other word was used to describe herpes like; outbreak, fever blister and cold sore but nobody would call it what it is. Is this not astonishing to you? This just plays into the entire stigma. This is why herpes is so “disgusting” to society. This is why when we are diagnosed we are devastated, lost, heartbroken and crushed.   Let me know what you think. Do you see the same thing happening at your drug store? Or am I just super sensitive and fired up about this subject.   “As a society we soften the blow when it is oral herpes.” - Alexandra Harbushka 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   Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode on Life With Herpes. I am thrilled to be here with you and bringing you this episode from the Wynn at Las Vegas. I don’t think I mentioned this in the podcast but I really love Las Vegas and I really really really love the Wynn Casino. So if you have never been here I very much recommend it. Ok, back to today's episode and back to talking about our favorite topic, herpes. Today’s question comes from an anonymous young lady who is in our community. She asked me about working out and sweating. She said, “I am 2 weeks since my first outbreak has cleared. I haven't worked out because of depression and fear if it coming back. I do high-intensity cardio which means I sweat....EVERYWHERE ,😉. I am so scared this is going to bring on another outbreak. Does anyone recommend anything or does sweat not typically bring it on?” The short quick answer is no, sweat does not bring on an outbreak. Before we go into talking about sweat and our wonderful outbreaks I discussed the importance of exercise and listening to your body. I personally do high-intensity exercise as well, but when I overexert my body I can feel myself wearing out and getting rundown. I recommend you tune into your body with the workouts. Some people are made for high-intensity exercise and some of us are made for some moderate to lower intensity exercises. If you are burning the candle at both ends then that opens the floodgates for you to get an outbreak. There are so many wonderful benefits to working out I highly recommend you establish a workout regime but like I was saying earlier you don’t want to overextend yourself because then the benefits negate. Back to the original question regarding sweat and causing outbreaks. Sweat does not cause outbreaks so you can rest easy. Enjoy your workouts, sweat as much as your heart desires and get that stress out and dopamine up.  I do however recommend you do your best to keep the area clean and dry. I know that is difficult based on the location of the particular outbreak, however, do your best.   Thanks again for asking this great question. Exercise is such an important part of our lives and having herpes should not get in the way. 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 Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Sex Trafficking, Your gift, and Hope   Life With Herpes   Welcome to our episode today, I am always thrilled to be here with you. Thank you for joining me. Like I always say, I know herpes is something we didn’t want to discuss but now we have to so I am glad we are here together. Today’s episode is a little different, I don’t talk about religion or other controversial topics like politics because that would be a completely different podcast and at the end of the day like it or not we are here to talk about herpes. So if this is your first introduction to the Life With Herpes podcast, website and community just know today’s is a different episode. Today we are going to talk about human sex trafficking and hope. I attended a tea party today because my mom could not attend and she wanted me to attend to say hello to her friends so I gladly went. I didn’t know too much about what the tea party was all about other than it was a Christmas Tea party and the guest of honor was the former San Diego Chargers now the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback, Philip Rivers’ wife, Tiffany.  So as I arrive at the party I am greeted by Catholic fathers and some nuns. Again I didn’t know that one of the local Catholic parishes was going to be there. As the party continues one of the Fathers and the Sisters began to talk about human trafficking and specifically sex trafficking. In case you are not aware of what is happening with sex trafficking, San Diego is the hub for sex trafficking. To give you a little background from the San Diego Union-Tribune,  The San Diego District Attorney’s Office has concluded that there are at least 8,000 victims in San Diego alone. This industry is so widespread that it brings in more than $810 million annually, making it the second-largest underground economy in San Diego. So, in other words, this is a huge problem worldwide but especially in San Diego. The girls that are targeted are usually between the ages of 15 - 17 and typically come from a divorced home or a single parent home. These girls are usually the ones that are lonely and the pimp poses to become her doting boyfriend. I talk more about it in the podcast and you can do some google research to learn more.   Anyway back to the tea party and the podcast but I wanted to give you a quick background on sex trafficking. As the event went on one of the Sisters, Sister Grace, went on to tell a story about Saint Bakhita. I recommend you do a google search on her as well if you want to know all of the details of her life but here is the quick version. She was born a to a warm and loving family and as a young girl, she was kidnapped by slave traders where she was beaten, battered, whipped, chained and traded her life was quickly changed. At one point she was traded to a kind family who was moving to Italy and the begged to join them. So as her story continues she moves to Italy with this family and is taking their daughter to school. I am not sure if Bakhita is actually attending the school with her or if she is just escorting the child to the school. But the school is a Catholic school. And by attending the school Bakhita is able to be introduced to Jesus, Christianity, and her faith. It was there that she found hope and was able to transform her life. She then went on to become a nun and was then granted sainthood. Later in her life, a young student once asked Bakhita, "What would you do, if you were to meet your captors?" Without hesitation, she responded: "If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands. For, if these things had not happened, I would not have been a Christian and a religious today". Coming full circle and talking about our diagnosis of herpes. I know the hurt. I know the frustration. I know the why me. I know the why can’t it be someone else. I know the why do we have to deal with this. I know the anger. I know the embarrassment. I know the feeling of being a leper. I know the feeling of being pissed off. I know the feeling alone. And the feelings continue. Based on the story of Saint Bakhita and how she was able to forgive and look at her abuse as a gift and how she was able to realize that had she not been beaten, chained, and whipped she would have never found her calling of becoming a nun. I believe that herpes is my gift. I believe that because of having herpes I can be the voice and be here to support you and others who are living with herpes. My question to you is what is your gift? 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 Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Oral herpes, your wedding, and the kiss [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9FWDhfU2MxTEZXQQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode of Life With Herpes. I had a fun time telling you all about my wedding. Ok, so if you are not into weddings then sorry but for those of you who are then, I hope you enjoyed today’s episode.  Let’s be serious that there is never a good time to get an outbreak but on your wedding day it is not ideal. So that is exactly what happened but it was in a place that was very unexpected. For the first time in 14 years, I got an outbreak on my face! Yep… 14 years and right there on my lips. How was I supposed to kiss my husband at the altar?   I proceed to tell you about my wedding, being in Tucson, Arizona and how my in-laws live there so we went to get married there to make it legal and so his parents could witness our union. It was absolutely wonderful and I will share some pictures with you below. But let's get back to the huge blister on my lip. I was absolutely shocked! I was angry!  I was mortified! I was wondering how this was possible! I was uncomfortable in my own skin! I was embarrassed! I didn't want to even leave my house and be seen. Yet, I was getting married and I was the center of attention.   I went into panic mode. I mean I couldn’t even remember what to do with an oral outbreak. I’m mostly focused on genital herpes I didn't even remember what to do for oral herpes. I mean I am an expert when it comes to having an outbreak on my vagina. I had to read my own recommendations...lol.  Remember it had been 14 years so I was completely shocked. My friend gave me some Abreva which helped...thank goodness. But I still had this huge honking thing in my mouth. I did my best to not let it get in the way of all the joy, love and exciting things that were about to happen but I couldn't help it. I didn’t feel beautiful, confident or even myself because of this outbreak. I didn’t feel like I could even touch my now husband because I just felt so disgusting.   So the big question, did I kiss my husband? Yes, I did. But it was a quick side kiss like when you don't want to get caught kissing someone.   Here is the good news. My outbreak went away. My husband did not get it. We got married in front of our family and at the University of Arizona. And having this outbreak was a humbling experience and it, of course, helped me be a better mentor to you and this community. You will have to tune into this episode to hear all of the details and I hope you enjoy the pictures below.   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 Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

  Here are some photos from my outbreak and our Tucson wedding:

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"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS8tQ0JaVzhyWWtjUQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes   Welcome to today’s episode of Life with Herpes. I am always thrilled to have you join me and spend your time with me. Thank you! Today’s question on the #AskAlexandra portion comes from our Life With Herpes community. Some of the ladies in the slack group were chatting with one another and were wondering if the tingle that you sometimes get is considered an outbreak. They were mentioning that they are on an antiviral daily so their thoughts were maybe the antiviral was working its magic and suppressing the outbreak. Or maybe it is a little outbreak and the antiviral is suppressing it. Regardless this is a great question because the answer is really we don’t know unless you get it swabbed from the doctor. This is really a waste of your time, money and if it is going to become a full-blown outbreak then you will know soon enough. The best advice is to get to know your body.   However, I do suggest to error on the side of caution. If you are feeling a little uncomfortable in that area or if the tingle is your trigger for an outbreak then I would go hands off for the next day or so until the tingle goes away. How I personally view this is your body is telling you something. Tune in. What is your vagina or penis telling you? I know that can sound silly but really your body is trying to get your attention to tell you to listen up.  Personally, when I have the tingles or the hot spots I know my body is telling me I need to stop, relax and slow down. The funny thing was that after I recorded this episode I actually felt the tingles, I was exhausted so I took my own advice. I heated up some delicious soup and took a nap. As soon as I did that my body Thanked Me.   Long story short, unfortunately, we don't really know 100% but use this as an opportunity to de-stress, cut out some activities and if possible take a nap and get a good night's sleep.   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 Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Oral sex and podcasts are not always the best ever   Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode of Life With Herpes. As always….thank you for joining me and being here. Like I always say, this is not a topic I wanted to be an expert in but I am and we are here. So today’s episode was kind of a huge hiccup. I put so much pressure on myself to make this episode aka episode 069 such a cool episode and play on the words with the sixty-nine but I totally flopped. But as one of my friends brought to my attention...sometimes oral sex is just not all that great and neither is this episode. So bear with me. I decide to continue to explain what oral sex is and turn to old faithful Wikipedia. Oral sex is an act of having sex so for example there is vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex. As I have discussed in many episodes leading up to this but I want to make sure you understand the importance of this is yes, you can get herpes from oral sex. So with that being said, you can get herpes from sixty-nine. Oral sex is often thought of as a “safe alternative” to having sex but you are as at much risk as passing herpes through oral sex as you are with vaginal or anal sex. With all this being said, I do not want to deter you from having oral sex or enjoying 69 with your partner. I mean, it is pretty cool that you can pleasure each other with your tongue at the same time. What I am saying is take the same precautions you would when having vaginal or anal sex. Which are; Take this as an opportunity to talk with your partner about STD’s and STI’s, use a latex condom or dental dam, educate yourself on sexual health and get tested. I am assuming that because you are here you are educating yourself on sexual health so I am going to give you a big gold star! Thanks for tuning in today. Sorry, it was not my best episode, I really put too much into trying to make this episode be really really good. 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 Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Latex, Dentists, and Oral [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS91dUpkUEVsbE10bw==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Welcome to today’s episode of Life With Herpes. As always I am thrilled to be here with you and thank you for being here and hanging out with me. Ok, so I am sure you are wondering where I am going to go with the title called, Condoms and Oral.  Well, it all started today when I was at the dentist. I had to get the sealant that goes on your molars to prevent cavities fixed. I still have my baby teeth so these are some pretty old molars and the sealant needs to be fixed so I don’t get cavities. In today’s episode, I go on to tell stories about visits to the dentist as a child and about having braces and then I bring you up to date to today’s visit. So I was thinking while having my dentists hands in my mouth, gauze, the slava thing and bright lights on my mouth that it would be really disgusting if my dentist didn’t have gloves on. I mean I think it would be really gross. However, we will have oral sex without using a condom. I mean think about it. Our sex education has been pretty poor and most of us received the talk of just don't get pregnant or get anyone pregnant. Well… there's a lot more to learn than just that. I believe that one of the main reasons why condoms are used is to prevent pregnancy and not to prevent the transmission of STD’s or STI’s. I believe that if we could get pregnant with oral sex then we would have been using condoms orally for a while now. But because as a society we all believe that we will never get “it” or only sluts get “it” or only dirty people get “it” that we think we are in the clear don't use a condoms. Just a reminder but you can get herpes from performing or receiving oral sex. I know that hearing the idea of using a condom or a dental dam for oral sex sounds pretty out there and even weird but herpes and other sexually transmitted infections can and are being transmitted. I want to take you back to my dentist experience. I would be absolutely disgusting and appalling if my dentins started working on my mouth without latex gloves. So then why is it we go down on complete strangers without any protection? My thoughts...its education and awareness. In a past episode, episode 28 I discuss what safe sex is. As I was recording this episode I have realized I need to do a full demo on condoms, dental dams and safe sex. Keep your eyes peeled for this in the future. 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 on 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 Crisis 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"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS8xa0lzNUMwTnNkVQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Welcome today’s episode of Life With Herpes. I am always excited to be here with you, thank you for joining me. Before I get going on today’s #AskAlexandra I talk about how below burr it is here in San Diego...it was 38 degrees this morning! Don’t laugh at me if you are from the east coast or someplace where there really is a winter. I tell a fun story about finding my Christmas yoga pants so you will have to tune in to hear it. And as promised yes that is a selfie of my outfit down below. Anyway, back to herpes. Lol. The question for #AskAlexandra came from our uber secret online Slack group. Our anonymous friend is newly diagnosed with oral herpes and is concerned that there now needs to be a disclosure.  She says, “do I need to disclose to anyone I might share a kiss to even on the cheek?” I am so glad you asked this question in our group. So the quick answer is yes, you should disclose that you have herpes if you plan to have exchange any sort of body fluids aka make out, have sex, oral sex, or anal sex. However, I don’t want you to be freaking out. I go into more details on this in the episode and share a personal story of me telling my ex-boyfriend when I found out I got oral herpes. But really what I mean is, if you are planning on making out with someone or have oral sex then yes, you need to let them know.  What is frustrating is oral herpes does not have the same stigma as genital herpes but at the end of the day it is herpes. Oral herpes can be passed from person to person by kissing on the mouth and through oral sex. I go deep into this (no pun intended) in a couple of episodes. If oral herpes is transmitted through oral sex to your partner's genitals then it is considered genital herpes. One of the concerns that I know you mentioned was can you pass herpes without having a visible outbreak and the answer is yes. In episode 006 I get to the nitty-gritty on viral shedding and explain how it is possible to infect someone. You were also concerned about kissing your family members and accidentally spreading it. Yes, it is possible for you to pass it but I don't want you to become hardened or scared to touch people. If you have an outbreak, then no don't kiss someone on the mouth, cheek or anywhere because it is the most contagious at that point. But kissing your grandparents on the cheek from time to time should be just fine. So please don’t worry. And you never know, the person you are kissing might very well have herpes already. You really never know. Now back to disclosing that you have oral herpes and using protection when you engage in oral sex (and any type of sex) is very much advised. In another episode, episode 028 I go into details on safe sex. At the end of the day, the truth is always the best and disclosing it will prevent a blow up later on. If you let someone know you have oral herpes and then you kiss them and they get it you can know that you let them know and you were not hiding it. Thanks for asking this question, I know I was worried about it too when I was first diagnosed. I was so concerned that someone would pick up a drink after I drank out of it and then they would get herpes. Yes, it is possible to pass it but please live your life, enjoy and all you can do is disclose and at the end of the day you will be just fine.   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 Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

And as promised...here are my Christmas yoga pants and a picture of me behind the scenes