Life With Herpes

Outbreaks, Triggers and Dealing With It [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS95MFI5YS1zQVE0aw==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast Welcome to episode 45 of Life With Herpes. I’m so thrilled to be here with you. It's amazing to me that wherever you are in the world we can connect through this podcast! This technology mind-boggling, thanks for being a part of it!   Today we're talking about my most recent outbreak, I have one right now as I'm recording this. I hadn't had one in forever, and I got one. I know exactly why and how I got it: it was a certain food that triggered it. Hear all the details on the 45th episode of Life With Herpes.     More About Life With Herpes   We've talked about specific outbreak triggers before: some people I know have certain things that trigger an outbreak. I know people who will have an outbreak every time they eat peanuts, and other people who have an outbreak of HSV-1 from spending too much time in the sun.   When I was on an anti-viral medication, I didn't have an outbreak for three years. I never had an issue with any foods. But when I went off my anti-viral my doctor told me to watch for triggers in my diet. He gave me a few of the common culprits, and eggplant was on it. I was so disappointed when I heard that because I love eggplant, and I eat it a few times a week!   So for a year I didn't have eggplant - even though I LOVE it! But I was meeting a friend for lunch and we went to Tender Greens (it's a farm to table cafe type place). Every day they have fresh seasonal veggies on the menu, when I was there I didn't look at the ones they had when I ordered a side of them. As I sat down I was so excited to see eggplant on my plate! I did a quick scan of my body and felt good, I felt strong and healthy so I decided to have it. It was delicious!   Then that night we had a Blue Apron meal, one of the meal delivery services. Our delicious recipe that night had eggplant in it. I decided to eat it again, and see what would happen. I really didn’t think eggplant would be a problem, I mean it’s a vegetable and it’s healthy, right?!   I was wrong. It wasn't even 24 hours when I felt the telltale tingle signal of an outbreak coming on. And because I didn’t rest and take care of myself, I had an outbreak complete with a mild fever, swollen lymph nodes and general overall exhaustion.   Tweetable: “Eggplant is a common trigger for a herpes outbreak.” - Alexandra Harbushka     And having this outbreak reminded me that here are specific ways I properly care for my body so I don’t pass the virus on to any other part of me; I am extra careful with the affected areas. It's important to keep that area clean, something that is hard to do with genital herpes. When you have a genital herpes outbreak it's important to clean that area after using the restroom or after getting sweaty. It's also critical to clean your hands after you have cleaned the areas with an outbreak because you can pass the virus to another part of your body if you do not clean your hands thoroughly. For example, you could pass HSV-2 to your mouth or even your eyes if you don't clean your hands well enough. Here's my protocol when I have an outbreak or I feel one coming on: I clean my body in the shower. First, I clean my hands thoroughly and then I clean my face. Then I clean my body from top to bottom.   Then when my hair is clean and when everything else is clean, I clean my genitals with my bare hands and a lot of soap. I do that area last because I don't want to have any of the virus from my genitals to any other part of my body. After, I clean my hands again with a lot of soap. I sing happy birthday to myself twice while I am washing my hands so I know they are as clean as possible. But if you only sing it once while you wash your hands with soap you will be fine! Ladies if you have long fingernails be sure to clean under your nails and get everything out of there.   I'm telling you all of this because I don't want you to be afraid to touch your genitals! All you have to do is be extra careful to wash your hands thoroughly during an outbreak, and watch where you put them. Do you have any special ways you care for your body when you have an outbreak? Does eggplant trigger an outbreak for you too? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you about this topic from episode 45 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Ask Answer & 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"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9EbXh2UHFQSTVZMA==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast Welcome to episode 44 of Life With Herpes. Thank you for spending this time with me, today is another terrific #AskAlexandra episode! These are my favorite because we get to connect one on one. If you want to send in your own question for an upcoming #AskAlexandra episode please go to the Life With Herpes web site and click the #AskAlexandra button on the home page. From there just fill out the form and hit submit. Remember if you have a question someone else out there probably has that same question so it's important to ask.   Getting back to today's question, it comes from Jayden in Atlanta, Georgia. She wants to know the difference between an outbreak and a pimple. Hear the answer on episode 44 of Life With Herpes. More About Life With Herpes Jayden, first thank you for this great question. Second, here is your answer: a herpes outbreak is a viral infection (HSV-1 or HSV-2), and a pimple is a bacterial infection. Bacterial infections can be from a clogged pore, an ingrown hair or a hormonal response to puberty. Another difference is pimples are not contagious and do not stay with you for the rest of your life. Pimples can leave scars, herpes blisters do not. However, the herpes blisters are incredibly painful whereas pimples are not.   A similarity if you can get both in your genital area, but they look different. You can tell the difference by looking at the area. Blisters from an outbreak look like lesions, there is much more pus that comes out of a herpes blister than a pimple. Tweetable:  “A zit is a zit is a zit, and herpes is herpes is herpes!”-  Alexandra Harbushka     If it looks like a pimple it's most likely pimple. But if it looks sore, open and filled with pus that is a herpes outbreak.   Also if it pops then it's a pimple, you cannot pop a herpes blister.   If you're still curious Google them both and look at the difference. Pimples on any part of your body will look the same no matter where it is. If it pops it is a zit, if not it won't. And honestly if it is a herpes blister you won't even consider popping it because the blister is so painful. Even the idea of popping a blister will cause you to feel pain!   But if you are still having trouble identifying what something is go to your doctor and get it swabbed. Find out if it's a pimple that hasn't gone away, or if it is a herpes blister. And if you are with someone and you see some bumps, but aren't sure what they are, just stop what you are doing and ask them.   This is a good question Jayden because one of the biggest misconceptions is about this topic. Some people will call a herpes blister a pimple when it's really a blister. They are often confused. Hope that answers your question! Thank you for joining me on episode 44 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources  

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Ask Answer & 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"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9VYXhRbjQwX2pzcw==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast Welcome to episode 43 of Life With Herpes. I'm grateful to be here with you and am excited you are here with me! This is another #AskAlexandra episode where we connect personally through the questions you send to me. If you want to be cool like the person from today’s show you can send in your own question. Go to the Life With Herpes web site and click the #AskAlexandra button on the home page. From there just fill out the form and hit submit. I only read your first name and city on the show, but check the anonymous button if you’d like complete anonymity.   Speaking of questions, today's question is from Kennedy in Brooklyn, New York. She is asking about oral sex: she gives it to her boyfriend but he won't give it to her. She has HSV-2 (genital herpes) and wants to know what she should do.   Hear the answer when you join me on episode 43 of Life With Herpes.   More About Life With Herpes   To give you the full answer Kennedy, here are a couple of things I suggest doing. First, does your boyfriend have HSV-1 or HSV-2? Find that out, have him get tested and find out if he has either strain of the virus. Second, do you and your boyfriend have vaginal sex? If you do he is just as much at risk of contracting HSV-2 through vaginal sex as he is through oral.   Third, are you on anti-viral medication? If you are then you are doing almost everything you can to prevent transmitting it to your partner. Anti-virals greatly lessen your chance of outbreaks and lessen the viral shedding (which is when the virus is contagious). So get on an anti-viral if you aren't already. Finally, are you using a condom? Using a condom and taking an anti-viral means you are literally doing everything possible not to transmit the virus to your boyfriend.   Getting back to the issue of oral sex, of course you want him to go down on you. It's natural and normal! I’d suggest talking with him, it’s important your boyfriend knows how much it matters to you to receive oral sex. What I don’t recommend is playing games and refusing to give him oral sex if he isn't going to give it to you.   Instead, talk to him and explain what you are doing in order to prevent passing it on to you. Also tell him you would love to receive oral sex, and tell him about dental dams. They are like condoms for your vagina - they even come in flavors!   Tweetable: “Dental dams are like condoms for your vagina.”- Alexandra Harbushka   To sum up the answer to your question, talk with him about what is important to you, what you are doing on your end to prevent transmitting this to him and be vulnerable and open when you talk to him.   I know it's a hard conversation, but there's nothing more beautiful than sharing these conversations because they lead to a deeper, more intimate connection with your partner. Look at as an opportunity to go deeper mentally and feel more comfortable sexually with each other. It's really kind of sexy if you think about it!   Thank you Kennedy, I love this question! Let me know how it goes, send me a private message on Slack or let us all know in the Slack group. I can’t wait to hear from you after you listen to episode 43 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Self-Love, Suffocation and Selfishness [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9YOUhTSXAwT2hUdw==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast   Welcome to episode 41 of Life With Herpes, and thank you for being here with me! As always, I’m excited to have you join me for today’s show.The idea for this particular episode is from a conversation I overheard when I was at Whole Foods the other day. Someone was telling someone else: "You have to put your oxygen mask on first."Immediately I knew I wanted to record a show for you about this so that’s what I did. Listen in to hear the connection to herpes on the 41st edition of Life With Herpes. More About Life With Herpes When I overheard the oxygen mask conversation at Whole Foods, I told myself as soon as I got home and put my groceries away, I was going to record an episode about it and how it relates to herpes.   As you know when you are flying the flight attendant gives safety instructions. Part of those instructions explain that if the oxygen levels in the cabin changes, then oxygen masks will drop down for everyone. The flight attendant also always tells you to put your oxygen mask on first, then your child's. They say this because most people would think no, I have to put my child's on first (or I will do it for whomever else is in dire need). But let's think about it: you are on an airplane and the oxygen levels drop so you put the masks on your three-year old child. But the oxygen levels have dropped before you can get your mask on, so now you faint or pass out. How is that young child supposed to take care of you? They can't.   Tweetable: “Putting your oxygen mask on first is self-love.”- Alexandra Harbushka     That's the literal meaning of "put your oxygen mask on first", but this can apply to so many phases and areas of life including herpes. For example: when you find out you have herpes, you go through so many feelings ranging from disbelief to anger to shame/guilt, etc. But what happens to the partner you're with when you find out you have herpes? Maybe they resent you or make you feel guilty because you passed it on to them, or they are simply in shock because of your diagnosis. And rather than taking care of yourself first and putting your oxygen mask on first, you rush to take care of them and ignore your own needs. Eventually you run low and cannot take care of yourself, so soon you are depleted and exhausted. You cannot worry about what is going to happen to your partner, or your relationship or if they have herpes; you cannot do anything about any of those situations. But you can take care of yourself. You were just diagnosed with herpes so you need to put your own oxygen mask on now, and let your partner put his or her mask on themselves. You can't give all of your oxygen to them and take care of them without your own mask on, otherwise, you will end up suffocated and depleted. You have to nurture your body, and your emotions and give yourself what you need. You need to be able to heal, to cope and care for yourself. And doing so will help you approach this situation with a clear mind and help you move forward with your partner and with your life.   I really want you to think about this, taking care of yourself first applies to every area of your life, not just herpes. If you aren't taking care of you no one else will. No one will take care of your needs for you - only you can do that for you!   Are there areas of your life where you need to put your own oxygen mask on? Consider it and then let yourself do what you need to do to recharge. If you need to then stay in and take a bubble bath, or take a walk or enjoy a guilty pleasure! It boils down to self-love. Do you need to practice more self-love? Tell me, after you listen to episode 42 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Self-Love, Herpes and Rejection [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9tN25Wc3ZMUjVYRQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast Welcome to episode 41 of Life With Herpes, and thank you for being here with me! Today we’re talking about why herpes gets rid of the people who are wasting your time.For me one of the biggest fears I had was whether I would find love again after being diagnosed with herpes. And I can tell you that the answer is yes I have, and I know you will too. On today’s show I’m going to share how I now know that having herpes helped me get rid of the potential partners who weren't going to last, and why it will do the same for you. Join me as we talk in-depth about it on episode 41 of Life With Herpes. More About Life With Herpes   I have heard and do hear from many of you in our Slack group about your experiences talking with your potential intimate partners and disclosing that you have herpes. And I also hear from many of you how disappointed you are that when you tell your potential partners you have herpes, some of those partners don't call you back.   The reality is that this is good news. Yes the rejection hurts but know this: you're weeding out the people who are a waste of your time. I can tell you that because it is exactly what happened for me. I discovered that unless someone I was dating told me that having herpes didn’t matter, then they weren’t the right person for me.   If this seems hard to imagine for you I’d suggest starting to practice on your own; change your mindset from "Oh no I have herpes!" to "Yeah, I have herpes. So what?"   That’s one of the reasons I created this podcast: you are here to learn more about having herpes and living your life, the more knowledge you have then the more powerful you are.   Tweetable: “One person is going to love you for you!” - Alexandra Harbushka So change your mindset from thinking no one will want to go out with you because you have herpes! Think about it: you don't want to go out with everyone. Why would you? Dating anyone and everyone is exhausting and not worth it. Besides,  not everyone is right for you.Personally, in the past I would use herpes as a scapegoat or a way to tell if the guy was really interested. If I told him I had herpes and he left, then I thought good because he's not worth my time. The truth is if someone isn't going to stand by you because of a simple thing like a virus, what will they do when real sh*t goes down? If they are out the door because you have herpes, then they weren't going to last through the tough times. And we all deserve someone who will be with us through good and bad. So when you get to the point of being secure with having herpes, then the right person will come into your life. Again, I can tell you this because it is true for me. My fiancee does not care that I have herpes, and it has never been an issue in our relationship. So look at herpes as an opportunity to weed out the people who weren't right for you and to find the person who is going to stay with you no matter what. I know it stings and it hurts when someone leaves after you tell them you have herpes. You probably feel rejected, but remember one person is going to love you for YOU!   If you want support along the way please join us in the free Slack group. When you’re in the group and tell me if you think having herpes has gotten rid of the people who weren't right for you. Let me know after you listen to episode 41 of Life With Herpes.   Episode Resources  

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Ask Answer & Get The Facts About Herpes Life With Herpes Podcast   Welcome to episode 40 of Life With Herpes. This is another #AskAlexandra show, I love love hearing from you for these shows! None of these episodes are possible without you so please join in the fun and send me your question. You can join our Slack group or go to the Life With Herpes home page. On the home page look for the #AskAlexandra button at the bottom and click it. You'll be taken to a form where you can fill out question and send it to me.   Today's question comes from Tammy in Toledo, Ohio. She is obsessed with tattoos! And she wants to know if she has to disclose her HSV status to her artist if and when she gets ink?   Join me to hear the answer to Tammy's awesome question on episode 40 of Life With Herpes. More About Life With Herpes   First of all, high five and kudos to you for considering other people Tammy. Thank you! The short and sweet answer is no you do not have to disclose your status when getting a tattoo.   Personally I don't have any tattoos but I did go with a friend who got one when we were in high school. I remember they asked if she had HIV/AIDS, or hepatitis. Those are two life-threatening viral diseases that are transmitted by blood.   Herpes is not transmitted by blood, it is skin to skin transmitted. So I do not believe they are going to ask you if you have herpes, but if they do then of course you would say yes.   If you go into a tattoo parlor you’ll notice the artist does wear gloves for protection (both for themselves and for you). If they are not wearing gloves you should run! It is not a place where you want to get inked.   Tweetable:  “Be truthful in all of your answers.”-  Alexandra Harbushka       When you do arrive to get your tattoo, they are going to ask you to fill out a questionnaire. Be truthful on all of your answers, including if they ask you whether or not you have herpes.   But if they don't ask you I don't see any reason you have to tell them, unless you have an outbreak in an area where you are getting the tattoo. If you are getting inked on your back but you've never had an outbreak in that area you don't have to disclose your herpes status (unless they ask).   The only other thing that may be important is medication you are on, this may be important as far as bleeding and allergic reactions. If you are concerned about this be sure to tell them what medications you are on, like any anti-virals you are taking.   But as far as your overall status of having herpes, I don't think it means someone won't work on any new or existing tattoos. So don't worry unless they ask and as long as the person giving you your ink is wearing gloves.   I'm glad you asked this Tammy, I'm sure it's something people are concerned about so it was a great question to send in, and to answer. Again, thank you for your question and for joining me on episode 40 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Ask Answer & 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"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9Wd1NocWxEYUUtZw==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast On today’s episode of #AskAlexandra we answer Amanda’s  in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma she asks, “Is there a cure for herpes?” The quick answer to this great question from Amanda is no, there is no cure for herpes. This is because herpes is a virus, and viruses are with you for life. Bacteria, on the other hand, is something your body can fight off and eventually defeat. But viruses cannot be defeated so they are never cured. Take chlamydia as an example, it's another STD. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection which means you can be cured, but it also means you can catch it again. Even though viruses cannot be cured the good news is their your symptoms lessen over time. The first time the virus attacks your body it is like a code red, but as you move on with life your body recognizes an outbreak before it happens and it knows how to respond and prevent it or lessen the severity of your symptoms. Once you begin to understand your body and you will learn to know when an outbreak is coming on. I talk more about it in this ebook I wrote, The 9 Seldomly Used But Incredibly Powerful Over The Counter Herpes Remedies.  Click here to download it. More about herpes and viruses and what I wish I knew with my diagnosis With 1 out of 6 people having HSV 2 and 2 out of 3 having HSV 1 there is a huge demand for this vaccine. However, as far as the herpes virus is concerned, right now there is no cure but we do have anti-virals. Anti-virals help the infection lie dormant and are a good way to decrease the chances of passing it on to others. Being on an anti-viral plus using a condom are the best ways to protect your sexual partners from receiving the herpes virus from you. While there’s no cure today, the herpes community is working on a vaccine, specifically for HSV-1 and HSV-2. It’s important to understand that chicken pox, shingles, and Epstein-Barr (also known as mono) are also in the herpes family. So when you are searching for information about the herpes vaccine be careful of what you see, there are vaccines for these other disorders in the herpes family. Wondering about the infamous vaccine? Aren't we all! Right now the vaccine for HSV-1 and HSV-2 is in stage 2. Stage 3 is clinical trials, and that stage takes the longest because scientists want to ensure the vaccine is safe for the  general public. When I was first diagnosed I was devastated, of course, but I was also looking for ways to lessen the sting or ways to even speed up the healing. I really wish I had known about a lot of the over the counter remedies that are in this ebook. There are so many questions and unknowns when you first get diagnosed. Click here to download the ebook, The 9 Seldomly Used But Incredibly Powerful Over The Counter Herpes Remedies. As always, I am very excited to be here with you on another #AskAlexandra episode! I love hearing the questions you send in for these episodes. If you want to join in the fun you can ask questions in our exclusive and private Slack group or you can send them to me by going to the Life With Herpes website. Getting back to today’s question, it comes from Amanda in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. There’s the short and long answer to your question Amanda, thank you for sending it in for this edition of Life With Herpes. Thanks for being here, see you next time! Keep in touch with Alexandra Harbushka www.lifewithherpes.com www.instagram.com/alexandraharbushka (ps. There are some fun photos from my Paris trip on there) 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  

• Download your Free Copy of the Ebook - The 9 Seldomly Used But Incredibly Powerful Over The Counter Herpes Remedies
• 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 & 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"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9uTVowZUd3Y1BOaw==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast Welcome to episode 38 of Life With Herpes! This is another #AskAlexandra episode, and I love these because we get to connect. I love finding out what is going on with you and being able to support you and your life with herpes.   If you're new to the show, the #AskAlexandra episodes are dedicated to answering your questions. If you want to join in the fun and ask your question just go to the Life With Herpes home page and look for the #AskAlexandra section. Click on it and fill out the form with your question.   And speaking of questions, today's is another great one. It comes from Katie in Seattle, Washington. She wants to know what types of herpes tests are out there. Again, I love that you asked this Katie because it's something we all need to know when confirming we do have herpes, and when talking to our partners about it. There are chances for false positives and false negatives so it's important to understand the different tests and options on the market today. Join me to hear what they are on episode 38 of Life With Herpes More About Life With Herpes Let's look at the two primary ways to get tested for herpes, the first way is when you have sores and you go to your doctor. They take a swab of your wound and send it to the lab. This is called a cell culture test. Another testing method is through a blood test. They draw your blood and look for any herpes antibodies in your blood. This is called the PCR blood test.   In my case, I went into my gynecologist for my annual pap smear. I told my doctor I was in pain and didn't know if it was just a really bad yeast infection, or if it was something else. She thought it looked like a yeast infection but she tested me for herpes just to be sure. So she took a swab and sent it off to the doctor, and she drew some blood. She wanted to be absolutely sure I had or did not have herpes. When the results came back positive it was doubly confirmed I did indeed have herpes.   But not everyone gets that double confirmation so there can be false negatives. The most common way this happens is if you have sores that are in the healing stage and your doctor takes a swab of those sores. You may not test positive because the virus may be gone. That's something to consider with the swab test, you may want to do the blood test or both the swab test and the blood test. This is especially true if this was your first outbreak because it can take time for the virus to get into your bloodstream.     Tweetable:  “The herpes virus may take time to get into your bloodstream.” -  Alexandra Harbushka What I recommend is if you physically have had sores and your tests come back from negative, go back every couple of months. Again your test results may be negative at first because the virus isn't in your blood, so getting tested every few months is a good way to know for sure.   There is also another way and it’s a third test called the Western blot test. It is  orchestrated through the University of Washington. This is the most accurate way to confirm if you have herpes. If you get both a negative and a positive result from the other two tests and you've never had an outbreak, then this is the definitive test. It is the most accurate test available. Here's what I suggest you do if your test results have left you in limbo about whether or not you have herpes: call the University of Washington at 206-685-8037. Press option 2 and speak to whomever answers the phone. Tell them you’d like to get the test sent to you, and ask any other questions you have. When I called I talked to a woman named Eva who told me the cost of the Western blot Test is $226.85. It is free for them to send you the test, you pay for the test when you send it in.   When the test kit arrives, you need to go to a lab and have them draw your blood, and then package the sample for you to send it in. From there you simply wait. The turnaround time for this test is 1-3 weeks, and it varies only depending on how many other tests they have that time. So if you get your results in one week it doesn’t mean you are negative, and the opposite is also true.   This option is more expensive than just going to your healthcare provider, I don't believe the Western blot test takes insurance but you can call and find out. Feel free to call them, the Virology Department at University of Washington is really great, they actually answer their phones and will talk with you.   Again, thank you for asking this question Katie. It's so important for all of us to know what our options are when getting tested for herpes, and it's valuable for us to know so we can share this information with our partners so they can get tested too. Episode Resources  

• University of Washington Clinical Virology Laboratory
• University of Washington Western Blot test details
• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• Life With Herpes YouTube channel
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Full disclosure and taking responsibility aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9TVXJRT3hIcVc0WQ==[/video_player] Life With Herpes Podcast Welcome to episode 37 of Life With Herpes - I am thrilled to be sharing this time with you, thank you for joining me.   You may have read the title of today’s episode and thought what in the world do herpes and lice have in common?! I'm sure you want to know why I'd put these two together and have a show about them, so let me tell you on episode 37 of Life With Herpes. More About Life With Herpes The topic for today came to mind because this summer I have dealt with lice, twice! If you don’t know what lice are they are little bugs that live in your hair, and they lay eggs called nits. Nits are typically the size of a grain of rice, and they typically blend into your hair.   The problem with lice is that it goes everywhere. Like the herpes virus, lice want to survive so they lay as many eggs as possible in as many places as possible. They will go into your sheets, your pillows, your sofa, your hair brush and hair ties, your clothes - you get the idea.   And they are transferred to other people who sit on your sofa or use your pillows or your hair ties, etc. Because they are so easily transferred and live in so many places, they are nearly impossible to get rid of! Even when you remove lice from your own body, if the eggs are in other areas where you spend time you'll get them again.   But what do lice and herpes have in common? For starters, we don't always disclose we have either of them, and because of that they continue to spread. We're too embarrassed to talk about having lice or herpes so other people get them because we don't tell them we have either one.   Our response to having lice or herpes is pretty similar. When someone in my household got lice I freaked! I didn't want to deal with it and deal with trying to get it out of my very long hair or anywhere else in the house.   I also felt panicked when I was diagnosed with herpes, and that feeling lingered until I learned more and educated myself about herpes. I applied the same approach to lice: I found out they have lice clinics and they check your head, and if you have it, they help you get rid of it.   It’s much the same with herpes: you think you may have been exposed to the virus so you go to the clinic and get checked out. If you have it they tell you how to deal with the virus, and how to avoid spreading it.   Tweetable: “Full disclosure would reduce herpes being spreading to more people.” - Alexandra Harbushka And with both lice and herpes full disclosure is needed and very important. That's what I want to stress to you: have a full disclosure with your current partner (or partners) and your past partners. I'm 100% adamant about telling your partner if you are sexually active, it is the right thing to do and it will take a weight off your shoulders.   With herpes when you talk about it with your partner it gives them the opportunity to choose to have sex with you while taking necessary precautions. They know they may contract the virus even with those precautions, but they are making the choice to do so. If they aren't given that choice and they do get the virus that opens a whole other can of worms.   Think about: if you weren't given the choice when you contracted herpes, wouldn't you want that opportunity if you could do it all over again? Since most of us with herpes weren’t given the choice I’m guessing a lot of us would answer yes to that question.   Whatever your answer is I want to hear from you. Let me know in the private Slack group, after you listen to episode 37 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit (use the promo code PODCAST)
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• DoTerra’s essential oils