Spread the message, not the virus

Live & Love Short Film Competition to destigmatise HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus)

Budding film makers are being challenged to shoot cinematic flicks designed to destigmatise HSV – the Herpes Simplex Virus commonly associated with cold sores and genital herpes – as part of the inaugural Live & Love Short Film Competition.

The competition, coordinated by The Australian Herpes Management Forum (AHMF), is inviting students (film, media, journalism, advertising and medicine), the film and media industry, and pop culture enthusiasts nation-wide to create high-quality, 30-second- long films that explore HSV and educate viewers about its prevalence, while encouraging open discussion about the virus in order to reduce its stigma.

The finalist films will be showcased, and the winners announced at the exclusive Live & Love Short Film Competition Awards – a red carpet event to be held in Sydney on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 – the evening prior to Herpes Awareness Day (Wednesday, October 20, 2010).

According to award winning film maker, Genevieve Clay, short films are an excellent medium for opening up dialogue about issues within society that are not often explored or discussed.

“Short films allow viewers to be transported from the real world for long enough to open their minds to subjects they would normally dismiss.

“Challenging people to create films on topics considered to be taboo, such as HSV, is a great way to explore the raw creative talents of film makers aiming to alter public perception through their work,” said Ms Clay.

This groundbreaking competition, themed Let’s talk about HSV, encourages entrants to use short films to debunk myths about herpes and facilitate conversation in the community about a virus affecting one in eight sexually active Australian adults.1

Film makers have until September 24, 2010 to write, shoot and edit short films designed to destigmatise herpes. The Live & Love website, www.liveandlove.com.au, provides entrants with competition and voting details and information about HSV and support services, including a list of sexual health experts. Finalists will be invited to Sydney to mingle with a host of arts industry representatives, including Genevieve Clay and the well known ABC series ‘Beached Az’ creators, Anthony MacFarlane & Jarod Green, at the Live & Love Short Film Competition awards screening on Tuesday, October 19, 2010. The event, to be held in Sydney, will showcase five shortlisted finalist entries and five People’s Choice award winners before the official announcement of the Judges’ Choice award.

A total prize purse of $15,000 is up for grabs. The winner of the Judges’ Choice Award, to be decided by a panel of celebrity, medical and patient judges, will clinch $10,000 cash, while the five People’s Choice Award winners will take away $1,000 each.

The People’s Choice Awards will be granted to the films that receive the highest number of public votes at www.liveandlove.com.au.

According to sexual health physician, Dr Catriona Ooi, “The Live & Love Short Film Competition presents a fantastic opportunity for film makers to encourage discussion about HSV and pass on the message that people living with the virus are not alone.

“By talking publicly about HSV, we can help break the stigma and shame felt by those affected,” Dr Ooi said.

To register in the Live & Love Short Film Competition, or for more information, go to www.liveandlove.com.au.

About HSV

HSV is a common virus generally transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. There are several strains of HSV – two of which commonly cause genital herpes (HSV type 1 and HSV type 2).

HSV type 1 is the virus that most commonly causes cold sores – about 80 per cent of adults HSV type 1.2 HSV type 2 is usually associated with genital herpes and is commonly transmitted through sexual contact.

Although HSV type 1 is most commonly associated with cold sores and HSV type 2 is most commonly associated with genital herpes, both can be passed on orally or genitally. Increasingly HSV type 1 is a cause of genital herpes as oral cold sores are passed to the genital area through oral sex.

Approximately one-in-eight sexually active Australians over the age of 25 has genital herpes1 – 60 per cent of whom have visible symptoms but are unaware that they have the virus. Another 20 per cent have the virus but have no visible symptoms.

Symptoms of a genital herpes outbreak may include swollen lymph nodes in the glands of the groin, neck and armpit; flu-like symptoms; pain during urination; swelling, pain or itching around the genitals; and painful red spots that can form small blisters.

For more information about HSV, contact your medical professional for available treatments.

Until you get Herpes as an STD, you really have no idea how it can affect your life. I’m a 52 year old male, Australian, living in Sydney. I’ve had Herpes for approximately 10 years. From my point of view, everyone’s initial reaction to the news of contracting the virus is different; angry, cheated, bitter, sad, shocked, ashamed, worried, guilty, in denial… In fact, virtually every reaction is negative. No one I know has ever said to me they were so happy at the news, they cried. Plenty mentioned crying, but none associated it with happiness.

There is little wonder then, that people without Herpes see it as a negative. When I didn’t have it, I saw it as a negative. (I still do.) Hell, I saw every STD as a negative. Unfortunately Herpes, unlike most other STDs, doesn’t have a cure. I’m not sure that those who don’t have it, see “us” (as people) as a negative, but recently I was described by someone as diseased. Well, I guess I am.

None of us asked for Herpes. “Hey, look at me, can I have some Herpes today please?” Not one of us wanted it.

The thing is you can’t always tell who has it and who doesn’t. Some people have it and have no idea that they do. The symptoms can be so mild as to be unidentifiable to the layman. It’s hard to blame or hold a grudge against someone who gives you something in total ignorance. Something they were completely oblivious about until you told them you now have it, and until they were tested and the results came back positive..

My case I suppose falls into the rare category of contracting the virus through contact but not in a sexual way. You see my girlfriend at the time had Herpes, and eventually we had the talk. (I was surprised, but took it very well… I mean what else can a reasonable person do, and in the vast majority of cases, in both sexes, this will be the reaction. However, there will be the occasional over-reaction and of course an almost mandatory number of; “we-had-the-talk-and-I-never-saw- them-agains.”) From my point of view the relationship wasn’t that far along and we weren’t going to have sex. At least not until I was certain where we were going. But fate stepped in, and I was tested. I had it. Well I was certain I had it, before the test, classic Herpes symptoms. There was no doubt in my mind. When the results came back, there was no anger, no shock, no denial. I went straight to acceptance. No use making life worse for anyone else or dwelling on the negatives. It also made the no sex argument moot. Which pleased both of us to some extent.

It also changed the direction of my life…

I did all the appropriate reading and in the end knew more about it than my girlfriend. But at the time, I didn’t look at any sites where “sufferers” gathered. And we are sufferers, if not physically, at least mentally and emotionally. Some come to terms with it more quickly than others. Some seem to never come to terms with it or simply relapse from time to time into depressive episodes and bouts of isolation.

My solution was to marry the girl who gave it to me. After all I had feelings for her, she certainly had them for me. I thought this would solve our problem and end the risk of further spreading the disease. Keep it in the family so to speak. All tied up, in a neat little bow. But eventually, fate stepped in… again.

I found myself once again single… but this time with an added complication.

I’d never really had much of a sex life, but at this point I was thinking it was well and truly dead and buried. There was no hope, no chance, no use even looking. (Literally.) Relationships were going to be a thing of the past, it was going to be a hermits life for me. All sex initiated by me was going to be with me. Eventually I started looking around and found Hsingles, a “dating” and support site for people with Herpes. If I had known about this site sooner, perhaps I wouldn’t have made the mistake in getting married and basing that on the vagaries of fate and a common virus.

So at this stage I considered myself a sexual leper. (I still do by the way.) I have found different attitudes to this situation, through members on the Hsingles site. Some are almost in denial, some think we can carry on “normal” lives, some advocate going out with non-H people. Some have withdrawn and others seek partners and friends from amongst the “infected”. I found myself agreeing with those in this latter group. It seemed to me having to deal with the stress and disappointment that surely would come from outside the group, the “uninfected”, would far outweigh that from within the group. But I’ve found that that is not strictly true.

Dating someone with Herpes “means never having to say you are sorry…” so to speak. There is no need for the nerve-wracking talk and the stress involved, or the worry about rejection… well at least not on the grounds of being “diseased”.

Having a partner within the group means the risk of spread of the disease is stopped. Well at least if your relationship is monogamous or doesn’t involve those outside the group.

You will be with people who understand where you are coming from and what you have been and are going through. People who can empathise with your predicament.

Recently I was told that someone in “my situation” shouldn’t be so picky. Picky? Well I mused this one over for a few seconds, then came to the conclusion, perhaps this is something I used to think when I first joined the Hsingles site. Here was a subgroup of society with a disease in common. Whose (sex) life was affected by an incurable infectious disease. I think I did expect that other members of this group would be less picky than those outside it. After all, there were less of us to choose from. But I quickly found out this wasn’t the case. We were all just as picky as those unaffected. Well why not? We are still the people we used to be. We have the same likes and dislikes, the same preferences, biases, tastes, etc, etc. The success of a relationship, after all, is dependant on more than just the sharing of a common disease. It may be A love bug, but it isn’t THE love bug… if you know what I mean.

Recently I have put myself up on 2 mainstream dating sites. Just out of curiosity. One where I am very up-front about my medical condition and another where it isn’t mentioned. There is no comparison with the results. On one site I may as well be dead. No guessing which one. In fact I had to initiate contact myself, (or there would be no contact) and it is this site where I was told I was “diseased” and as such shouldn’t be so “picky”. It appears Herpes causes the necessity for one to lower one’s expectations in the suitability of a partner.

I’m finding that this site certainly isn’t good for one’s confidence or self esteem. This makes one wonder if one should continue on the other site and try to further contacts there or will it lead to the seemingly inevitable negative reaction or a spate of polite no thank-yous. It might be different for a woman perhaps. I can’t say. But it seems to me that with women considering men, it’s a matter of there are plenty more fish in the sea and they’re always biting and they don’t have the disease. “You’re nice and attractive… but you have Herpes. He’s nice and attractive… no contest!”

This has also lead me to think lately about those of us (males) who are in denial or who don’t warn sexual partners about our condition and the risks involved. Is it just too hard, too stressful, too disheartening? Is it easier to ignore the situation and just let the cards fall where they may. After all there is no guarantee they will catch it from us. Why complicate life? If something happens there is always plausible deniability. Or outright lying. Does the need, the drive, the desire… all those survival of the species things, outweigh our responsibility to the truth and care for others? For some of us (unfortunately) it doesn’t.

To tell or not to tell? Are they right or am I right? Should I deny myself and be celibate if I can’t find a partner with Herpes or are they right in thinking the risk is too insignificant to worry about and it’s no big deal anyway? Of course there are other aspects of a relationship that one misses apart from the physical intimacy, the companionship, love, sharing life, (having a life) etc, etc, etc… But… much of that seems to hinge on having a normal sex life, normal intimacy, and that of course brings us back to Herpes.

Note: The Hsingles site referred to in this story is now called Living Sphere Community.

I’d like to start from the beginning so here goes

When I was 16 I read a book called Sarah’s fortune. The book described what it felt like to lose your virginity. I decided after reading this book that I was going to lose my virginity so that I could get through the pain until sex started to feel good.

I got into a relationship with the second person I slept with. I wanted the fairytale romeo and juliet love. Little did I know that there is one in a million chances of your first love being your true love. At first I was very shy, still retaining my innocence for quite some time. I remember when I found his porn stash for the first time. I ripped it to shreds. It makes me laugh thinking about that. I never liked receiving oral back then but liked to give it. Later in this relationship I grew up and began to want to receive more and when I didn’t I felt used. I wanted to explore my sexuality more so I left him.

My second serious boyfriend told me he had it but that I couldn’t catch it unless it was visible.

I believed him.

I never really used condoms. I was too shy to push their usage in casual relationships and, I never really thought about how easy one could catch an STD despite catching chlamydia once. I was on the pill and happy not to fall pregnant which was a bigger concern.

Later in my sexual history after finding a great doctor who better informed me I began to use them in one night stands but not with people I knew. Unfortunately it didn’t help

After coming back from a trip to Sydney, just after I’d moved to Adelaide I looked down and freaked out at what I saw. I called my fabuluous doc on the Gold Coast and he told me it was probably herpes and to get it looked at.

I’d had a threesome as well as a one night stand in Sydney and although I used protection, I didn’t use it orally.

It’s quite sad that as I grew and started demanding and enjoying oral sex as opposed to just giving and hoping to receive, I contract a nasty virus possibly by receiving oral sex.

With my current consort we have swapped strains which has made it harder than it already was. I only had HSV1 he has HSV2. Now both of us have both. HSV2 is a lot nastier and a lot itchier. On the upside I haven’t had a coldsore on my face.

So there you have it. The events leading up to and possible suspects of how I contracted herpes.

Although at times I feel lonely and wish I had more than just my partner and my doctor to talk to it has allowed me to move my focus to more substantial areas and I am now doing a lot more with my life than I was prior to contracting it.

Lyndsay Foster and I am a clinical psychology graduate student at the University of New Brunswick.  She is conducting a study on how being diagnosed with a STI impacts sexuality and sexual well-being.  Foster is interested in comparing the sexual well-being of men and women who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI or STD) to those who have not had a STI.

Foster is looking for adult women and men who are the age of majority in their country (e.g., 18 or over if living in Canada) to participate.  If you participate in the study, you will be asked about your sexual experiences, sexual health, and sexual attitudes.

The survey takes approximately 10 to 25 minutes to complete and you will have an opportunity to win a VISA Gift Cards worth $50 (CDN)!  Chances are approximately 1 in 114 of winning for the first 340 participants!!

If you would like to participate or would like more details, please go to this website or click on this link:
https://survey.psyc.unb.ca/sexualhealth.aspx

This health video will show you how herpes is contracted and the treatments that are available.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on it below.

Goals

• Test the ribozyme for its ability to block recurrent herpes outbreaks

Overview

There are an estimated 1,000,000 new cases of Herpes every year. The goal of the proposed project will be to test a potential new treatment for Herpes.  This treatment (a ribozyme) has been shown to block Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) infections. Here we propose to test the ribozyme for its ability to block recurrent disease.  If successful, this study would open the door to a potential therapy for HSV-1 recurrent diseases.

Proposed Project Plan

HSV-1 is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the US. The experiments in this study will allow us to determine if this new ribozyme approach can treat recurrent (reactivating) infections of HSV-1 in the eye. If successful, we plan to move forward to further develop this treatment for eye infections of humans.  In addition, future studies using a similar approach could be developed to treat oral HSV-1 infections, and to develop HSV-2 ribozymes as an alternative treatment for genital infections of humans.

How will the 50K be used?

$20,165 – Technician to conduct the experiment

$8,150 – Tissue culture and virus assay reagents

$ 19,962 – Purchase, housing and veterinary care for animals to test the ribozone

You can add your vote here.

I just discovered the glogster site. It’s very interesting how people are using it to promote herpes awareness. Here’s a couple of examples.

Men’s Health Week – June 14 – 20

1. Visit the website at www.menshealthweek.com.au to see what’s on around Australia

2. Talk about health and wellbeing with the men and boys in your life – direct them to the website for more health information

3. Order your copy of Australia’s first “men’s health & wellbeing: an a-z guide” at http://longuevill.cart.net.au/details/2803101.html