HI ALL! It's been forever since I've posted, AND I'M SORRY, OKAY?!
However, I'm working on a project very dear to my heart, and I'd like to extend the invitation to participate to you lovely ADF'ers. A friend and I are working on a book compilation of essays written by people living with genital herpes. Our intention in doing this is to dispel the negative social stigma that comes along with contracting HSV, as demonstrated by the above WWII-era poster. You might think this conception would've changed by now, huh? NOPE! The truth is--unless you're celibate (and sometimes even then), you're at risk of contracting an STD, *even if you're practicing safe sex*.
I'm copying the following info/invitation co-written by me that we originally sent via email to friends and acquaintances who had interest in the project. If you or anyone you know may be interested in contributing, please feel free to copy/paste the below message and forward it along to others!
[Hi,
We are two friends living with genital herpes, seeking out other individuals who are HSV positive. We're writing to you in hopes that, if you or anyone you know has genital herpes (either HSV-1 or HSV-2), you'll consider contributing your experience of contracting HSV to a project we're working on. If you're not HSV positive and you've received this email, we hope you'll consider passing the invitation on to an HSV+ friend.
We were each diagnosed HSV-2 positive within months of each other and now find ourselves in a continuous dialogue examining how the virus has altered our lives. Particularly interesting to us is that despite the prevalence of the genital herpes virus--1 in 4 American adults supposedly carries it-- there still lies a heavy social stigma in discussing it openly.
As part of an effort to transform this stigma, we'd like to invite others living with genital herpes to compose a personal piece of writing addressing their stories of contracting genital herpes and how it has affected their lives. Our goal is to compile an intimate selection of essays documenting first-hand personal experiences of living with HSV. First things first: we respect your privacy and have an intimate understanding of the social stigma attached to HSV, so you may choose to remain anonymous if you wish, use a pen name, or use your real name--whichever is most comfortable for you.
We're particularly interested in writing that comes from an honest and open point of view. Though your story may or may not include pain and misery (but let's face it-- it probably does), our overall mission in this compilation is to provide HSV positive people with an opportunity to both tell their stories and read the stories of others. We're hopeful that in doing so, we all might feel a little less isolated with a disease so often accompanied by loneliness, secrecy, and shame.
Instead of posting this invitation publicly, we have chosen to use a more personal network of friends and acquaintances. If you know anyone who may be interested in submitting an essay, please feel free to pass this e-mail on to them, and encourage them to share it as well.
The deadline for submissions is July 30, 2013. There is no limit to the length of your essay. All queries and submissions should be directed to hsv2pos@gmail.com.
Thank you.]
If you have any questions for me regarding the project (or HSV in general), please don't hesitate to comment here, PM me, or email the above account. Please know that I respect your privacy. (Also, I have been assured by the lovely WTVOC that ZERO hate will be tolerated on this post, so don't even bother, haters!) Open minds for all. GIRL POWA.