The Herpes Opportunity
By Adrial Dale
The Herpes OpportunityJan 28, 2022
Online herpes support group call recording
At Herpes Opportunity Forums, you'll not only be supported, you'll be accepted. You'll be heard. Even if you choose to not speak, you will be able to listen to others and support them, which is just as powerful. And perhaps more importantly, you'll get that you're not alone with herpes. Because in sharing our stories, and in sharing who we are vulnerably, we get to shed the weight of shame and get to know ourselves. I look forward to sharing this space with you very soon.
What you'll hear in this recording:
- Why this group is actually not about supporting H at all (what it's really about)
- The mindset we all get to practice together that shifts us out of victim mode
- The deeper meaning of "empowerment"
- Our group agreements (what makes this group feel so safe & nourishing)
- What we share & how we share (learn the difference between telling your story vs. sharing your experience and how that deepens your personal process)
- How we give feedback/support (learn some simple phrases that support on a much deeper level)
- How crying can actually be key to "getting over it"
My wife and I talk about navigating herpes in relationship
By the way, this is the first time my wife Heather (who is HSV-negative) and I have talked publicly about our relationship and what impact H has really had on it.
In the interview, we talk about ...
- Our lives before meeting each other (including each of our preconceived notions about H and how I contracted it) 😬
- Our early relationship after meeting on the dance floor (and her initial impression of me ... yeah, not too great) 😅
- Disclosing early on (and what she had already found out without me knowing) 🤔
- How we navigated the big H in the bedroom (and a story about creative intimacy — even doing something together that neither of us had ever done before. And how that became the first time we exchanged "I love yous") 🥰
P.S. The audio is kiiinda crappy because I forgot to record it from my side. D'oh! (Luckily the reporter recorded it from his side over his computer speakers.)
So please forgive the less-than-stellar audio quality, and let me know if you get something out of this conversation!
How do you to tell someone you have an STD?
Sex, dating, and relationships are challenging — especially when you add an STI (aka STD) into the mix. Here, Adrial shows how having an STI like herpes can actually be an opportunity for greater intimacy between men, women, and any other sexual and relationship partners.
Making STD Disclosure Sexy
From Ms. LAH:
Have you or someone you know contracted an STD?
Not sure when or HOW to disclose to new partners about your herpes status?
Sick of the stigmas around Herpes and other STDs?
Tired of potential partners (or current ones) not taking responsibility for their sexual health by NOT getting tested?
Then this episode of Ignite Intimacy is for you.
Join the powerful and courageous Adrial, of Herpes Opportunity, and we dive deep into the topics of STDs, herpes diagnosis and the power of full disclosure on Episode 16 of Ignite Intimacy!
We’re making disclosure sexy baby…
This episode is really powerful and very personal for me. We’re going in on this one. It’s an episode everyone should tune in for.
The SexLoveYoga Interview: Herpes as an Opportunity, Sexual Shame, and Rewriting your Narrative
From Dr. Cat's post:
What we’ve been taught about the herpes has been widely miseducated, misunderstood, and been the source of major fear and shame in our society. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be OUR story. In this episode we talk with Adrial Dale of The Herpes Opportunity about how a diagnosis can be a powerful experience for us to challenge shame narratives, what we understand as ‘sex’, and ultimately find greater sexual freedom in our life and love.
In this episode you will hear:
- The truth about the herpes virus and how what we see in our google search can create more fear than knowledge
- The opportunities for self and sexual expansion that arise with the diagnosis
- How to reframe disclosure-as-dealbreaker to disclosure-as-opportunity + tips to help you start that conversation
- Navigating safe sex practices
- How you can support your partner who has herpes
- Why getting herpes is not the end of our sexual freedom
- The power of our internal narratives impacting our self worth and relationships with others
Herpes Questions Answered: Q&A call with top herpes researcher Terri Warren
Today, Terri Warren answers your questions about herpes.
- For the past 30 years, herpes has been Terri's special area of interest.
- Terri started the Westover Heights Clinic 33 years ago
- She's been the principal investigator or sub-investigator on over 80 clinical trials involving genital herpes, new medications, new testing devices, and new vaccines.
- She's co-author of "The Good News About the Bad News" and "Tender Talk, a Guide to Intimate Conversations"