437737 in not an actual phone number but spells out "Herpes" on one!

The number 437737 in not actually a phone number rather it is the word  “Herpes” spelled out by the corresponding letters on a phone.  You are probably blown away by this amazing discovery, right?  Ok, maybe not so much but when we tell you what it can be used for, you may actually be impressed!

Like the Loch Ness Monster, Easter Island and that extra sock in the laundry, the origins of 437737 are a complete mystery.  We don’t know who thought of it but it is brilliant!

This may be the first “Herpes dating” site that you have been to but many of you have also ventured onto the regular dating sites out there with millions of people.  You are kidding yourself if you do not think that those people do not also have herpes and other STDs!  Of course, they are not going to spell out “I have herpes!” in their profile.  Hopefully, they will be honest and tell their next partner.

How can you find others with herpes or have them find you on these sites?  Simple!  Just add 437737 somewhere in your profile!  Preferably, add it to a dating field that can be searched.  Many sites will let you search for certain words in a profile. Then people can search for the number 437737.  If they are searching for it, they know what it means.

So, say that you don’t want to be so bold as to put 437737 right in your profile headline….now what?  Be creative and use it somewhere in your profile text! Here is where the brilliant part comes in!

You can disguise that number in many ways like:

• “I have 437,737 reasons why I am the perfect catch!  If you want to know more, just ask!”

• “I am a very busy person and always have 437,737 things going on at once.  But I will make time for you!”

• “If I could have 437,737 cats, I would.  Since I want to find a date , I only have 2.”

The list can go on and on!  Those that don’t know will probably not figure it out.

Of course, you could just avoid the hassle and join HWerks.  That is why 1000′s already have!

Let's fill that boat up!

This is the 4th year of the annual St. Pete Cruise!  Anybody with HSV and/or HPV is welcome to attend!  To accommodate everyone’s schedule and its popularity, TWO cruises have been scheduled this year!  Last year, over 50 people went and this year it is expected to be well over 100!  The two cruises are identical and are scheduled the week before and the week after the St. Pete National Event so if you want to go, you can also swing by the event.

The best part is that this 5-day cruise is only $279 with all you can eat!

The cruise details:

Friends Cruise AFTER
Carnival Cruise Ship “Paradise”
Port of Tampa to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and Cozumel
Monday, Nov 12 thru Saturday, Nov 17 and Saturday
(Departure and Return times not yet published)
Early Saver rate starts at $279 (interior) plus tax (Special group rate)

And for those who are unable to join us AFTER, there is a warm up cruise BEFORE. Yes cruisers… same ship, same destination, same number of nights! We aim to please and this guarantees that no cruiser is left behind!

Friends Cruise BEFORE
Carnival Cruise Ship “Paradise”
Port of Tampa to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and Cozumel
Saturday, Nov 3 thru Thursday, Nov 8
(Departure and Return times not yet published)
Early Saver rate starts at $279 (interior) plus tax (Special group rate)

This event has a private Facebook page and all the details are available inside HWerks!

Don’t forget the sunscreen!!!

Facebook has herpes and HPV??

That’s right!  Facebook has herpes and HPV.  Ok, let us rephrase that….Facebook has smaller, secret and private HSV and HPV groups.  If you scroll through the pages of local groups and events, you may have noticed the words “Private Facebook Group” where the URL should be.  You may also have asked yourself, “Hey!  What’s up with that??” So, we thought it would be a good idea to explain.

Most local groups  and National Event organizers put up a website or create a group in Yahoo.  Now, some are just creating their stuff on Facebook.  These groups are private and the only way in is to be invited by a member.  These are also secret groups.  These groups do not show up on your Facebook page when your friends view it.  In other words, unless Facebook changes their privacy rules, none of your friends can see that you belong to one of these groups.

While their functions are limited, it is convenient to be able to check in from your Facebook page to see what your local group is doing.

The next question is, “How do I find these groups if they are secret and private??”

Many of our members are also members of these Facebook groups.  Once inside of HWerks, just ask and members will point you in the right direction!

Don’t worry, nobody will ask you for any personal information to join their group, just being a member of HWerks is good enough!

Indy! Get ready for it!

Indylicious, the Indianapolis National Event, is affectionately referred to as just “Indy” in our community.  This is  probably the longest running HSV and HPV event!  The huge advantage of Indy is it’s location as it is so accessible, by car, for so many.  People from Michigan to Florida and everywhere in between drive in.  Of course, others choose to fly in as well.  For many people, this was their first event  and responsible for getting them hooked and wanting to attend more events!

The Indy site is not up just yet so save the date!  We’ll post it here when it is ready.

If you have never been to an event and want to know more, visit our events page!

Sun and fun at a National Event on the beach!

The St. Pete Beach National Event is held at a hotel right on the beach! The name says it all! This end of the year event is a favorite for many that want to escape the cold! Sun, sand, pool, volleyball and the ocean…what more could you ask for!

Their website is not updated so check back and save the date!

If you have never been to an event and want to know more, visit our events page!

Herpes Gladiatorum on rise in athletes from skin to skin contact

 Herpes Gladiatorum-  BusinessWeek- In addition to the collegiality and competitive spirit that typifies team sports, one dermatologist cautions that players may be sharing something far less desirable: contagious skin infections.  “Herpes simplex is so common among wrestlers where skin-to-skin contact is unavoidable that the condition is termed herpes gladiatorum,” said Adams. “Treatment includes oral antiviral medications and the athlete can return to practice and competition after four to five days of treatment. Wrestlers who spar with an infected partner have a one-in-three chance of contracting this skin infection, so it is crucial that the virus is treated and athletes avoid competition during the period of infection.”

It looks like this is becoming an increasing problem in high school wrestling programs.  Last year, there was an outbreak among several high school wrestling teams in Minnesota.  The National Center for Biotechnology Information did a report on this in 1991 and the occurrences have been going up.  The NCBI states that 34% of the wrestlers tested had HSV-1 ( The herpes that causes cold sores).

This is a cause for concern, especially if you have kids that wrestle.  HSV-1 should not be downplayed as a simple “Skin infection” as it can be spread to other parts of the body, including the genitals.  From there, it can be spread by sexual contact.  HSV-1 and HSV-2 (Genital) are virtually identical under a microscope.  So, if you have a cold sore (HSV-1) you can give someone genital herpes via oral sex.

If you have kids that will participate in sports,  it may be a good idea to be observant of any rashes or red areas.  The National Wrestling Coaches Association has put out an informational video about this HERE.

There is no cure for herpes

Is there a cure for herpes?

No. There is not a cure for herpes…plain and simple.

Many of you, reading this, will think to yourself, “Of course there is no cure!  Everybody knows that!”  Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Once diagnosed with HSV, people tend to jump on their computer to find out everything they can about it.  Misinformation is one of the biggest reasons that herpes is spread and the internet is full of it.

These people can be vulnerable and will, no doubt, come across claims of medication that promises a cure and even offer a 100% money back guarantee.  They WANT to believe there is a cure and some will be willing to try anything.

In May of 2011, the FDA issued a warning to consumers to be cautious of these claims and will start cracking down of these fraudulent companies.  This warning did not stop these claims of having a cure for herpes.

We have been seeing new sites popping up like crazy.  They look reputable, have “Herpes” or “HSV” in their name, claim success in “trials” and they provide other information to appear credible.  Then there is the hook.  They just happen to have a cure for herpes.

One such site that we found promises a “Complete herpes cure in 5-6 months”, a success rate of 97% with a 100% money-back guarantee for $39.99.  If you read the fine print, there is also a $10.00 “Restocking fee.”  This is a scam.

Why is this so dangerous?  Herpes outbreaks and their recurrence vary by individual.  Someone could have a first outbreak and not have another one for months or even years.  So, an individual gets diagnosed then purchases one of these “Herpes cures” and does not notice an outbreak for a long time.  They think they are cured only to pass the virus to someone else.  You can still spread herpes without an outbreak through viral shedding.

Don’t worry, all hope is not lost!  There are some treatments that many have found successful for outbreak suppression.  Acyclovir, Valcyclovir  (Valtrex) and some even swear by Lysine. These may lessen the outbreaks but you can still spread herpes while on them. For more information on this and more, check out the treatment section on datingwithherpes.org. They have an excellent informational site!

Will there ever be a cure?  Who knows!  Research is going on all the time.  Live your life to the fullest now.  Don’t let it pass you by waiting for a cure.  You’ll soon realize that there is much more to life than having herpes.

NationalHClub has moved!

For years, we ran NationalHClub.com and focused on listing HSV & HPV events and local groups across the country and Canada.  Instead of updating 2 sites, we are condensing!  Now, people only need to go to one place for the event and group information.  Nationalhclub now points to the events section here.

The events listed here are not the only ones happening!  Besides the larger national ones, local groups have gatherings all the time so check a group in your area.  Many  local events are also posted in the member’s section.  Traveling to a new city?  Look up their group to see what’s happening.  You can also post that you are visiting in the forums inside HWerks.

People visited Chicago all the time and would let the group know.  We usually tried to get a few people together and meet up with them.  That’s a great thing about this community!  Ok, in all fairness, we pretty much looked for any excuse to get out of the house!

If your group is having an event or get-together, let us know!

CDC says the top 15 list is a hoax

Examiner – According to a January 17, 2012 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list of the top 15 most herpes-infected cities in the United States is a hoax. The list has been widely published online and ranks Atlanta as the worst city for sex …. The list even goes so far as to attribute this quote to the Centers for Disease Control: “According to the CDC, the top 5 cities have as high as a 40% infection rate for sexually active young people.”

The original story has been circling the internet and went viral (No pun intended) on the blog sites.   It is claiming that the top 5 cities (Newark, Milwaukee, Chicago, Washington DC and Atlanta) have up to a 40% rate of herpes among sexually active people.  According to a spospokesman from the CDC, they don’t even collect data on herpes.  The national survey that this hoax refers to doesn’t break it down by state.

So, until more data comes out, it would be safe to assume that 1 out of 4 people has herpes…regardless of the area.  Besides, Atlanta is a great city!

The stigma needs to stop

DJ in Detroit referred to people with herpes as being “Dirty.”  We just heard from members of a local group and  got their permission to post this here.  Here is the original post made:

“OK– Just need to VENT– I was listening to 98.7 on my way to an appointment around 3:00 today, and the DJ announces that he just heard that the Detroit area has one of the largest H populations in the country. (Fine– so what?) He goes on to ask the listeners if they’ve run into anyone “dirty” like that in their lives, and gets a female caller on the air to ask her if she’s met any “dirty” men in her dating life. !!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE……?????? Where does it say that H [Having herpes] has ANYTHING to do with personal hygiene??????? I wanted to jump thru my radio speaker and strangle the idiot!!”

Metro Detroit Help,  one of the largest social / support groups in North America for those people that have contracted either the HSV or HPV virus and based in SE Michigan with over 1,000 members, have fired off an email to the staff at 98.7FM.  This radio station is owned by CBS. Others, from around the country are also sending emails to the station.

Here is an email sent in by one person:

————————————————————————–

Program Director:
dom.theodore@cbsradio.com
Assistant Program Director:
grooves@cbsradio.com
Promotions and Marketing:
rebecca.falk@cbsradio.com

Dear Mr. Theodore,

It was brought to my attention today by friend on Facebook that an employee of Detroit radio station 98.7 made a disparging remark concerning those afflicted with HSV(Herpes) virus calling them “dirty” and then asking a person calling in if they had any interaction with these “dirty” people. Her report is as follows: [Quote from above]

In doing some internet research on the Metro Detroit area whose reported year 2000 population was 3,903,377 people, current figures put between 20-25% of the population are inflicted with the HSV(Herpes) virus which translates to between 780,675 and 975,844 people. That is a lot of “dirty” people!!! I was not able to come up with demographics information on your listener base, but safe to say with those kinds of numbers, not only do you have a significant listenership with this condition, but it is also highly likely you have multiple employees with this condition as well.

Cold sores are HSV 1, that’s right…Herpes. Rather than disparage those with this condition, I urge you to support educating your listeners on this VERY common condition by getting tested for all Sexually Transmitted Diseases(STD’s) including HSV, reporting your results to the public and directing them to http://metrodetroithelp.com.

I would also like to respectfully request that the on-air personality issue a public apology, and get tested themselves for HSV as well as urge their listeners to do the same.

And while I do not live in the Detroit area, I do visit the area on occasion.  I would like to think this negative experience could be turned to a positive informative opportunity to enhance your organizations image in the Metro Detroit area.

Thank you for your attention to this matter

It’s time to take a stand and begin to tear down the “stigma” we all deal with….

Thank you

————————————————————————–

We applaud Metro Detroit Help for taking this seriously and bringing attention to this matter. The whole stereotype that people with herpes are somehow “Dirty” is completely false.  This DJ is just feeding into that and it is wrong.  Having herpes really isn’t bad for most.  It’s the stigma associated with it that causes the most harm.  Most of the people we met didn’t ask to have this and got it while in a committed relationship with someone that was not honest about their condition or simply did not know they had it.

Feel free to send the radio station an email and let them know how you feel.  It’s time this stigma was put to rest.

Update: From Metro Detroit Help

I have just finished speaking with Grooves of 98.7 AMP Radio (the assistant Program Director). He did review the tapes from yesterday’s broadcast and now understands the issue. I have requested a transcript and/or recording of this material.

He has assured me that CBS Radio takes this very seriously and is working with the staff on a formal reply.

He is in agreement with me that a positive can and should come out of this experience. He is working with his team to come up with an effective way to get the right message to his listening audience. I will work with trusted knowledgeable voices in the H community to hopefully let a moment of ignorance become a moment that can effect lives.

Update #2: The station set aside time to let a member of  Metro Detroit Help go on the air and talk about herpes!  It was awesome!  She talked about the stigma, how people get herpes and more!  Way to go Metro Detroit Help and 98.7 AMP Radio!