Welcome to The Helper
The American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) published the first issue of The Helper in 1979, in response to an overwhelming public demand for unbiased, accurate information about herpes simplex virus infection. The Helper was an essential part of ASHA’s Herpes Resource Center (HRC), the first national outreach center for people with herpes. As the inaugural issue of The Helper stated, the establishment of the HRC was “the first step along a road of hope for the thousands of individuals who have suffered silently for too long.”
Published as a subscription-based publication for more than 30 years, The Helper is now available free online. From testing and treatment options to the differences and consequences of the different viral types, to the emotional issues of dealing with a stigmatized infection and communicating with intimate partners about it, the articles presented here cover a wide range of issues of interest to our readers and reflect some of the best the newsletter has had to offer over the past three decades along with latest news, research and commentary.
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Posted On Herpes Research
Stress and Depression Linked with Herpes Outbreaks
Stress, worry, and bouts of feeling blue are all but unavoidable in the modern world. For those with genital herpes,…
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Posted On Herpes Research
Study: HSV/HIV Co-infection is Common
Results from a large study spanning 15 years confirm that HSV infections are common among HIV patients. Researchers from the…
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Posted On Vaccine News
NIAID Awards Grant for HSV Vaccine Research
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently awarded a 2-year, $600,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation and…
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Posted On Vaccine News
Measuring the Impact of an HSV Vaccine
What kind of impact would a herpes vaccine have on the general population? A recently completed study uses mathematical modeling…
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Posted On Vaccine News
Herpes Vaccine Not Effective in Women
Results from a Phase III clinical trial found an experimental vaccine that showed early promise is not effective in preventing…
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Posted On Vaccine News
What’s New in Herpes Vaccine Research
HerpV (formerly AG-707)Agenus, Inc, formerly named Antigenics, Inc, reported on developments of their experimental herpes vaccine, AG-707, now renamed HerpV.…
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Posted On Vaccine News
Vical Vaccine
The manufacturer of an experimental vaccine for HSV-2 that showed therapeutic efficacy in animal research has announced plans to begin human…
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Posted On Vaccine News
Disappointing HSV Vaccine Results
An experimental HSV vaccine was not effective in preventing genital HSV-2 infections or disease in women, according to data published…