The Herpes Viruses Association (formerly the Herpes Association) was started in 1982. It is a

support group In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping str ...

for people with

Herpes simplex virus Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), also known by their taxonomical names ''Human alphaherpesvirus 1'' and '' Human alphaherpesvirus 2'', are two members of the human ''Herpesviridae'' family, a set of viruses that produce viral inf ...

. It conducts information campaigns and attempts to reduce the stigma associated with sexually transmitted diseases. It became a registered charity with a Dept of Health grant in 1985. The charity started as a string of local group meetings before acquiring an office and a national spread. It is widely referred to as a source of help for patients who are anxious about the conditions, primarily genital herpes. The Association campaigns against the transmission of herpes being treated as a criminal offence. It supported David Golding who was convicted and imprisoned for infecting a woman with genital herpes in 2011. Their spokesman said the sentence for causing grievous bodily harm was ‘outrageous’ and compared it to prosecuting children for giving their friends chicken pox, or passing on a cold sore. It supported the campaign to keep the sexual health services of the

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

in 2014. It carried out a double-blind trial of liquorice lip balm on forty people in 2014 and found that it reduced the severity of symptoms in most subjects. Marian Nicholson, the Director of the Association, is frequently quoted in relation to research into the development of remedies. Dr

Phil Hammond (comedian) Philip James Hammond (born 1 January 1962) is a British physician, broadcaster, comedian and commentator on health issues in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his humorous commentary on the National Health Service. He first came into t ...

is the president of the association. Between 1993 and 2002 Clare Rayner was one of its patrons.

References

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External links

Official website
Human sexuality organizations Medical and health organisations based in the United Kingdom