About Us

Welcome to Living Sphere, the website where people living with the herpes virus gather to share information, resources, personal stories and experiences.

Living Sphere was created to provide a unique resource for not only people with Herpes, but also their partners and family, support group members and managers, counsellors and medical professionals.

Information

You will find detailed information on the Herpes virus on our information pages, including symptoms, statistics, medication options and alternative therapies. And you will find a wealth of other information throughout the site distributed in articles, stories and our advice column.

Support

Dear Jeannie – Jeannie May, the creator of Living Sphere, has been providing support via online forums, email, live chat and phone since 2002. See the ‘Dear Jeannie’ column for previously published questions and responses. To submit a request for advice to Jeannie, please use the contact form.

Peer Support - The Aussie H Mate Peer Support Program is a free support service for people living with herpes. AussieHMates are not professional counsellors and therefore cannot provide ‘professional help’ – they are all living with herpes themselves and volunteer to provide ‘peer support’ or ‘mentoring’ on an individual basis via email, online forum, chat, or phone.

If you wish to request one-to-one support or have any questions about the program, please use the contact form.

Connecting

Forum – The forum page lists a selection of the best herpes support forums from around the world. Support forums can play an important role in assisting people to cope with having herpes as they provide a safe environment where people can explore their fears and emotional issues anonymously.

Community – The Living Sphere Community is a private social network which provides a multitude of opportunities for people to connect and interact online. Features include your own profile page and blog, forum, live chat, groups and event calendar.

Dating – The Living Sphere Dating website provides an opportunity to connect with like minded singles who are also living with the Herpes virus or another STI. That’s not to say that you should only date others with herpes, just that the option is there for those who prefer to date within the herpes community.

Real People, Real Stories

The real life stories are arguably the most important feature of the site. These stories are written by real people about their experiences dealing with having Herpes: the emotional ups and downs, the fears, the questions, the surprises, the challenges, the changes, the successes and the happy endings.

If you want to share your story on the site, please use the contact form to find out how to submit your story. If you prefer to share your experiences anonymously, you can complete the Living With Herpes survey. Selections from the survey responses are published on the site (using your chosen pseudonym or anonymously).

Mission Statement

Living Sphere is devoted to promoting and supporting Herpes self-help, social and support groups; providing practical advice and lifestyle tips for people living with the Herpes virus; increasing public awareness of the virus through marketing campaigns and publications; providing opportunities to share experiences and connect with people who are in a similar situation; offering one-on-one peer support through the Aussie H-Mate program; and, most important of all, reassuring people that they are not alone.

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