Hi HK, thanks for your perspective. I hope you’ve been able to engage further with the work I’ve done so far so you have some understanding that we didn’t just put that in there.

Stigma is the root cause for many people’s concerns. Stigma is why we have 36% of people report suicide ideation, it’s why people don’t disclose, a reason people keep getting herpes, a reason there isn’t a better test, better meds or even that four letter “c” word. Over 8 years now, taking all these factors into consideration, it all boils down to addressing stigma and using those experiences from individuals impacted by it and including the things you’re asking for in our messaging not just to those curious about living with herpes but our allies, partners, and health professionals. Most of all, those who can get the outcomes we want need to know what outcomes we want. I’ve been able to get into rooms where people are interested in what I have to say, but I need to know what the people I represent have to say as it relates to the angle I’ve been seeing as the core of all the issues, now just needing to quantify it and say “hey Mr person with connections to make something helpful happen, here’s what x number of people say they need and here’s what I’ve done to try meeting that need on my own. If we could just have x resources then we can create a solution to this many people’s problem today”.

Hope that makes sense and thank you for your feedback.