Alexandra Harbushka – Life with Herpes: Breaking the Stigma removing the Shame

Alexandra Harbushka was sent into upheaval when she received a call from her doctor diagnosing her with herpes. Shaking, feeling like her life - her goals, happiness, and desires - had all just gone up in smoke, she was left scared shitless and with a new mission, to share her story with people just like herand to let them know that their feelings are normal, natural, and that they are not victims. With that mission in mind, she founded Life With Herpes, an online community consisting of a podcast, a website, Youtube channel, wellness products to support the skin condition and an online community that provides support, all dedicated to shattering the stigma of living with herpes. Before founding Life With Herpes and becoming a mother to her son Clinton and a wife to her husband Bill, Alexandra worked in corporate America with roles ranging from Ralph Lauren to selling new home construction to being a mortgage loan officer. Her education includes a bachelor degree from the University of Arizona (Bear Down to my fellow Wildcats!), a postgraduate certificate in Ministry, and is currently working on a masters in Theology. She is also an ordained minister and provides ministry counseling. Alexandra Harbushka Vroom Vroom Veer Stories Grew up in La Jolla near San Diego CA, she was a cheerleader and a "good girl" meaning she went to the parties but never drank because she didn't want to lose her driver's license Graduated from the University of Arizona, but started college in San Diego and studied abroad in Spain; got a Spanish lit degree Accidently got a Master's degree in Theology because she started taking college classes for fun during lockdown, then the college told her she was only five classes away from a Master's After her diagnosis with Herpes, she felt like she needed to stay with that boyfriend because she didn't think anyone else would be with her; after 2 years she decided that she need to move on with her life and not settle for someone she felt stuck with Her husband encouraged her to share her story with herpes while speaking publicly at a podcasting conference; probably the most fear inducing idea I can think of doing Close to 80% of people are positive for the herpes virus and don't know they have it; it is a close cousin to the chickenpox and Shingles virus and both hide out in the nervous system You can have "genital" herpes anywhere in the area of the nerves in and around you genital area not just in the genitals themselves; tailbone area, inner thighs People are contagious definitely during an active breakout oral or genital but also you can be contagious without any outbreak Connections Website