Abreva(R) To Sponsor First - Ever GLBT Health Issues Conference - Innovative Conference To Create Dialogue About Health Issues Facing GBLT Community

Main Category: Dermatology
Also Included In: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 26 Oct 2007 - 10:00 PDT

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Abreva(R), the number one pharmacist recommended brand for cold sore treatment, will be a sponsor of the first-ever Out & Healthy National GLBT Health Conference which will offer data, case studies and dialogue on the future of health care delivery to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) health consumers. The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) are hosts of the Conference which will be held on Friday November 2nd and Saturday November 3rd at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, DC.

Abreva®, a non-prescription cold sore medication, is the only over-the-counter cold sore treatment approved by the FDA to shorten healing time and duration of symptoms, which usually begin with a tingle, redness or a bump near the mouth. Cold sores often are painful and typically last between eight and ten days if left untreated. Abreva® should be applied at the first symptom of a cold sore for best results.

"Abreva® has been working with the gay community to address the issues surrounding HSV-1, the cold sore virus, to create greater awareness among gay cold sore sufferers about HSV-1 and its health implications," said David Van Brunt, Director of Abreva® Marketing.

In anticipation of the Out & Healthy Conference, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare commissioned a survey among gay adults (18 and over) that will be released at the conference that found 30 percent of gay men who experience cold sore outbreaks (outside the mouth) got them once in the past 12 months while the remaining 70 percent experienced them at least two times per year.

When asked what triggers their cold sores, 68 percent said stress was a cold sore trigger. Gay cold sore sufferers also reported that colds/flu (42%) and fatigue (25%) were associated with their cold sore outbreaks.

A variety of stimuli were identified as cold sore triggers including fatigue, stress, hormones, illnesses such as colds or flu and physical trauma. In addition to cold weather, prolonged or excessive exposure to UV rays, whether natural or artificial, can irritate the area around the mouth and lead to a cold sore outbreak.

The conference is co-hosted by the nation's top GLBT health organizations including the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) and The Mautner Project, the National Lesbian Health Organization and Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE), and by top hospital and insurance associations including the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) and America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is one of the world's largest over-the-counter consumer healthcare products companies. Its more than 30 well-known brands include the products Goody's, Nicorette, NicoDerm CQ, Commit, Abreva®, Aquafresh, Sensodyne, and Tums, trademarks owned by and/or licensed to GlaxoSmithKline Group of Companies.

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare companies. GlaxoSmithKline is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

http://www.gsk.com

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