Pam Anderson...women's HCV issues

[Alady1620]

When I found out I was HCV positive, the news killed my self esteem.  I no longer felt beautiful.  I thought no man would ever want to be with me.

Pam Anderson is a testament to all of us women with HCV.  She was brave by coming out about her condition and her continued success is proof that we, as women living with HCV, can still be attactive to men.

Thanks, Pam, for giving me hope.

[Forseegood]

Hi, I agree that none of us should feel "less then" because we have this disease, none of us asked for it, it's merely a situation that we find ourselves in...I'm not a Pam Anderson hater myself, in that she does and has done, a lot for animals and various charities...that goes a long way for me...but I have to make one correction, she did not "come out" with this news, she was outed by an employee at UCLA, and once it was out, she admitted to it....

A lot of people fault her for not doing more for the hepatitis C cause, and they have a point of course....but we should also factor in the amount of hate mail she got once her disease was publicized...of course, from people condemning her for just having the disease, but also from many, many hep c patients themselves.... because they didn't want her for a spokesperson...it's probably mind=boggling how many artists, actors, musicians, etc etc have this disease, unfortunately, few talk about it openly...I appreciate your thoughts though, I always feel bad for people who are deeply ashamed of having this disease...it's nothing to feel shame for though that will hit me once in a while too, if I let it...

[Alady1620]

No disrespect intended but it is not Pam's duty to carry the cross for us if she doesn't want to. I tend to look for the positives.  I was just pointing out for the ladies that Pam is still considered desirable by many, many men and it should give some of us hope.  Especially those of us that are still relatively young.  I'm only 34 and finding out about the HCV was devastating.  I know there are more women out there like me.

[Kalio1]

I would think it would be equally devastating for men and that it would affect  how they feel about their attractiveness to the opposite sex just as much as it would affect women.

[Forseegood]

I agree with you that it's up to her if she wants to carry this cross or not, just pointing out that she's gotten a lot of guff...I take your point that we should still feel desirable, good there there are people to recognize that....and I take Kalio's point that hopefully both sexes can get past this....no one should be "defined" by this disease, it's something we have, not something we "are."

[nygirl7]

From what I remember...Pam didn't come out with the info for any kind caring reason - she came out with it when she decided to divorce Tommy Lee and was trying to use it against him.


Truthfully to me - I'd rather not have a woman like her as some hep role model...because she is the stereotypical type that people perceive as having it. You KNOW everyone thinks you get it from sex...which while for the most part is entirely untrue and incorrect - it's just what they think.

And face it - everyone can take a look at the drug abusing men she's had sex with and just assume we are all a bunch of nasty rock star sex craving addicts (which DAMN I tried to be but just didn't get too far!~!!!!!    ;)

[jmjm530]

LOL. Yeah, what is it with those bad-boy rock stars. Pam Anderson aside, they do seem to get all the good starlets these days.

[Kalio1]

I thought Pam Anderson was "outed" by a health care or lab worker who blabbed her personal medical info to a gossip rag. At least that is what I heard from someone who knows someone who knows her LOL

She didn't stand up and be counted on her own to champion this disease however. Once she was outted she didn't deny it but she hardly can be counted amongst the brave who stand up on their own volition and tell the world they have this in an effort to shed light on this disease.

[GoofyDad]

"She didn't stand up and be counted on her own.."

But if she had, I coulda handled the job on two fingers...