Erica Spera is the girl next door who's tall, dark, and one of the guys. Originally from Binghamton NY, Spera is the producer of 607 Comedy, where she hosts shows throughout the Upstate New York area. When she isn't having dinner with her ridiculously large family, you can find Erica performing nightly all over the big apple; doing stand up comedy clubs such as Gotham, The Stand, New York Comedy Club, and Caroline's. She has recently opened for Patton Oswalt, Judah Friedlander and Tim Meadows. Spera was recently named a 2017 TBS Comics to Watch as part of the NY Comedy Festival. You may have seen her on TLC's Cake Boss, or Gotham Comedy Live! on AXSTV. Every Friday at 8:30pm, she co-hosts Bitches Brew, at Halyard's Bar in Brooklyn, which has been named one of TimeOut NY’s “Best Comedy Shows”. You should come see a show and meet Erica's parents. Hey everyone! Welcome to today’s episode of the Wright Conversations Podcast! For today’s episode, I’m joined by Erica Spera to talk about navigating the dating world with herpes, disclosing your diagnosis, and how to respond to someone disclosing their diagnosis to you. Erica also talks about being vulnerable and empowered, reframing the herpes mindset, the importance of informed consent, dating apps, and doing standup comedy. Let’s delve in!   In this Episode You’ll Learn: [01:29] A bit about Erica. [02:55] Being open about Herpes. [06:54] What to say when someone discloses their diagnosis to you. [08:43] Erica’s spiel. [13:20] Herpes is not on the standard STI panel. [17:28] Negative reactions. [26:08] Empowerment through comedy and podcasting. [32:58] Erica’s advice. [38:43] Dating apps. [40:11] Erica’s advice about comedy.   Quotes: “You’re more likely to get it from someone who doesn’t know that they have it.” [13:14] “You are definitely not alone, and I advise you to talk to somebody about it.” [33:30] “You’re telling them that you have herpes because you want to have sex with them, and that is a very cool thing.” [35:42] “We often worry about it before it even comes up.” [38:22] “Just because I have it doesn’t mean I have to date someone else who has it.” [39:01] “Try to be somewhere that you have a lot of opportunities to get on stage.” [42:03]   Connect with Erica Spera Email:               herpesgroupnyc@gmail.com Website:            www.ericaspera.com. Instagram:          @spericaa. Podcast:            Shooters Gotta Shoot. Twitter:              @Spericaa. Facebook:          @comedianericaspera.   Connect with Rachel Wright Website:            https://rachelwrightnyc.com Instagram:          @thewright_rachel Twitter:              @thewrightrachel   Resources   WIN A FREE INTIMACY AFTER DARK DECK!   Get 30% OFF the NEW After Dark Deck! Use Promo Code: Rachel   Get your Zumio Discount!   Call to Action Please if you love this episode, and know someone else who is a passionate soul on a mission just like you share it with your friends and others. To help this podcast grow please leave an iTunes review and don’t forget to subscribe.