I am losing periods in an email sent using Java Mail

Please print your <a href=3D"http://xxxxxxx.xxx.xx.edu=
au//newsletter2/3/InnovExpoInviteVIP.pdf"> VIP invitation</a> for future re=
ference and check the Innovation Expo website <a href=3D"http://xxxxxxx.xx=
xx.xx.edu.au/2008/"> xxxxxxx.xxxx.xx.edu.au</a> for updates.

private String mimeEncode (String input)
    {
    ByteArrayOutputStream bOut = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
    OutputStream out;
    try
    {
        out = MimeUtility.encode( bOut, "quoted-printable" );
        out.write( input.getBytes( ) );
        out.flush( );
        out.close( );
        bOut.close( );
    } catch (MessagingException e)
    {
        log.error( "Encoding error occured:",e );
        return input;
    } catch (IOException e)
    {
        log.error( "Encoding error occured:",e );
        return input;
    }

    return bOut.toString( );
    }

BodyPart bp = new MimeBodyPart();
bp.setContent(message,"text/html");

var html;
html = "Blah Blah Blah Blah ";
html = html & " More Text Here....";

var html;
html = "Blah Blah Blah Blah " & VbCrLf;
html = html & " More Text Here....";