Angel

It's the 1 year anniversary of my HSV-2 diagnosis and I am thankful for so many things!! OMG how I did I struggle through the first 4 months after the diagnosis, with my heart broken, my body itching, my self image destroyed and my future outlook bleak. I am thankful for my amazing friends who helped me through this difficult time. I am thankful for my parents who raised me with love which makes it easy for me to love myself and to see that the H does not define who I am. I am thankful for my strength and my ability to pull myself out of the hole I was in and to not be discouraged. I am thankful that I continued dating despite the fear of disclosures. More than anything, I am thankful that I met my boyfriend (who's not infected) ~7 months ago, and that our relationship continues to grow and to become more intimate and amazing as time goes by. I am thankful that I met his family on Thanksgiving and that they totally love me. I am thankful for the countless adventures my boyfriend takes me on and that we are planning a big trip for Christmas. Oh, and I'm thankful for the great sex that we have ;) I am also thankful for seeing things more in perspective now, for appreciating life, for being a more thoughtful and pleasant human being and a much better partner than I was before. I am also really thankful for this site! I found it tremendously helpful and supportive in the months after my diagnosis. I am not on here that much anymore though because the H is not playing a big role in my life anymore. Have a great day everybody!

Well, on a positive (punch) note, Genocea just reported positive results from their trial testing a new HSV2 vaccine http://www.genocea.com/news-events/press-releases/press_release_GEN003_ICAAC_091213.pdf

Yeah, Aicuris is definitely lagging behind in their response to the termination of the trial... I'm curious if they continue trials in non-FDA regulated countries... And yes, I am living my life now, but it would still be nice to have a drug available that reduces the chances of infecting somebody else even more than Valtrex does. There literally hasn't been any new innovation since Valtrex, which was released decades ago!

Hi guys, I'd like to get your input on this because I'm honestly puzzled. Recently a clinical phase II trial was terminated studying the efficiency of a new viral inhibitor, AIC316 (also known as pritelivir, developed by Aicuris) against Valtrex http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01658826. There was quite a bit of promising talk about this new drug which was shown to be safe in the phase I trial. It targets a new mechanism of viral replication and was expected to be much more efficient than Valtrex. There's even a petition to congress to fast track this drug http://www.petition2congress.com/4807/fda-fast-track-aic-316-hsv2-therapeutic-drug/. So why on friggin earth was the trial stopped? I read rumors on safety concerns (even though it passed phase I, weird...), but I could not find any official press release, explanation by Aicuris http://www.aicuris.com/, and there is no info on the clinical trial site!? Not even a word on whether just this particular trial was terminated or whether the development of this drug was stopped altogether. Has anybody heard anything? Thanks!!

It's been about 3 months since I started dating an amazing man (see my last post from May), and as of last weekend we call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, woohoo, yup, I'm in a relationship again :) :) I got infected with HSV2 a little bit more than a year ago, I found out ~8 months ago, and I was so completely down on myself in the beginning. At the time of my diagnosis, I got dumped by a guy that I was really into, and it broke my heart. But herpes or not, due to other circumstances it may not have lasted anyway. Luckily, I found the strength to continue looking for a partner, first mostly on positive dating sites, then also on "regular" sites, and sure enough, that's where I found my man. The last 3 months were absolutely amazing, we share all kinds of awesome hobbies and interests, and have great sex. I have fallen in love with him, and I am so happy. I am a very self-critical person, and the herpes has been a complete bummer for me. There are still days on which this infection is occupying my thoughts and dragging me down. But I also daily remind myself that -I have a virus that is very common and affecting the majority of the adult population in one form or another (more people are infected with HSV1 or HSV2 than having no herpes) -It's not threatening my health, and at this point it in fact isn't doing anything at all (no outbreaks) -I am dating an amazing person who in many ways is better for me than the guy who dumped me -I am on suppressive therapy and use condoms with my partner, which reduces the chances of transmission to ~1% PER YEAR (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14702423, comparing this number against prevalence of HSV2 in society it appears that my partner is about as likely (or possibly less likely) to get infected by me as he would be if he was sleeping around, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_herpes_simplex#United_States). -I am still the same amazing person, and I have no reason to feel bad about myself, the only person who should feel bad is the assh** who infected me and lied about it -I might even be a better person now, less arrogant, and more appreciative of the good things in my life. I really hope I can encourage folks here to not let the H rule your life, or ruin your day, to instead move on from this negative experience, to put the infection into the right perspective and to focus on the opportunities ahead of you. Half a year ago, I thought my life was over, and now I am supper happy! Have a great day!!!

I haven't been on here much lately because things have been great! The herpes talk success stories keep on rolling in! I met a wonderful person who wasn't scared by the h at all because his ex-girlfriend has it. Things didn't work out because he didn't want a long distance relationship which is fine. I then met an amazing guy who isn't too happy about the herpes, but it doesn't stop him from seeing me - all the time :) Also, he has HPV, so is used to dealing with STDs and disclosures and can possibly relate to my situation quite well. The sex is great, we get on great, and if things continue the way they do right now I think we are heading straight towards a relationship. Don't give up folks and don't be down on yourself. You'll be just fine!!

What about the new anti-virals? What's the expert's guess how long it will take for them?

Yay, great news. So happy for you and thanks for sharing!

Hi everybody! I thought I’d share my happiness about how my second disclosure went. But first a little flashback to my first disclosure story. That one didn’t end so well. Three weeks into dating this amazing guy I was diagnosed with HSV-2 that I had contracted from a previous partner. I was freaking out and I drove my new boyfriend nuts with my anxiety and a few weeks later he dumped me. What a surprise. Discouraged and frustrated, I signed up on a positive dating site, and started seeing a guy I met on there for a little while, so no uncomfortable disclose was required. Then, not long ago, I went out dancing, and I ran into a friend who used to live in my neighborhood, but had moved away and was just visiting. I ALWAYS had a major crush on him, but at the time he lived in my city both he and I were in relationships, so didn’t even ever flirt. We immediately clicked, had a fabulous time dancing, started making out, and then I asked him if he wanted to join me and some friends to go back to my place for a few drinks. He said yes, and while I was really happy, the worries about where this evening was heading towards started to creep up in my mind. My friends of course at some point discretely left, and we were alone. It didn’t take very long and we found ourselves in my bed and about to take our clothes off. My mind was racing, and right at the point when I realized that I could not delay it any further and that I HAD to say it now, HE said “you know there is something that I have to tell you and it is not very sexy”, and he disclosed that he was HPV positive. I was so stunned that I started laughing. The last thing that I had expected was a disclosure from HIS side. So I told him what I had to disclose, I told him that I took Valtrex every day, and what the chances of transmission were with Valtrex and condoms. He listened to me without being put off. We acknowledged each others honesty, and after this conversation launched right back into making out with each other and spent an incredible night together (obviously with condoms). A few days later he came over again and the second night was even better — in fact, one of the best nights I've ever had. I feel unbelievably blessed that I had this experience with him at a time when I thought my sexuality was seriously compromised. He and I are in no way compatible for a relationship (he is younger than me and in a different stage in his life), but my heart makes a little jump every time I think of him. Can’t wait for him to visit again :) What I learnt is that it is really important how you talk to the person that you disclose your herpes to and how you present yourself. If you are scared, you will scare you partner. If you are calm and explain your partner the facts, your partner will stay calm and weigh the risks in a reasonable way. It worked for me, it will work for you.

My close girlfriend told me about another occasion where he slept with somebody and did not disclose, not sure if this person got infected. He started dating two women right after me that I personally know, and to my knowledge he is still with both of them. I do not know if they got infected, what exactly he told them and if they are using precautions now. I had a brief conversation with one of them (before I knew that he was aware of his infection for a long time), and she made it sound as if he told her the same story and he made me believe, that he wasn't aware of the infection until I asked him to get tested again. This is all totally bizarre. He's not a random guy I picked up at a bar. He is a computer engineer with a high level of education and a great job. We have a lot of mutual friends, so, unfortunately, I run into him all the time.

I talked to close friends who said that he disclosed to his partners in the past that he knew he was both HSV-1 and 2 positive and that he knew he had genital herpes. There is no doubt that he knew. Just at some point he decided to not disclose it anymore...

I agree, I feel bad that suing someone over it will just make the stigma worse, which is of course not what I want to achieve. I thought about the aspect of it a lot... However, in my particular case, there is no doubt that I got it from him. I did a herpes blood test just before I met him, which was negative. Before that I was only with my boyfriend at that time, who is negative (just recently tested). After my giver, I was with several other people, and asked them all to get blood tested and they are all negative. I am particularly upset because I specifically asked my giver several times, if he had anything to disclose in terms of STDs. I am also upset because he didn't only lie to me but as it turns out also to other women in my circle of friends (and he may just continue with his behavior in the future if nobody stops him). I think what he does is criminal, and that he shouldn't just get away with it. Just as a comparison, let's assume he was violent and had broken my arm instead of giving me herpes, would I be more or less upset? Probably less, because a broken arm isn't permanent, but the herpes is. Would it have legal consequences if he broke my arm, yes, it would!

Hi Sassy, this totally feeds into the question I recently posted http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/560/legal-implications-of-knowingly-passing-genital-herpes#Item_2. I believe in California, it's considered a misdemeanor. I feel more and more empowered to contact a lawyer about this, as I truly think someone who knowingly passes HSV-2 without disclosing should be held responsible.

So, I'd really appreciate some feedback from this forum on my question, what are the legal implications if somebody knowingly passes genital herpes? I am asking because the story of my giver turned pretty bizarre yesterday. He so far left me under the impression that he did not know he had genital herpes (HSV-2) until he took the test upon my request. Yesterday, I met with a girlfriend, who knows my giver very well, too, and it fact was romantically involved with him a little while back, before he and I met. He told her back then he knew he had genital herpes!!! When he and I started sleeping with each other I specifically asked if he was STD tested and aware of anything. He said he was tested (he didn't say how recently), but should prob get tested again, and that he did not know of anything of concern. I do not mean to defend my own risky behavior. Obviously, I WAS stupid trusting somebody so easily, but nevertheless, I DID give him the chance to disclose whatever he had to disclose. So, it seems he straightup lied to my face the entire time, and there seems to be plenty of proof for it. Apart from this being really frustrating and making me lose my faith in humanity, I do wonder if what he did is illegal. I found this site http://www.levineblitca.com/std-lawyer.php which says according to California Public Health Law §3198 "any person who, knowing himself or herself to be infected with an infectious venereal disease, has sexual intercourse with another shall be guilty of a misdemeanor." Also, this article is pretty interesting http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/06/herpes_verdict_in_portland_wom.html Has anybody ever heard of someone suing his/her giver? What are the chances? I know I should probably let go of the whole issue, but I am really upset. Thanks!

Does anybody have any feedback on hsvsingles.com? I signed up, but am hesitant to pay, as the number of people living in proximity to where I am seems fairly small, and along the lines of what Adrial said, I am hesitant to limit my search to people with the "same condition".