Hello. I'm so glad you came here. I hope this helps you start to realize, you're not alone, there isn't anything wrong with you, and you can and you will adapt and get through this. I promise.
I found out I had HSV-2 over 10 years ago. My world crumbled too. I remember that awful feeling I carried with me daily; felt like a monster no one would want. I was so wrong.
You may meet a few people who don't know how to deal with it, or deal with it poorly. In a way, that's where this condition becomes a positive thing. It filters out the shallow people or those that cannot be bothered to educate themselves. Honey, you do not want those people in your life anyway. Even if a person doesn't feel they can handle the risk associated, a good person who is deserving of your time will never use this as a weapon to hurt you. Never. Such people need to be put in your past. Let them go and move on to healing the emotional side effects of this condition so you can then move on to the healthy relationship you are deserving of and most definitely will find.
After I got through my emotional side effects, I saw with clarity that what I had was nothing. Nothing. It's something soooo many people have. It's a nuisance, an obstacle sometimes, but I get to live a happy and healthy life. I am still incredibly blessed.
This condition actually helped me! I started naturally being drawn to better people. Empaths, open-minded people.
Everyone I have ever told has shown me support. I haven't been rejected, not once. And, have had loving and lasting relationships.
I'm now single again and in the process of getting to know someone. He didn't yet know about it because we aren't dating and I hadn't yet had time to decide if that's what I want. Recently, he actually made a herpes joke. Mmmhmm. That's not good is it?
This is where my confidence in myself blossomed. I didn't shy away. Instead, I spoke up. I told him that's not funny. Jokes like that breed stigma and I don't think it's funny. Its an extremely common condition that many people have, and suffer depression from. Jokes like that hurt them. Including me, and yes, I have it too.
I put the facts out there and I seriously didn't care if my condition scared him off. A worthy person won't mistreat you. This was an opportunity for me to see his true colours. Fortunately, it became a growing experience for us and he showed appreciation for me speaking up. And hopefully I opened his eyes.
My point is, you are not this condition. This condition may seem big right now but in time and with work, you'll see how insignificant it is compared to everything else.
You take care of you and hold your head up high. It's going to be okay, and while you're hurting, you come here because there are so many people that understand and will help you get through this.