Hello! I am a 21 year old female. I recently found out I have HSV1. I am a college student so I am constantly around young people laughing and joking about STDs. I feel extremely uncomfortable anytime someone quotes The Hangover saying "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except for herpes, that will come back with you". Also, just today many of my classmates were joking about a guy that slept with a teacher allegedly and how he got herpes from her. Their comments made me feel sick to my stomach. Talking about how dirty she was, how disgusting herpes is, and so on. I guess what I am getting at is that these situations have already come up more than a handful of times and each time I sit there silently hoping to disappear. Does anyone have advice on what to do or say in these situations? I am not exactly ready to go public about my herpes but I just wish people were better educated and understood the impact their words have.
Thanks!