RegularGuy

If you and your boyfriend are concerned about the chances of transmission, you should definitely consider staying on suppression medicine and use condoms. Doing both of those things decreases the chances of transmission by a huge margin. Just keep in mind that there will always be risk. You just need to communicate directly about what acts you each think are okay, and understand that each other's opinions of what is too risky might change day to day. It's always okay to ask, "Is this okay?" It is always okay to respond, "No, I don't want to do that." No matter how long you have been together, or how many times you have done that certain thing, it's always okay to ask or to refuse. That's an important part of being in a relationship. You have to find each other's comfort level and match it accordingly. Don't worry, the uncertainty will ease and things will start to feel more natural soon. But for now, a little extra care for how you each feel about risk is a good thing. Much like when you first started dating, there will be a short time of feeling things out.

That is a lot of information all at once. Forgive me if I didn't read thoroughly enough and some of my answers are a little off base: First, tell the guy you're with. If you care at all about his well-being or his right to consent, tell him. It is about consent and your own view of yourself. Taking away someone's right to consent is always wrong, even by omission. It is no better than the cliche, "I thought she was cool with it". Next, tell the guy you were with. Text him out of the blue and say, "I have herpes. You should get yourself tested." He has a right to know. Don't condemn more people to find out the hard way, by surprise, like so many of us did. Give him a chance to deal with it in a better way than all the rage, confusion and depression so many of us struggled with. Don't make excuses for yourself. There is nothing wrong with sex, having sex with multiple people, seeking one night stands, and having fun with it. But there is absolutely something fundamentally wrong with manipulating and hurting people who choose to trust you. There is a right way, and disclosing before getting physical, fully and honestly without ommission is that right way. Not just for others, but for your own view of yourself, your peace of mind, your self-respect. Realize that ommitting how your diagnosis could effect someone who chooses to trust you is inherently malicous and resovle to not use sex as a weapon to unwitting hurt people. Instead, get consent, have fun, be happy, and leave those other people feeling good about having shared intimacy with you, rather than guilt and shame. Or worse, with an infection that causes them hurt, shock, depression and fear without warning. Much of what you talked about today was rationalization away from responsibility and good intentions. It's easy to come up with excuses why one should not do the right thing. There are millions, and you have simply thought and pondered until you discovered a few that make you temporarily feel comfortable with ommitting the truth and robbing others of consent. It will catch up to you internally. Each lie erodes your own self-respect. Each omission cuts down the good person you rightly should be, despite all of your amazing qualities, you are sabotaging your own happieness and condemning yourself to a path that leads to self-loathing and anger. I really do see the process of thought that you put into many of your points in what you addressed today. I see someone who is ashamed, embarrassed, fearful and hurting. But you have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to be afraid of. If you resolve to demonstrate your positive qualities, commit to giving others thir right to consent, and start seeing yourself as you very well could: As a desirable, strong, intelligent and good person. Because you are most definitely all of those things. You've only let fear control your decisions. Many of us are guilty of that, many times over. The important thing is to decide who you will be from this day forward and do the things that person would do. If you are so uncomfortable that you can't talk about genitalia, maybe you should throttle back on seeking sex and focus more on becoming comfortable with your own sexuality. If you can't understand the importance of consent, you should study the effects of what happens to a person when they are sexually abused and consider whether you want to be the kind of person that takes away others' rights to sexual freedom and security. If you think the only reason to be honest with others is for their own sake, take a look at how harshly you judge yourself for failing to provide the simple, honest truth to people who choose to trust you. The fall out is already happening, and it gets much worse. None of what you are experiencing is unheard of. There are many people, including members of this site who have experienced what you are. Seek out those threads such as ones where the poster did not disclose, ones where the poster did disclose. You'll see a very profound difference in the days following. Seek out threads where people who have overcome the hardships of living with herpes and have advice to give. You'll see that your struggles aren't so different, and that you can live exacly whatever life you choose. Choose to be brave, confident, honest, trustworthy and good. Choose to do it for yourself and for the people you care about. Build up your pride and your self-respect. You deserve to do those things and to be that person.

This is the kind of thing you each should keep communication open about, and understand that either of your levels of comfort with certain acts can change day to day. There is a possibility of sex triggering outbreaks. There is also still risk of spreading the virus to previously unaffected areas through skin to skin contact.

Sorry to say that it's so difficult to pin down risk. In the meantime, I'd like to add that I'm glad to hear you take disclosure so seriously! You should be proud that you get consent without ommission or manipulation, so very many people rationalize themself into the bad guy. At anyrate, keep doing things the way it seems you've been doing. I'm fairly sure the worry is over nothing. But keep following through on being there if you need to be and she will be fine no matter how it turns out.

First, I would recommend that if you haven't disclosed already, definitely do that. It takes a huge amount of stress and potential regret out of sex, and nobody deserves to feel that way. Second, if the possibility of transmission is there, you should tell this person that you think it's a good idea for them to get tested. Generally, 4-6 weeks after infection is when HSV will show on a blood test and symptoms usually appear in the form of outbreak within a week. You can explain the circumstances and actions that caused you to become concerned about transmission, and help them to understand that it might be worry over nothing. Third, don't beat yourself up. You didn't set out to harm anyone. And as long as you made this person aware of your diagnosis and the risk before getting physical, they are an adult and responsible for their own decisions just as much as you are responsible for your own. You won't find any solid answers regarding individual acts such as this scenario, because there are way too many variables to possibly account for. The best thing to do is tell this person what has you worried, and offer to help them get tested, find answers, and provide some support as a sympathetic ear while they want one. You don't HAVE to do any of that, but it would make you feel better about the outcome (good or bad), and maintain your own positive view of yourself.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm really glad that you are taking hold of your own accountability and shaping yourself through determined thoughts and actions! You will do good things, and you will get to enjoy the benefits of living with intent! Keep focused on building up your self-image and your pride. Look forward to opportunities to be the person you want to be and do the things that person would do! I'm really inspired by the fact that you took all of this as a crossroads to steer where your future self gets to be, and how your future self gets to feel! Congratulations on not letting yourself be swept away by the current of past mistakes! As the great philospher, Metallica once said: All sinners, a future. All saints, a past.

Focus on your goals and your future and you'll be fine. There will be some down days and some anxiety along the way, but if you try to remember that nothing about who you are has changed, you'll get through those less awesome times more easily. You might have to do some work to earn your pride back, but you can do it by continuing to tackle the same goals and dreams you always have been chasing. For transmission: Keep taking your meds both for suppression and to help prevent transmission. It has to be built up in your system and stay there to have any effect on transmission, so keeping up with it as long as you're dating is a good idea. It can take weeks or months before it will effect transmission rates. Early on is when you are at most risk of spreading or transmitting the virus. Wash your hamds with regular soap ans warm water to effectively kill the virus after touching your junk, and you'll have nothing to worry about. Be determined to disclose to future partners. It's a matter of consent. Don't rob someone of their right to consent by omitting your diagnosis before getting physical. Use protection unless the other person is fully aware of the risk. Make sure you know how to wear a condom properly (you'd be surprised how many people don't know). For your own health: Take a look at your habits and your diet. Now is a good time to get serious about your physical and mental health. If there is something you've been putting off on changing, let preventing outbreak be a little extra motivation. Personally, I have ghsv-1 and I've been lucky enough to only have one outbreak in about 9ish months. Part of it is my initial health, another is the virus itself, and helped moreso by my own determination to adjust my diet and exercise habits for the better. You may have a few more outbreaks ahead of you. You may have one or two a year. You may never hear from herpes again. It's a very case by case thing. Just be aware that you could potentially spread the virus to any mucus memberane, such as eyes, mouth, throat, anus, etc... This is not likely to happen if you wash your hands regularly with normal soap and warm water. As time goes on, and your immune system gets better at fighting the virus, chances of spreading on your own body will reduce. You may get another outbreak in the same area, or a new area. This has a lot to do with many third variables that are hard to pinpoint. Best to take the time to see to your habits and ensure they are healthy ones, keep taking your medication until you get to a situation where you don't want to / don't need to anymore. Personally, I stopped shaving pubic hair for a while (mabye a month or two?) After my diagnosis. I did that to avoid spreading the virus on myself. Obviously, if you shave, don't share razors. It's unhygienic in the first place, but even more risky with hsv. After you are confident that your immune system has things under control, you'll likely naturally start shaving pubic hair again. That's how it worked for me, anyway. For other situations: There is little to no data to suggest that a genital infection could be transmitted outside skin to skin contact. True, oral herpes can be spread by sharing drinks, but as long as you don't rub your junk all over stuff people will touch, you really have nothing to worry about. The medical community seems to be on the fence about towels. 1. Towels are inanimate and inherently pose an unlivable environment for the virus. It tends to die within minutes or seconds outside a host. 2. Towels are warm and wet right after use, and may allow the virus to live a little longer. 3. There is no conclusive research on the topic of towels. Better safe than sorry, I guess? Don't share razors. It's risky, even ignoring hsv. Disclose before anyone makes contact with your junk in anyway, hands, mouth, gentials, anything. Shedding is hard to predict, but is most common during the first year or two after initial outbreak. Other than that, Maybe make plans to do something exciting for yourself. If you've been putting aside money for a rainy day, this would be that rainy day you've been preparing for. See a concert, go to an event, do that work on your car. Something that gets you up and out of the house, and gives you something to be excited about. It'll help cultivate a positive view of the future and remind you that there are a million more exciting things to experience. Do good stuff for people close to you. Even small things help bolster your self-image, and that's really important right now. See the things in yourself that you like. Say it out loud if you want. Appreciate yourself and the good things in your life. There are many, and they are well earned!

Tell him via text, call, email, in person, or however you choose, but tell him right away. This is eating at your concience and eroding your self-respect. In order to regain your positive self-image and once again see yourself as a person worthy of affection, you need to do this. It's not going to be fun, but it's going to be right. Give this guy a chance that few of us had, and tell him so that he can be prepared for what might happen, and know why it happened. He might get depressed or angry, but you did bring that reaction on yourself, knowing that is exactly what kind of reaction you might get. You took away his right to consent. At least give him a chance to start accepting himself again before he goes through the pain and misery he well might have to endure. You don't have to listen to him if he gets abusive or threatening, you can hang up, or walk away. But you need to tell him right away.

It's normal to stress about hypothetical scenarios. That happens to everyone, but especially those diagnosed with medical conditions. My brother has schizophrenia (just about completely under control these days) and he is very anxious about dating again. He worries about how and when to tell someone about his condition and fears that it will be a deal-breaker. But to the same effect as herpes, I remind him of all the great qualities he has and that the right person will appreciate him for who he is. In both cases, worry about how the condition might be interpreted initially, as well as how it might effect the dynamic of relationships, romantic or otherwise. You could say, "Well Schizophrenia isn't contagious" and a schizophrenic might say, "Well herpes can't make you behave irrationally to the point you need to get picked up from work by your significant other." You can see from the comparison that in each scenario, a little balancing with what is likely to happen must be taken into account when deciding how to mitigate such risk from which anxiety stems. For us here who are H+, a big factor is doing the small amount of work it takes to make sure we protect a potential partner from transmission by taking medication, disclosing and using protection. While those measures might be slightly different for someone with a different condition, we all will benefit from carefully considering what kind of person might be good for us, what kind of person would be bad for us, and how to identify those people on the first or second date (or at least, before getting intimate). So embrace your desire to carefully evaluate a potential match, and cultivate it into a natural talent. Take suppression medication and make sure you do so as prescribed to ensure risk is actually mitigated by it. Vow to disclose upfront and and every time you decide that you wil take someone home for some fun. Be firm about using protection. And remember, you are not at all the only person out there with a condition that requires disclosure. You need to be smart and protect youself still. Don't assume the other person is blemish free just because you aren't.

First of all, My parents divorced in their mid fourties and dated into their fifites before they each found someone new (and better for themselves) to marry. Having been an adult and very close with each of them during that time, I can tell you dating doesn't change no matter what your age. They felt uncomfortable, nervous and wierd about it, just like I did when I first started dating. Or when I got back into dating in my late 20's after a failed relationship. So, I empathize with the dating trouble. But remind yourself that herpes isn't going to ruin anything that would have been. The guy who ditches you over herpes wasn't going to stick around anyway. More importantly, it would be rare that someone else in their fifties would be shocked by your disclosure. Statistically, they've either met a few people who disclosed before, or they never just never knew they were at risk. You're still the same great person that you've always been. I'd take it you know yourself pretty well, and you know how to find things in yourself that you appreciate. The right person, the person who's going to stick around, will see those qualities to. More importantly, they'll know those qualities are rare. So, practice appreiating yourself. Practice dating. Practice steering your train of thought away from guilt and sadness and toward how you want the future to be. As far as your current dating situation. You didn't know. Sadly, that's pretty common. But you can't take responsibility for never knowing, thinking you did everything you had to, knowing you did everything you could to protect future partners by getting tested and seeing a doctor. You wouldn't be the first person to be let down by the medical community and find out the truth in the worst way. But you can offer the guy some support, help him get questions answered and a test for the virus. If he doesn't want your help, you can't force it on him. To help your recovery, First unburden yourself from the hard way you learned about your diagnosis. Because you thought you were doing right. Next, make a plan to do something exciting soon. It'll help you to look forward to the future more and back toward regret less. Then focus on thinking about things you appreciate about yourself while you keep doing the things you've always enjoyed. It'll help you to feel like yourself again. If I could recommend pointing you to my thread, "First day and trying to stay upbeat". It's a lot of reading, but the bottom line is this: Keep being you. Keep focused on goals, people who are important to you. Let go of the anger, sadness and shame as much as you can because you don't deserve to feel that way.

You're going to be okay. Nothing is ruined, and nothing fundamental about you has changed. I might direct you to my thread, "First Day and Trying to Stay Upbeat". I go over a lot of my moods and emotions in detail from day one through present. You might find a lot of similaities to how you feel, and you'll get an idea of how I pulled myself together and regained my self-image, self-appreciation, and pride. It's a lot of reading, so the bottom line is: Seek opportunities to do good for people who are close to you. Make a plan to do something good for yourself, and do it soon. Find reaons to appreciate yourself. Build up your self esteem and your pride. Remember that you can do all the things you've always done the same way. Pay attention to your state of mind and your body, take care of them. When you need to unwind, make time for it. When you need a kick in the pants to get your day started, do it for yourself. You'll feel like yourself agian soon.

I pose a question to your question: If the chances are so low, why is such a large portion of the population surprised to find out they have been infected? True, you can mitigate risk, but the statistics don't protect anyone if you don't take action accordingly. 1. Disclosure is part of consent. Nobody has a right to force themself on someone who would refuse, especially by omission of potential health effects. 2. Suppression medicine must be taken as prescribed, not toyed with. It doesn't work when taken intermittently, or occasionally. 3. Using condoms *correctly*, because there are a lot of people who don't know how to use a condom, or how to tell if one is worn properly. That's about all there is to it, but if you look at the numbers of people who are surprised to find they are infected, you can see a huge number of people must not be doing these things. So the best method? Be honest with yourself and the people you sleep with. If you don't know how to do any of those things, seek advice from a doctor that takes the time to answer your questions fully. Also, most medical clinics don't test for herpes at all when you ask them to "test for everything". Why? I have no clue, it seems stupid and irresponsible to lead someone to believe they are STD free when they might not be. But it happens.

If you disclosed before getting intimate, you did exactly what you needed to do. If he understood the risk and you answered his questions truthfully, then he knew what he was doing. He will have to accept responsibility for his own decisions, not you. If you choose to, you could be supportive and help him to get retested in 4-6 weeks when his immune system has built antibodies up to show on a blood test. If you don't want to, you don't have to. This is why disclosure matters. Because in this scenario (where I assume you did disclose before getting physical), you don't have any responsibility to feel guilty or to help him cope if you don't want to. You can tell him to get retested. You can tell him to make sure he discloses if he tests positive. But those are things he has to decide on his own, just like his decision to have sex with you.

Firstly, You have to work on discussing the fundamental importance of communication with your boyfriend. It's integral to rising above fear, confusion and sadness when in a relationship. You can start by telling him you don't have anyone else you are comfortable about talking to about it, and you want to be able to talk to him. That he should want to be supportive just like you are being supportive for him. That you know he is worried that you will leave over just herpes, and that you don't want things to end just because of a medical diagnosis. Next, Invite your boyfriend to visit a different doctor. One who will answer all of your questions and treat your concerns with the due care you expect from a professional. In the meantime, if sex scares you right now, say so. It's okay to tell your boyfriend that you want to abstain, or only have sex certain ways. Sex requires mutual concent every time, not just once. You shouldn't feel regret or shame ever. Nobody should feel that way, not him and not you. You're prepared to investigate the risk and accept him, flaws included. He should try to meet you half way and help you research and discuss how you each feel about being in a relationship, what you're afraid of, and how you want things to be. But approach it from the angle that if things end, it won't just be because of herpes. It will be because things aren't going well as a relationship. That might help him open up about things.

Things are good these days! I'm on a new diet. Very little bread and dairy, replaced with more beans, fruit and veggies. It's not exactly paleo, but it is working really well for me. After much research and self reflection, I decided to take my own advice and make a lifestyle change regarding diet. 3 weeks in and it's already helping me to have more energy, lean out some hard to sculpt areas and I've got another small measure of my pride back. I'm still working out the same as always and I can see that I'm getting better results after having started being more careful about what I eat. That combined with the fact that the diet seems easily sustainable makes it a big win for me! Herpes continues to be one of my least concerns. I find myself imvesting more research and time into hobbies I have always enjoyed, which is really great. I get to feel like myself consistently, without suffering painful reminders of herpes everywhere I look. I think about it when I mean to, and I don't think about it when I don't have to. I've also been spending a lot of time researching investing for retirement. Thinking about the future and all the ways I can make sure that it will be a financially sound, happy and fulfilling one is very satisfying. I'm finally moving some of my long-standing, but stagnant retirement funds into more profitable things. And that has helped me to feel very accomplished, despite my continuing feeling of having so much more work to do! It's been a long time since I have had a chance to just sit back and enjoy all the wonderful things I have put together for myself. I think this coming weekend will be the perfect time to do just that. I won't go anywhere, I won't promise to help anyone tackle their challenges. I'll throttle back, watch some tv, wash my car, cook something special, and enjoy my bright and positive living situation for once! I am the type that struggles with feeling guilty when I'm not buringing every ounce of my ability to achieve something bigger. I think I've finally gotten to a spot where enough things are working themselves out that I can give myself permission to chill for one weekend. That in itself is a big accomplishment.

Your concerns are possible. You have to decide how you would meet those circumstances and it seems like you are leaning toward simply taking things at a more cautious approach, if you were to date a friend of a friend or collegue. You could certainly abstain until you are able to guage how this hypothetical person would handle difficult situations, or not so great news. This is a very common and necessary part of dating anyway, HSV notwithstanding. If you are unsure how to read a potential match, or evaluate a person's integrity, emotional stability, and good nature, then you could probably benefit a lot from brushing up on some dating advice. There are tons of resources out there to help you figure out how to identify the telling signs that you are dating someone untrustworthy or cruel. It's a talent to be able to judge someone's character accurately and quickly, one that can be learned and refined.

First of all, don't do anything drastic! I'm really sorry to read that things are so difficult right now. But you do still have options that you haven't exhausted yet! I would recommend that you start by talking to your boyfriend about how frustrated and depressed your symptoms are making you. At very least, so that he can try to empathize (a very difficult thing for us dudes). Next, you would benefit from talking to your doctor, if you haven't already. Acyclovir is only one brand out of many that suppress HSV. Try asking your doctor about switching brands, because they each effect different people different ways, much like birth control, from what I understand. Finally, take a look at your diet. If you have to go straight Baked chicken and white rice for a couple days, that's a hell of a lot more productive and way easier than planning out how to hurt yourself without hurting everyone you care about. Big point against extreme actions, they always hurt people you care about. And a choice that is self destructive will always cause those closest to you prolonged and miserable pain. So do things the way that helps you and also helps your loved ones. Talk to your doctor, review your diet critically, make a plan to get sleep, make a plan to get some hobbies worked into your schedule that allow you to relax and feel some contentment. You deserve to do this. Your loved ones deserve to see you back on your feet again!

You have a right for your medical history to be treated with the utmost respect. In the US, we have HIPPA laws and federal acts that protect us from backlash regarding medical conditions. It is illegal to create a hostile work environment, especially one based on a medical condition. Further, it would be illegal for a medical condition to prevent or hinder your career advancement. So, if your fears did by some crazy turn of events come to fruition, talk to your HR and to a lawyer about your options for resolving issues. Short of all that extremeness. Maybe date outside your circle.

Don't worry about the future as far as HSV. You will be able to build a meaningful relationship when you find the right person. You will be able to accomplish your goals and chase your dreams. And you won't have thoughts about HSV weighing you down all the time. Soon, plenty of other things will start taking the spotlight again. In a strange way, having other, bigger issues than HSV will help you to feel normal again. I'm currently back to being more worried about saving for retirement than anything else right now. While I'm super stressed about it at the moment, it's nice to be able to worry about something so far off!

Having sex in a relationship where the other person is H- is a matter of some serious discussions. I'm glad you are researching the topic and seeking advice. I think the biggest goal here is to make sure that neither of you end up feeling regret or shame after having sex. Nobody deserves to feel that! If you haven't already, talk to your doctor about supression medication like valacyclovir. Medicine in combination with condoms are proven to reduce (but not fully eliminate) risk. Risk will always be there. Consider what you would do if you did transmit and talk to your partner about it. Also talk to your partner about what they are comfortable with doing and what they are not. Consent still matters, even though you are in a relationship. So, it is okay (even practical) to ask, "Are you okay with this?" When you aren't absolutely sure. Chances are, you will each choose to err on the side of caution for a while until you both become comfortable with the level of risk you collectively decide to accept. There is nothing wrong with that! Things will get easier and become more relaxed soon enough.

I would point you that you mentioned this guy's wife doesn't want him to be exposed to risk like HSV. Putting the shoe on the other foot, if you had made clear your expectations in your open relationship and your husband ignored your stipulations, what would you think of the woman he had done that with? Because it is likely that you will feel this way about yourself if you enable this guy's actions. It might be a good idea to pre-emptively absolve youraelf of responsibility by abstaining with this guy. Or, at least recommend that he inform his wife that he intends to have sex with someone who has HSV, thereby relieving yourself of a measure of responsibility. In fact, you aren't subject to such rules, but he is, he has told you, you are aware, and you have a choice that bears a level of moral implications which likely could impact your self-image and self-respect. If you are certain about your decision to go ahead and cross that line, Consider taking supression medication like valacyclovir or equivalent several weeks before having sex with him, and be sure to use condoms correctly. Also (obviously) abstain whenever you migjt be experiencing symptoms leading to, or resulting from an outbreak. These are the only clinically proven methods to prevent transmission and they are effective in reducing risk. However, risk will always be present, and you need to be prepared for what might happen if he does contract the virus. If that means moving to a new town and hiding from this guy's wife because she would likely be on a vigilante war-path, getting your passport, savings, and family prepared is probably worth while.

Glad to hear you disclosed. Next time, give yourself a fighting chance at building something really honest and fulfilling: disclose before you get intimate. You can't blame a person for being upset if you wait to tell them until after you put them at risk. Everyone has a right to consent, knowing full well the implications. Denying someone their right to constent is always wrong. Each person has the right to decide what they do, with who, and when. That's the entire point of the whole #metoo campaign. Get consent every time, not just once and not just from specific people, but every time. Withholding information because you know the other person will deny consent is just as malicious as the cliche "I thought she was cool with it".

Seems like you're in a really tough situation. You alrady know this, but you have seriously got to tell your husband about your diagnosis. For your own sake as much as his. He does have a right to know anything that might effect his health and well-being, even by proxy. Failing to tell him about your diagnosis isn't just manipulating him, it would be malicious and would weigh more heavily on your own view of yourself. As far as your clinical questions, it would be a good idea to ask a doctor who can give you frank answers you need. Better, visit a doctor with your husband so that his questions can be answered as well. I suspect that failing to communicate and avoiding tough conversations contributed to your current situation, but you have to break that cycle. The hole goes much deeper that where you are now unless you take action to decide on what kind of future you will experience. Start by disclosing to your husband and then take action to protect him by following through with talking to your doctor together. If you haven't already, ask your doctor about supression medication like valacyclovir.

Sorry to hear you had to join the club, but welcome. We're all here for support if you need it. If I could offer some preemptive advice: While your writing makes you seem like you have things in a decent perspective, be sure to gather up self-appreciation where you can find it. Your image of yourself and your ability to like yourself are things most effected by HSV. The negative thoughts and feelings won't be around forever and practicing appreiating yourself speeds up recovering from the temporary lack of comfort. Bonus, it will help you in the future to have practiced self-appreciation if you ever find yourself feeling down in the future. Also, try to avoid putting your life on pause while you wait for a cure. There are a million exciting adventures to experience still, and putting them off for too long is a damn shame! It's true that there are a lot of organizations researching HSV, but you'll know it right away if a cyret becomes available because it will be all over the news. Unfortunately, many promising studies have failed in the past, and I personally suspect many more will fail in the future. Some potential cures turned out to be toxic and destroyed livers in test animals, yet can still be found through shady european sources apparently. So, be cautious about holding on to all your hope, just because there might be a cure one day. If you decide to take anything to treat HSV, make sure it is FDA approved. I've personally been hit up by scammers who tried to pedal banned, poisonous substances as if they were miracle cures (and subsequently reported them). Other than that, here is a piece of personal experience that might help make you feel less distraught: I went to the pharmacy to pick up my last prescription of valacyclovir a while back. It was for a 3 month supply. The pharmacy tech told me I was lucky I happened to request the prescription be filled that day, because they had just received their shipment. Turns out HSV medication flys off the shelves, even in my sleepy town. She said they usually run out in less than a week. Only about 3.5 million people live in my city. In my town, less than 500,000 people. This virus is so common, but I don't see people falling apart everywhere I go. In fact, I see happy families and fit, confident people. It gave me a lot of reassurance that things would be fine. Now, I'm one of those fit, confident people that you'd never guess had HSV. Because it isn't that big of a thing, it's just a medical condition that keep an eye on occasionally. To be honest, I've been in more pain from hemmeroids and been more worried by high blood pressure. HSV will go the same for you. It won't be a big deal for long!

Birth control pills / injections / devices can trigger outbreaks. So can sex. Change up the brand of birthcontrol and see if that doesn't help. Also, if you haven't already, talk to your doctor about supression medication like valacyclovir. Diet, exercise and sleep, too. If you aren't already on top of that stuff.