Hello! I am new to this group and I am looking for support and advice. When I was 13-16, I was in a relationship where I was frequently sexually assaulted. He would coerce me into having sex with him with threats of self-inflicted harm. He told his parents we were having sex and they supported it. I was young and was upset with myself for being uncomfortable - if it was okay with everyone else why was I so upset? I was embarrassed to tell my friends or my parents, so I bit my tongue and they still are unaware to this day. After two and a half years, that relationship ended but it was a lot harder to navigate the world after that. In my junior year of college (six years later) I talked about it for the first time to my favorite professor, and he helped me through therapy and to work through what had happened. I was finally becoming comfortable with who I was physically, and I felt ready to take on the world. A few months later, I was in a new relationship and everything was going smoothly. I told him about what happened in my first relationship and he was very considerate of how I was feeling every step of the way. He was the first person I comfortably had sex with. Within the first two weeks of us being together physically, I tested positive for HSV. Before we were together, I had him get updated STD tests, and we always used protection. I talked to him about it and he was unaware that he had it. We worked through it together, but we broke up a few months later for unrelated reasons. Now that I am alone, I am genuinely coming to terms with all of this for the first time. When I was with my ex we didn't have to worry about passing it because we clearly both had it. Now, I am facing the reality of how this will impact my life and the relationships I may forge. It took me six years to become comfortable in my sexuality, and it feels like that was ripped from my hands. I am having issues being comfortable with myself, let alone other people. I recently have been talking to someone that is everything I could need in a person, and him and I get along very well. I am very anxious to talk to him about it. I feel like it is definitely too soon to bring it up, but I am so tired of having this weight on my chest. This is the kind of conversation I would want to have in person, but due to the recent COVID pandemic that is definitely not an option. I kind of want to rip the bandaid off and tell him about my first relationship and my HSV status, but I am not sure the best way to move forward in doing so. I am not sure how to navigate through all of this, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Which condoms tend to work best? Are there any that are better for not transmitting herpes? I'm female and my male partner has genital hsv2. I wish there were condoms that would cover the base of the penis, where he tends to have outbreaks. I'm guessing this is where asymptomatic shedding occurs most for him.

Hello all!!! Been a while since I have been here, but I thought, who better to throw this question at than the peeps that deal with the same shenanigans I do. So it goes like this,. My Dr won't prescribe me daily suppressive therapy for H. She fills my Rx at 15 tablets to be started when ever I feel an out real coming. Which isn't often, but still, shouldn't I have the choice to be on daily meds? Also, she recommends that I take 5000 mg of L-Lysene a day. I do this because I know it is used in cats for feline herpes, so it makes sense. If I ask my Dr for a daily suppressive therapy, shouldn't that be an option? Rather than "You can have a 5 day supply when you actually have an outbreak" Anyone else have this issue? Thanks for your time

after I told a couple of close friends about it they were very supportive and were very sympathetic. but now a month later they started to hang out without me and lie about a lot of things so I confronted them about it. They said that they have been doing there "research" and they say that I am being careless and putting a risk into the friend group. They tell me that I am using my "disease for attention" and they are being so hurtful and I don't know what to do because I am scared that if I stand up for myself they will tell everyone I have herpes for revenge please help

Has anyone ever experienced more than one breakout of HSV1 in the genital area in one year?? I’m having a second outbreak and it’s kinda scaring me. Also, should it be itching severely bad?!

I had my first OB about 3 weeks ago now in my rectal region aka my butt hole. Wish I did though because that would make a lot more sense as to why I have herpes there... I thought my OB had cleared completely and I don’t see any bumps. However, last night I didn’t have any pain but I had bleeding near there. Could it be the OB hasn’t cleared completely or that I am having another one? Not sure if I should start another course of medication or not... Has anyone else experienced this? Also, what does getting an outbreak feel like to you? I didn’t know I was having an outbreak until after my partner told me to go get tested. All I remember was thinking I had razor burn and then boom it felt like my ass was on fire.

I'm new to H, and have been freaking out as happens during a new DX. Today I took charge. I changed my diet to reduce arginine as much as I can as well as stocking up on lysine rich foods. I already ate clean and GF so it was not a huge change. (I will miss peanut butter, I loooooooooooove it) The only thing is, I'm a body builder....I can't stop taking protein supplements. I have gotten L-lysine tablets to counter balance it. Does anyone know of any shakes or bars that are low in arginine? On a side note: I have tried not taking supplements before, I don't makes gains. I'm a women, I need help gaining with shakes or protein bars.

I was diagnosed with herpes but didn't received/ prescribed any medication why is that? If I apparently had a break out. I went for a bump that was located in the pubis mons*pubic hair area.. It was just there no itching no burning no tingling or any of that.. so after being diagnosed I decided to Burst the bump. It bleed then disappear in the next hour or so.. like it never existed. I could've been misdiagnosed

Hi everyone, This is my first post on this site. I feel like I have no one to talk to, only my boyfriend knows so it would be nice to talk to other people about how I feel. A part of me really wants to tell my closest friends or my mom but I just fear that they’ll be in shock and never look at me the same again. I don’t want to be treated like a leper because that’s how a lot of people view people with herpes. It’s sad but it’s true. Anyway, here’s my story, I’ll try to make it as concise as possible. Back in 2015 I was diagnosed with HSV 1 genitally. The only outbreak I ever had was my initial outbreak and I took Valtrex 500mg daily for about 1.5 years as suppressive therapy and then just decided to stop taking it because I never got any outbreaks. I really felt like I didn’t even have herpes. Fast forward to July 2018, I kept having this recurring vaginal fissure (little cut below the vaginal opening) every time I had sex. It also happened back in April of this year. I just thought my skin was weak or not properly lubricated during sex so that’s why it was happening. I decided to go to my gynecologist and see what he thought and if there was anything I could do to keep this from happening. He looked at it and said it was a vaginal fissure, gave me some cream, but also did a swab test to test for HSV2. He said he didn’t think it was herpes but just wanted to do a swab to be sure. I got my results back a week later and the swab test came back positive for HSV 1 (which I already had) and HSV2. I was completely devastated, my stomach dropped and I felt like I was going to throw up. Now I have both types of herpes?! I went into a state of panic. I went back to my gynecologist and got a full std panel done and got an IGG blood test because I really just wanted to confirm that I had HSV2. It came back positive with a value of 3.02 so I guess it’s a pretty recent infection. I’m still so shocked because I got an IGG text for HSV 2 in April and it was negative and another one in September 2017 and it was negative and I’ve been with the same person since September 2017. He swears he hasn’t cheated on me so I guess he just didn’t infect me until he was shedding or something? Idk. He also went to get tested because he noticed he had some bumps and they did a swab and IGG blood test. He’s waiting on his results but the doctor is very certain it’s herpes and she already gave him Valtrex to take daily. This may be wrong but I can’t help to be a little mad at him and I even question if I should stay with him. He didn’t know he had herpes but he’s always been very ignorant when it comes to his health. He doesn’t go to yearly checkups, doesn’t get tested, he just assumed he was clean because he had no symptoms and because I’m clean. He did say he had a bump one time when he shaved but thought it was an ingrown hair because he actually pulled a hair out of it, who knows. I make my health a top priority and he doesn’t so it just angers me. Anyway, I don’t mean to rant but I’m just trying to cope with this all. It’s been about 3 weeks since I found out I also have HSV2 now. Some days are better than others but some days (like today) I feel depressed and I have anxiety. I still love myself and accept myself, I’m just afraid others won’t. Now I just feel like I’m harboring this horrible secret, is that weird to say? Thanks for taking the time to read my story, any advice will be greatly appreciated 🙂

So I am having a really really tough time right now. I officially found out I’m HSV2 positive back in May. That being said, I went to my doctor and she gave me 3 fills of valtrex for when I think I’m having an OB. (3 days at 2 tabs per day) ok I’ve had 2 OB in the last 3 weeks and I’m about to lose my shit. The valtrex does not stop the blisters (she told me if taken soon enough I shouldn’t even see blisters) and the OBs are getting WORSE sand CLOSER together. Guys I’m seriously close to going off the deep end. I thought I could handle this and be upbeat because shit happens but is this my life now? Like seriously an OB 2 times a month? My anxiety is sky high-which isn’t helping the OBs- but I work out, I eat well, I sleep a ton. I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO but idk if I can live like this. This constant fear that every tickle/itch/bump is an OB. How can I tell if it’s actually an OB or a just an itch? I’m so upset please please if anyone has an advice or suggestions I would so appreciate it. I haven’t even left my bed in a day because I feel like a diseased faker who is harboring this awful secret but pretending to be normal and I just can’t anymore. I’m at a total loss.