Lost on how to move forward with dating after HSV1 diagnosis - DUPLICATE POST.

[paranoiahsv1]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum. It was just last week that I got diagnosed with oral HSV1. The news didn't hit me right away as my initial knowledge with herpes despite it being an incurable sexually transmitted disease, was that it was just basically a skin rash that isn't life threatening. However, after extensive research online, I am now very confused about this disease and how to deal with it. My doctor informed me that I have been exposed to HSV1, the herpes virus that causes mainly cold sores around the mouth. My doctor specifically pointed out that it is just a virus for cold sores and not genital herpes although a lot of information online states that HSV1 can also cause genital herpes if transmitted down there.

 

Now I am not that worried about my general health since I am fully aware that this disease isn't life threatening. What I am very much concerned about now is other people around me specifically relationship/sex partners and even my children in the future when I have some. After all that I have read online about herpes, I am now paranoid that I can easily spread/transmit this to anyone I kiss. I have been dating this new guy who isn't my boyfriend yet and things have been going really nice and smooth. We get along pretty well. We haven't gotten intimate yet besides making out and now I am very much scared to move on to the next level with him. I am now even afraid to kiss him. I haven't told him anything about my diagnosis yet and I don't even know if I should or if I should just stop seeing him altogether. I have no idea how he will react. I've read online that 50-80% of the population is actually infected with HSV1 yet the majority isn't aware that they are infected. These are most likely the people who haven't gone to their doctors specifically for STD screenings yet but already had their blood taken for other tests and were afterwards thrown away into labs for research studies purposes. Having this sort of knowledge makes me even more confused about how to set an attitude towards this disease. Should I try to educate my peers about it to lessen the social stigma associated with herpes or should I just close my eyes and pretend I'm ignorant and live in bliss just like the majority of the people who are unaware? I've been so lost...

 

I wish there is at least a vaccine for everyone that can block the virus transmission for people who are already infected and prevent infection for those who aren't if it's not possible to have a cure for the virus itself.

 

:(

[paranoiahsv1]

sorry guys, i posted this twice by accident. please ignore this one.