I have herpes: How to become "stigma bulletproof"

[Bluebetty]

I agree! I was just thinking the same thing, I assumed the person I was with didn't have anything which was majorly naive on my part, but now I think, boy, I'm glad I already had to deal with it and know better instead of it (or something else/worse) happening in the future.

[optimist]

@Bluebetty - FWIW, speaking only for myself, my sex life has barely changed at all. I was absolutely afraid it was going to change drastically and I've discovered it doesn't have to change much at all if I don't want it to. Obviously that is not the case for everyone with HSV, but for some people, the biggest change is just feeling a greater need to share STI status before getting physical. And I agree with @MMissouri that it's an opportunity for a dialogue about safe sex. That's how I approach it. Not as a confession but a dialogue.

I've had two disclosure experiences in which the other person responded to my disclosure of my HSV+ status by sharing their own HSV+ status (one HSV1+, one HSV2+).

 

 

 

 

[Bluebetty]

That's my hope, that the next person I like will say, "Me too!". :)