Herpes story told by my boss

[annalove]

I’m going to try and keep this short and sweet. Was on a trip this weekend with my coworkers and per usual the alcohol was flowing. My boss decided to tell a story of when his ex-wife made him feel like he could have herpes because of some sores in his private region. I came in on the story about halfway through and as soon as I heard the word herpes I felt a sinking feeling. It’s my first experience with being around someone telling a herpes joke or in this case herpes story. I guess I am thankful that no one in the group said something ignorant like “ewww herpes” or “oh god aren’t you glad you didn’t have it??” Im pretty sure one of my co workers even said “it could have been something worse than herpes”. Who knows maybe he has it? Still I felt very conflicted because part of me wanted to speak up and say yeah I actually have herpes. But the other part of me doesn’t particularly want all my coworkers to know that much of my business. This is something I think I am still battling which is how to not live in shame but at the same time feel as though some privacy doesn’t mean i am ashamed...does that make sense? It’s almost like I feel I can’t do both. I want privacy but I feel my privacy is almost a way of saying “I’m ashamed to be totally out with this”.

 

Has anyone found that this type of stuff gets easier with time? Where little comments or jokes don’t bother you as much? I’m only 6 months in so I am sure time does help some

[9_Lives]

Yes, it will... see a way I see it is that if a joke or something is made.. that it's silly... So many people have cold sores.. that is h. My mother has had that for so long friends at schoom. You don't have to tell what is going on in ur life.. less is more to the secondary people in ur life. Yet be vuge Bout it if u want people to know... but not know. U can to about it in an educated way or something if it makes u feel better... I found out when ushers stuff was on facebook.. I knew some but not a lot... an still learning. Yet being able to have others understand my point, and educate them felt good... I didn't tell them I had hsv2 .. but I wouldn't tell them if I had Piercings down low in that area. It should subside , think how far u have come in 6 months.

[RegularGuy]

I was watching a Hulu show with some of my friends who don't know called future man. One of the main characters has oral herpes and makes a comment along the lines of, "They call it herpes simplex virus, but there is nothing simple about it." I laughed, they didn't.

Awkward.

But it's easy to be self conscious and weird about stuff when you're stuck in your head with tons of stigma and shame. Doesn't make you less human. And the reality is, chances are someone that was there was thinking the same thing you were.