People Sharing Their Herpes Experiences!

I think the greatest impact having herpes has had on my life and experiences...is having to share the information with someone I'm entering a relationship with. I have had but a few sexual partners in the last 29 years...but, it is always a stressful uncomfortable moment. I'm unable to use condoms due to allergic tendencies...so it's very important for me to communicate fully the implications involved. Further, it's important to me to be in a relationship environment that allows me to state when I'm experiencing symptoms and not feel embarrassment or stress. No...I have never passed it on to a partner...but, it will be a continued concern throughout my life.

When I first contracted herpes was from a wet towel that one of my friends use during an outbreak and I used the same one right after not knowing until after I used it. Then 2 weeks later I had a blister in my genital area. After that I got it only once in 4 years and was very minor. After that I met my husband with herpies also and now have it more often and have numberous of sores. I did not know I could have it worse If I had it already but I was wrong. I started out with 1 mild sore that came up in 4 years and now @ once within 2 months with multiple and very painful blisters. We kept giving it back and fourth to each other in differnt places in our genital areas. My husband each time never new he had an outbreak during intercourse because no lesions were present. We never know when it is safe anymore because it is so easy to transmit without us knowing we are shedding.

I was devastated when I got the news. I had only been married 3 months! In between my last and current marriage I had sex with two men (with protection) and oral sex with a few others (no protection). My husband has been tested and is free of the diseasey ex-husband was cheating through out our marriage so I can't narrow it down as to how and when I contacted the disease. I hate the name of it too. It really sounds juvenile! I has been trying to find more info to educate myself about my condition. I didn't know shingles was a form of Herpes. My grandfather suffered from shingles. My current husband and I never used protection when we became a couple for almost 3 1/2 years BEFORE we got married. We still dont use protection. That may not be a smart thing to do but he said he married me for better or worse and that's that. I havent had an outbreak since I had my diagnosis. I didn't believe my first doctor and even had a second opinion. The worse part of having it that it's a sickness you can't share with your friends or family as easily as if you had cancer. I felt dirty at first and wanted to divorce my husband because I didn't want him to have to live with me. He calmed my fears and we spoke with my doctor together. I have a prescription for Valtrex for my next outbreak whenever that may be. I think I had previous syptoms in the past but without the leisons (the leisons & severe burning is what got me my diagnosis). I mostly remember a severe tingling in my genitals almost erotic. It was so intense at times. Anyway, I am going to go on with my life and live with this. I know I can't die from it and my doctor told me that the one good part of growing older is that the outbreaks tend to become less and less. Sometimes you just have to smile and live with the hand you have been dealt and count your lucky stars when you find someone (like I found in my husband) a caring soul who will be there for you no matter what.

I contracted herpes from the man who is now my husband - we hadn't been dating long at the time. He was not aware that he had it - he has acne and so the recurring itchy sore on his jawline didn't register as anything unusual. Until, of course, I ended up with horrible swollen lymph nodes in the groin area that were extremely painful to the touch. Concerned, I went in to my GYN to see what might be the matter (I had no visible sores), and was understandably shocked when I received my diagnosis. I went to my boyfriend (who was having mild swelling and pain in his lympn nodes by now, too), and he agreed to be tested. Turns out herpes antibodies were detected in his bloodstream - we know now that he had been previously infected with HSV from his ex-wife, then gave it to me during oral sex, and then I infected him genitally with my initial outbreak. So now he has both oral and genital HSV. I've somehow managed to avoid the oral, though I'm not congratulating myself just yet - it could happen. One thing we've both learned after living with this for almost 10 years is that herpes is a minor inconvenience in our lives. It interrupts our fun for a few days, but then we go back to being sexual human beings. Yes, it's devastating when you first learn you have it, and I'll admit to feeling a little "dirty" (we call them "heebie jeebies" as we HATE the sound of that "h" word!). But our lives haven't ended because of it. Keep this in mind, all of you who have been newly diagnosed - the pain and fear will diminish in time. Educate yourselves about the disease and you'll feel better, too. Hang in there!

I discovered that I had contracted herpes virus from my husband of 11 years.I was dignosoed just two weeks before my 30th birthday. He contracted the diease from one of his favorite stripper. I guess he got to experience his fantasy and I got yet another nightmare. A divorce is not an option since I have no job, money, friends or family in the state, plus I have three kids that needs their family for finacial support. It very hard knowing that I have a Diease caused from my husband.

I found out that I had herpes while being separated from my husband; he had a fling with someone who apparently had the virus but either didnot know about it or just did not care what so ever. My husband and I had our fisrt outbreak at the same time. I've have several outbreaks compared to my husband who may have had about four since we found out about it. Whenever I get an outbreak i get real depressed and angry. I've been on an anti-viral pill and cream since then;hopefully the outbreaks will subside soon. The only good thing about this sitution is that this diease has brought my husband and I much closer together. So maybe if I would not have contracted herpes, I may not have my bestfriend(my husband) back in my life. It's hard knowing that I have this diease but things could be alot worsier. BE SMART WRAP IT UP!!!!! DON'T BE AFTER TO ASK QUESTION ABOUT ONE's SEXUAL HISTORY AND DON'T DENY YOURS!!!!! Don't be afaird to get help from a doctor.

Pain and shame! I have never felt so much pain from anything not even chickenpox. These hurt so badly that it takes me an hour to urinte and then an hour to recover. I can't even look my boyfriend of seven years in the eye- how could he do this to me- to someone he loved. I can't even tell him, let alone anyone else, in fear he will just rip me apart. God bless to all the suffer from this dreaded disease.

I have been experiencing some syptoms, like itchiness and pain, continually, even when no lesions are present. This happens when I wear tight clothes, and sleep on my side with my legs together. I am not sure if this means that I am having an outbreak, but haven't seen anything, or if this is typical of other people who have herpes.

I just found out i had it about 2 weeks ago, i thought my life was over. I don't know much about it, but it makes me sick. i just met this guy about 2 months ago and i really believe he is the one who gave it to me. i feel like i will never be with anyone else because of this nasty disease and it scares me that we will break up then what will i do. i just hope i can learn more about it and maybe go on with my life.

I just found out I have herpes. I didn't use a condom.

my herpes ruined my life completly.

I had my first herpes outbreak about a month ago. It started with painful urination, followed by intense itching. Then, I noticed the sores. I was panic- stricken and heartbroken. I went to my university's women's health clinic immediately and when the NP told me that it was herpes , I cried on the table. The NP held my hand and looked me straight in the eye and told me important first words: she said: "You are not a pariah. This is not the end of your sex life". She let me ask my questions and gave me advice on nutritional and stress-reducing ways to manage the virus. She dispelled many myths I had about herpes and pregnancy. She gave me hope. Although the rest of that day was blur of grad school classes and tearful moments, I awoke the next morning and after some research on vitamin and herbal supplements, I headed straight to the health food store and purchased helpful vitamins and herbs. I also had a very nurturing and uplifting discussion with my last sexual partner. An on-again, off-again lover, I had last had sex with him a week before the outbreak. We used condoms. He has never had symptoms. It may or may not have been him that I contracted the virus from. He held my hand while I told him and after a long discussion and research session on the disease, he held me close. I don't know what the future has in store for us, but his caring reaction made me feel supported and fully human. I am determined to keep myself healthy, well-rested, well-fed and as stress-free as I possibly can be. I have decided to view this virus as something that will help me take care of myself. My life will change. I have not yet figured out how I will deal with telling future sexual partners about what I have. I haven't even figured out when I will want to to have sex again, if it means putting someone else at risk. I figure these things will slowly work themselves out in time.

It was not obvious to me that I had it. I frequently get a general area rash - no warning/oncoming symptoms. Never get cold sores.

I WAS PREGNANT WHEN I FOUND OUT AND THE SAID THING ABOUT IT I BEEN WITH MY PARTNER FOR 5 YEARS SO WHEN I TOLD HIM HE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT SO THAT MADE ME THINK THAT HE MUST OF HAD IT ALL ALONG AND DIDN'T TELL ME.

hi, i'm worried about this infection all time think about it , specially my wife also infected by hsv2 and that make me depression , because she planning to pregnant and it's possible to use a medication while she pregnant and will not effect fetus , my doctor start with long term medication one tablet per day 500mg of valtrex and that stopped the recurrience, and also will started with my wife also , just i had have avirus before 6 months ago ,, can u have any comment about this case plz,, i u have any new news about new product to cure this disease even under research ,or vaccin it's effect in our cases,, thanks''alot

dont rub your vagina near someone penis unless they have a condom and what looks okay, isnt always okay cause now i know outbreaks dont come on a regular or u just dont know these days.

I'm 22 years old and just found out I have genital herpes...so far i've been dealing with the pain for 2 weeks and I hope it ends soon. I still can't believe this happened to me...never in my life would I think I would have a disease, but you know what..you never know where life is going to take you and what its gonna give you. Some days I'm like "this isn't that bad" and some days I just cry...well only time will tell, this is my first outbreak, hopefully they get better. My doctor gave me Famvir and Valtrex...it worked kinda slowly, but maybe b/c its my first time who knows...but the one thing that kept me comfortable during this hell was Vagisil...I know it's not for herpes but it tends to numb the sores so your alittle more comfortable and also Desitin, I put that over the sores, so when I urinate it doesn't burn, b/c the Desitin is blocking the wetness w/ the cod liver oil it has in it. Unfortunately my boyfriend gave this to me from a cold sore on his lip. I get oral herpes every month a week before my period for as long as I can remember so I've learned to deal w/ that, it's nothing to me, but i'm guessing I pass'd my sores from my mouth to his mouth and thats how this whole mess started. So i'm not bitter towards him..we both just we're clueless that you can spread genital herpes like that. Well I've read all these stories and it really depressed me at first, but you know what I think I'm gonna be alright, as long as I take care of myself. If you wanna laugh my mom says I walk like I have a sack of shit in my pants :)...Well God Bless all of you and think positive..I'm gonna try!

I found out last month that i had HSV type 2. I was with my boyfriend and i trusted him when he said that he had been tested. after a few weeks we stopped using condoms. We became very close and he was planning a future with me. I found out 2 months after first being with him that i had contracted the virus. I was in a lot of pain and felt very alone. He said that he didnt have the virus (or played dumb). He said i must have got it from someone else. After i told him, he broke up with me and i found out that he slept with another girl the next night! All i can say is use condoms and god men are bastards!

I got the virus from my father whebn I was 10. I still remember it like it was yesterday. He had multiple facial sores, and he gave me a kiss on the lips, which I could not imagine "forgetting" if you had an outbreak. I began getting recurrung symptoms at 15 years old, and get as many as 12 facial outbreaks a year, not counting some recurring (one after the other). I hate it. It has definately affected my self esteem, when through college, I was having an outbreak per month. I have somehow infected my wife, though she harbors no resentment to me, it seems, I feel horrible about it.

Its hard for me to even begin to talk about this because it was my first time i had ever had sex before. I knew the boy for 5 years and i dont know what came over me that night but i had sex with him. Not thought in mind, he had a clod sore on his mouth that he said he got when he was sick and i didnt think anything of it...i wish i would have. I am constantly in pain in my mouth with the bumps on the back of my throat and the swollen gums and im scared to even trust another guy again. I was so sure that i was going to have sex sfter i got married but its obviously too late now. I never knew one mistake could effect u for the rest of ur life. I havent told him about it because if i ever came face to face with him it wouldnt be good because of all the anger im feeling all the time. I keep blaming myself and how i shold of known before i even considered kissing him...i used protection and i didnt have oral sex with him i got it from him by kissing him. Anything is possible

one time I was with this total fox, that I met at a party, and well, we started to make out. Things were getting really hot and heavy, I mean steamy. So, we went and got a room up stairs. When we were on the bed, and making out, his curious hands started to go to my fun bits, when I say fun bits, I mean vagina. Well, at that time I just reacently had an out break, but I ws just so horny that I totally forgot that I had them. When His hand entered my panties, he felt around, and he let out a loud EEEWWWWW!!!!!! He pulled up his pants, left the room and screamed at the top of his lungs. " SHE 'S GOT TROLLS IN HER PANTS ". I was mortified.

Hi all,I contracted Herpes type I during a monogomous relationship. To be blunt, I frequently get cancor sores in my mouth. He would like me to give him oral sex and "finish" inside of me. I believe that is when i contracted genital herpes, during one of these times. I had never had and outbreak before and he had never either. In fact he thought I had cheated on him which was devastating to me. I had never had an out break until 5 years later. Initially, I was devastated. I felt dirty and undesirable. How could anyone ever want me? I never told anyone about my condition until my current boyfriend. I was so afraid to tell him, but I wanted to be honest. That night i found out he had it too and was terrified to tell me!! Don't feel dirty! Don't be afraid and don't let this ruin your life. it is such a small part of who you are and what you can give to a relationship. Once it is off your chest, you will truly learn if true love is there with that person and you will feel SOOOOO much better to get it off your chest. Be safe!!

This web site is an excellent resource. I contracted herpes, type one, on my genitals during oral sex and my partner was NOT having and did not have an outbreak himself. This is supposildy rare, but I still have to live with herpes, I am am a virgin! It can happen to anyone, be careful.

I was diagnosed today. Well Actually the culture is not back yet but the Dr has already started me on Valtrex. I just broke out a week ago with like 3-4 soars and I kinda knew I work in healthcare. There es foams: abstains from sex: true No Prevention: true Contacted herpes at this age: 19 Herpes Carrier: Has Herpes type1: Has Herpes type2: Diagnostic testing: LCC: PAP: other: none: true Symptoms during lesion formation: sharp_pain: muscle_aches: true lymph: true headaches: fever: true Treatment: Prescription: overTheCounter: true psychotherapy: diet: vitaminsHerbs: stressReduction: none: true Outbreak Frequency: Frequency: 4to7 Outbreak Duration: Duration: 4-7 Pregnancy Plans: pregnancyPlans: 0 Education: Education: HighSchoolGraduate Experiences: Experiences: I caught H from my second boyfriend whom I went out with for two years - I was in the RAF and was never properly diagnosed with the Doc saying that he "didn't like to call it Herpes" after I had looked up my symptoms and the Acyclovir cream he prescribed me in a book. I spent the next 14 or so years with this secret feeling dirty and scared to get proper advice although I always informed any partners of what I thought I had. I have about 7 attacks a year though sometimes it is more - I seem to have a few 'mild' bouts where It is mainly just the sores which appear in different places and then I get major attacks when I get really depressed just before the outbreak and I am very tired with aching muscles and my glands come up in my groin - It leaves me feeling utterly dreadful for a few weeks and I am unable to cope with much other than just getting through each weary day. When I left the RAF and got a civilian doctor I finally asked him about it and he spent a long time talking to me which suddenly took away the shame and dirtiness I had caried with me for so long - he still did not seem to know an awful lot about the treatment of it but will give me acyclovir tablets if I get a bad outbreak - It seems that the British are a long way behind the Americans in dealing with the virus - I have not found any self help groups over here which I feel are much needed. I really felt the lack of expertise with the birth of my second baby which occured when I had an outbreak - nobody seemed to know if I should have a ceaser or not - I had her naturally and then I had a doctor putting her on Acyclovir but she was not sure how long to keep her on it for - it was a very worrying time with figures of 6 months or more being banded about - they eventually decided on two weeks during which time I had to take her in to be checked over regularly - thank god she seems to be fine but I feel that consultants need more training in this field as I felt very uneasy and unreassured with their lack of knowledge. I just want any one reading this to know that yes, this virus really does get you down at times and it can be hard to cope with but it does not have to stop you having a happy and fulfilled life - I have a loving and caring partner and two wonderful children and any one looking at my family would not begin to guess that I suffer from Herpes - I have kept it secret for so many years but am now slowly beginning to release the burden of having to lie to explain my bouts of tiredness and depression - I fianlly told my mum recently and felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. I hope this gives a ray of light to some of the people on this site especially some of the youngsters who feel that they have no chance of a happy life - you really can have a fulfilling and great life once you learn to go with the flow and just accept the low phases that the virus brings - it really is not the end - it is just different.

Well, I feel so bad. I have been going out with a girl for 11 yrs now. I first noticed the symptoms early on. I didn't think much of them at the time. I run and work out daily so I thought they were related. Looking back I'm such a fool. Then as time went on, I couldn't bring myself to ever say anything. I love her so much. Also she has always sufferred from real bad oral soars. Do I think she gave me this, maybe. Do I think I got it before we started going out, very possible. Now were having some problems and we may not make it. I need to tell her but I'm so scared that this will be the end. I also know she is sufferring from bad urinary track infections. I know what I need to do, but it's going to be so hard.

I was diagnosed herpes two days before my 19th birthday. i contracted it from a boyfriend. i knew he had it and we used protection, but one time we didn't becuase he said he didn't have an outbreak. well, that was almost nine years ago and i haven't been intimate with anyone since for fear of telling them. i am so terrified of telling a potential partner of my "condition" that i haven't even been in a relationship longer than two months. i am an otherwise stong, intelligent, independent, happy woman, but when the moment of informing comes i emotionally freeze and run from him. i don't want to be alone for the rest of my life but i don't know how to get past that hurdle. it's like it is crippling me.

I CONTACTED IT THROUGH A LIVE IN BOYFRIEND WHO CHEATED ON ME WHILE WE WAS TOGETHER. mY FIRST EXPERIENCE WAS VERY PAINFUL I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT I AM SURE HE DID. HE STILL IS HAVIN UNPROTECTED SEX WITH PEOPLE.WHAT EVER U DO PROTECT U.PEOPLE CAN BE SO SELFISH SOMETIMES

I contracted herpes when I was 15. I am now 24 and I have never really had to deal much with it because I havent had many outbreaks. I really dont think much about it. Its not the end of the world it is just something that you have to deal with and know that you are no less because of it.

The "gift giver" didn't tell me he had it. I used to think only poor or dirty people could have herpes. He tried to "trap" me into staying with him, as he said that we had something in common. No thanks. Alone is better than being lied to. I used to look for love and settled for sex when attracted to a male. Thank God I don't have HIV or AIDS. No one can take away my interests in Horses, Watching Rodeos, Country Western Dancing, music, animals, and a few, good friends. Thank God for the internet which helped me realize just how, "not alone", I am....

So many of the stories on this site are negative. I got H while using a condom with someone who didn't know they had it, about a year ago. I haven't been intimate with many people since then, but the 2 people I've told about it were absolutely accepting. The thing is, there are good people out there who will accept your flaws and like you for who you are, not judge the minor things, which H is really is (minor)! It is just a small flaw, something I think is a lot less bothersome than say, rudeness or dishonesty. Of course, everyone gets lonely sometimes, even people without herpes, but to focus on the disease as a reason why you'll be alone...well, that will just be a self-fulfilling prophecy if you keep thinking that way. Look on the bright side- you aren't dying, there are good suppressive meds to take, and SO MANY people have it that it's not like you're alone!!! Just try to enjoy life without focusing on how this disease affects you, and then people will enjoy you in the same way. I just want to tell people that may be visiting this site for the first time that NOT EVERYONE is so upset or bothered by this minor health condition.

I am 22 years old. I contracted the herpes virus on my birthday of this year from my boyfriend, great present, eh? It felt like ultimate betrayal at first, but we realized it was only an accident, and there is nothing we can do about it now, but try to keep it under control and look on the bright side. Sure, it's painful and embarassing to talk about, but so are a lot of things, so let's all suck it up (dirty pun?) and get on with our lives. I just want people reading this to realise that this is not the end of the world. It is a minor inconvenience that affects a lot of people out there. Thanks for being brave enough to speak out and share with others about your experiences.

Well, since Im only seventeen and I already have the STD I'd like to say that dont think you cant get it, because I have never done anything more than kiss my boyfriend and I now have genital herpes along with herpes simplex-1. Plus he is my first boyfriend and first kiss and I am his. He has never had an outbreak his whole life not even a coldsore. So from my perspective who is ever really safe from herpes then?

Im a senior in High School, a Private Christian High School, up untill my junior year I had never had a boyfriend, mainly because of my strict father and super high standards. No one seemed good enough--that and that I was scared of a relationship anyway. My school has less than 400 people in it so you know everything about everyone. The summer before my junior year I started liking this guy who had been my friend since 7th grade. I always thought him to be the guy with all personality. He had liked me in the past for about 2yrs. Anyway he had never had a girlfriend before or been kissed, just like me, and we both wanted to marry the first person we ever kissed. We are both waiting until we get married to have sex. So we are both virgins. Anyway, He asked me out halfway thru my junior year and we have been going out now a year and a month. Im now a senior looking forward to college. Well I was just diagnosed with genital herpes. How? Who knows? Seriously how can a girl who has only been kissed her whole life and only by one guy who has never kissed any other girl and has never even had a coldsore. Thats right he definatly dosent have herpes or any sign of herpes simplex-1 or herpes simplex-2. Me on the other hand will have a much changed lifestyle. How am I someday going to tell my husband. I wanted to be a housewife and have four kids. I dont want to now. Why would I. Knowing that my children would have even the smallest risk of all the things that tie in with genital herpes--blindness, heart complications, brain problems and even fatality! I dont even want to get married. I will stay abstinant. JUST REMEMBER THAT IF I GOT GENITAL HERPES AND I HAVE ONLY BEEN KISSED BY ONE GUY WHO HAS ONLY KISSED ME AND WE HAVE NEVER DONE MORE THAN KISS THAN WHO WILL EVER BE SAFE FROM GETTING HERPES!

Well need less to say I am greatly depressed and have been since the day I found out I had this virus. I cry almost daily over everything because of this!!! I feel dirty and helpless!!! I am with a wonderful guy at this time and he knows I have it but I fear that when we do break up (if we ever do) I will totally lose it!! I found out I had it in December of 2002 and ever since I have changed, I am never truly happy I just truly hate myself!! I use to be quite confident but not anymore I really just wish I could die sometimes!! I hope one day a cure for this will be found because I would not wish this virus on any other human being not even my worst enemy!!

I contract an occasional cold sore, usually one per year. I currently have a cold sore in the final healing stage. About a week ago, my girlfriend went to the doctor because she wasn't feeling well with flu-like symptoms. The doctor ran some tests and determined that I had given her herpes from oral sex. We are waiting to see if it is HSV-1 or 2 that is affecting her. We were initially crushed by the news. It never occured to either of us that herpes could be spread from a cold sore to the genital region. We have been educating ourselves to ensure that we can minimize the occurances and severity of the virus.

I don't know for certain if I have genital herpes or not. I beleive that I do, but I fear getting the actual news from a doctor. I get a tingling sensation by my leg, and then a few days later, a couple of little bumps show up. They don't have any fluid or turn into open sores or anything, but I have heard that can happen. It sucks though, because I just got into a sexual relationship for the first time since when I beleive I contracted it a year and a half ago. It's only happened a couple of times, at first I thought it was razor burn or ingrown hairs or something, but since I got into a relationship, I started thinking about it, and started looking at all the info on the net. I know I shouldn't self diagnose, but I think it's a type of therapy almost. I have come to terms with the fact that I have herpes, before I even know if I do or not. I don't know how I am going to tell this guy that I've been having sex with. I just got my I beleive to be third or so outbreak . I'm in a bad situation here. I just figured it out about 2 days ago, and I've only known him for a month and a half. He's my new house mate. I told him I didn't know if I had any STDs or not. And he decided to take the risk anyway. I've never been tested for anything. He's only my third sexual partner. I guess now I go get tested, and deal with the consecuences of casual sex.

WHEN I FIRST FOUND OUT THAT I HAD HERPES, I WAS DEVISTATED. I THINK THE GUY I WAS WITH AT THE TIME GAVE IT TO ME. I NEVER TOLD HIM I HAD IT THOUGH. THE FIRST OUTBREAK WAS HORRIBLE. THE DOCTORS THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A YEAST INFECTION, BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS IT GOT REALLY WORSE AND I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HERPES. I HAVENT'T TOLD ANYONE IN MY FAMILY, AND I DON'T PLAN TO. BUT I DID TELL MY CURRENT BOYFRIEND AND HE ACCEPTED IT FINE. OUR SEX LIFE HAS NOT MISSED A BEAT. WE HAVE HAD UNPROTECTED SEX AND ALSO USED A CONDEM AND HE HAS NOT HAD ANY SYMPTOMS AT ALL. I WOULD SAY AFTER THE FIRST OUTBREAK I HAVE HAD ONLY ONE OUTBREAK AND IT WAS JUST A BUMP THAT WENT AWAY AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS. HERPES DOES NOT HAVE TO RULE YOUR LIFE. COUNTINUE TO BE SAFE AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST. PROTECT YOURSELF BECAUSE THERE ARE ALOT WORSE THINGS THAT COULD OF HAPPENED TO YOU. REMEMBER ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE VIRUS THEY JUST AREN'T AWARE.

During an outbreak I find the use of zovirax after washing a good supressent & aslo the use of Talc powder can keep the area comfortable while working or going about your day it also absorbs the area and holds you clean until your next shower. stay away from sex during an outbreak is my only advise

I was reading all of the personal stories this morning trying to gather the courage to tell my boyfriend that I have herpes. Rather than giving me the hope I needed to tell him about it, I became more fearful that he would leave me and lose respect for me. However, I just told him, and I want to share my story with all of you so that you can hopefully find the courage to tell someone you love about your disease. I got herpes from my first sexual partner, and not by intercourse, but through oral sex. I was so scared to go get tested, but the actual experience at the STD clinic was a positive one, and the nurses gave me a sense of optimism. However, that didn't last for long when I realized that in this cruel world it would be next to impossible to explain to anyone about my condition. I saw my hopes for falling in love and establishing a family go down the drain. Not to mention that the pain of my first outbreak was so unbearable, that no amount of pain killers could provide me with any comfort. After that I was inconsiderate and went on a rampage of sorts sleeping with guys whom I did not care for, mostly because I didn't think anyone could ever care for me. Just a few months ago I was introduced to my current boyfriend, I have never felt this way about another person, and I don't think I was expecting that I could ever feel this way, but I have fallen in love. We have had sex, and although it was protected this fact made it so much harder to tell him about the disease. But just recently I realized that if I wanted our relationship to really last that I would have to come clean about my shady sexual history. So, I called him up and read a note that I had written to him about what was going on. I didn't know what to expect, but all he said was that he loved me, and he should go get checked and that we would have to be extra careful from now on. Basically, the message that I am trying to get across is that you should tell the people who you are in relationships with about your disease before they get it so that they can decide whether or not continuing the relationship is worth the risk. And the people who leave obviously aren't worth your time, but if that significant other decides to stay with you, you know that you have a real keeper!!!

I just found out I have herpes I am in a new relationship and it has been hard on the both of us it is terrifing to think of the possibility of others finding out. We have been working hard on keeping out relationship open and being open and responisive to eachothers feelings about it... My first out break was a few weeks ago it came on as a cold at first my glands swelled up I had a high fever and notice a great deal of pain in my vaginal area. I was in denial of what I knoe it was just because I didn't want it to be true.. I have two small children already and thinking of having another one with my boyfriend down the road. it is hard to think about having sex with him for fear that I may give it to him as well... I some times feel like I am less of a woman because of this.

I just found out today that I have herpes.The doctor placated me with facts about how common it is, but I still can't help but think that everything has changed. I can't imagine telling a new partner about this, and the idea of dating and sex is very intimidating. Then there are the feelings of shame, loneliness and self-blame I associate with all of this. I guess I'm a victim of the stigma of the "evil of herpes" as much as anyone.

Now is the time to be honest with myself. I was and am still angry at times about contracting the virus. I am not sure if I got it at 19 or earlier. I recall having a cold sore when I was about 10 years old. I thought it was a burn from eating too many green mangoes at the time. I do not recall having any other "burn" like that. As a more informed individual, I now know that it was Herpes. Whether it was 1 or 2 I do not know. At age 19 I found out from blood tests that I had the virus, type 2. I got tested when I kept having burning sensations during sex with my partners. The irritation started during the time when I was having sex with more than one person. I used to have full blown unprotected sex with three of them during a one month period. All three deny having it when we were fucking. I later decided on settling down with one of them, a professional,but kept having sex with a second one, a surgeon for another year. The third one was my boyfriend who I was breaking up with after 4 years. After that, it was unprotected with the two remaining ones. Then I simply decided on one and we had unprotected sex for another year before he showed any symptoms. I still did not know if I had given it to him or if he was just starting to show symptoms from being asymptomatic. He of course blamed me and when you read the following, I am sure it is likely to blame me too. Over a six months period when I was 19, I did have guys touch me, unprotected, before insertion. Fill in your own comments about this. I can argue that I was having fun, did not know what I wanted, wanted everything and everyone, still suffering from childhood sexual abuse from neighbors, got a kick out of having a steady boyfriend and fooloing around on the side, was insatiable, or just being wild but stupidly. They are no excuse and they were not the cause. To monogamous individuals, that was being a cheat and I can hear the voices saying it was my fault. Was it? I must have gotten it from one of those many persons including the three who I had been seeing more than casually. Until this day, only the one who I chose has rejected me. He said he could not live with my past and if he loved me as I deserve then it would not matter. I was dumped. He gave that speech and dumped me. He did not mention that he had found someone else. Even after I knew he was with someone else he wanted to and we had unprotected sex for another year until I left Jamaica. Even when I left he wanted to continue having me and whomever. He is now married with kids with that someone else. He still calls to see if I am okay. So, he is happy with the virus that he said I gave him. Or did I? I have told people that I have it and none has turned away. I am still single but I am content to keep it that way. I love having sex and being free, even with Herpes. I use condoms, my choice, not theirs, and these are with intelligent, informed men.

I had never required anyone to use protection to have sex with me; I never thought I would get anything. There are many worse things that one can get through sexual contact. There is HIV, Hepatitis, Genital warts (at least herpes heals itself). Now that I am ethically required to be sure my partners use condoms, I may very well end up saving myself from something much worse than herpes. Its not the end of the world.

Don't think that using a condom will exempt you from getting HERPES. It didn't block herpes transmission to me. It's ironic that someone who is most always very careful got this when there are people running around out there who are NEVER careful and don't have anything. But, it is only Herpes and It Could Be Worse! Keep everything in perspective! You could be dead.

I just found out that I have Herpes, after making some bad decisions. I was with my boyfriend for 3 years, cheated on him, and then moved away. Believe me, I definitely regret that decision! After I moved I met a guy who was a virgin, and asked me to be his first. Now I have to tell him, the ex and the guy I cheated with, just in case. I feel really bad for the last guy because it was his first time, but I didn't know! I didn't have any recognizable symptoms, never have, and it just came out on the PAP. The ex has been the best about it, even though he knows that I could have had it while we were together. At first I felt like a dirty whore, I couldn't get that phrase out of my head, but he helped me realize that this is something a lot of people deal with, but very few talk about. I'm lucky to have supportive people around me, even my mom! But I'm not looking forward to dating again, it's hard enough to start dating again without having this hanging over me!

it is very distressing .When i want to have sex .i have to really care that the symptoms r not there .So basically i can't have sex when i need it .That's what is irritating

I was a virgin and had sex for the first time. He never told me that he had anything and still to this day says that I got it from someone else. Be careful and ask lots of questions.

I am 23 years old and i contracted herpes 16 months ago.When i found out i had herpes i was devestated really stressed out.I didnt waste no time to tell my partner what he had gave me .My partner was my first but my ex when he gave me herpes.{its kinda crazy we were together but not together),see we were boyfriend and girlfriend in high school but after the second year i got pregnant and he didnt want nothing to do with me.So i did have an abortion and hated him for it .I was only 17 ,scared and confused i turned to my older sister and she told me it was for the best that i had an abortion.Well i stressed over the abortion,but threw the years i move on and then made the mistake of my life,to get back involed with him the same guy who left me when i needed him the mosts and only to allow him to hurt me agian because sure enough he lied to me about who gave it to me and told the same girl who he told me gave it to him ,that i probally gave it to him. See i called that girl on the phone because i wanted to be sure and sure enough that girl didnt know nothing about him giving me herpes or him having it only that he was trying to get back with her and he didnt want nothing to do with me agian..Well if i learned something in my life it that "why go back 2 garbage when you can get something new " and 'if someone hurts you there wrong, but if someone hurts you twice then you only allowed it ".well luckly ive now learned from my mistakes and moved on ,9 months ago i meet someone very special ,and i was honest with him from day one ,three weeks after we started datting i told him i had herpes and he respected me very much for telling him before we got sexually involled ,he stayed with me and we are now living together and engaged to be married nexted may 2004 ,im very happy with him and i love him so much for him being himself and for him loving me for who i realy am .god bless you all and i wish the best for all of you.

Well it looks like I am paying a high price along with the rest of you for a few good times that I had.. Been married 19 years, hubby cheated on me 6 years ago.. Thought he was up to it again (twice a month isn't enough for me) and a nice looking guy came on to me.. He was very persitant and I was attracted to him as well.. I figured no one would know if I did anything but him and I.. Boy was I ever WRONG!!!! He was supposed to have been clean (just got out of prison and was tested for everything there).. What he failed to tell me is that he was seeing someone else along with the couple of times we were together..(The sex was FANTASTIC but not worth the price..) Well it only took me 3 days to start coming down with symptoms.. Still unaware of what was going on at this time, my hubby wanted to get busy too.. Well as you can guess he came down with it a week later.. I feel so bad for doing it now, but you can't turn back time.. At least his symptoms are nothing like mine were..His was just dryness and then 6 blisters.. I wanted to die they were so bad.. Major headaches, chills, aches, fever, dry itch, discharge, bleeding, and BURN when I went to the bathroom.. And this went on for two weeks.. I have lost 10 pounds since the symptoms began.. I am sure I was a bit dehydrated to boot cuz I was afraid to drink anything because it hurt so bad to pee.. Here it is 3 weeks since and still have trouble going pee but at least it doesn't hurt to go anymore.. Now it feels like my skin is crawling all the time and it tickles somewhat.. Almost feel to raw yet to scratch it though.. At least I am not getting the chills and aches any more, but I am scared to death for a recurrance for fear it will hurt when I pee again.. And the bleeding jeez.. I don't even have monthly's anymore (thanks to a hysterectomy)but this is almost as bad.. If every time I were to have a break out is as bad as this first one was, I don't think I can deal with all the pain.. Guess I will have to ride it out and see how it goes.. But the whole thing really has been a blessing in disguise as far as my marriage goes.. My hubby and I are so much closer now than ever before..And now we know we can trust each other never to mess around again for fear of worse problems or spreading this horrible monster.. I just have to look at it like I do everything else in life, it can only better right????

Yeah. I got it through my first sexual encounter. Even though I did not have intercourse then. There is such a stigma associated with Herpes. I was afraid to go to the doctor for a long time because I didn't want to be perceived as a being promiscious. I'm still worried that I won't find someone willing to be with me...

I just recently found out that I have herpes and it was through an ex-boyfriend that didn't tell me that he had it which now I have to live with it. I now don't want to even date because I had gave my trust to someone that I loved at the time and he totally screwed me. I have three children and now I have it even harder because I have to find someone who will love me for me,my kids,and my problem.

i am a 16 year old virgin and i PLAN on staying celibate until marriage. i have a 17 year old boyfriend (i being his 1st girlfriend) and he and i have been dating for a year now. he is in atlanta and i am here in bama. i moved. thats a long story...moving on. i had to do a health report on a STD and i chose herpes. its kinda wierd becuase my boyfriend and i have been contemplating whether we whould engage in oral sex. i am a little goody goody Christian girl (def not perfect, dont get me wrong now) and we have only kissed thrice and made out once. so it would be a big step. my self esteem is really low now becuase of the move and since we never get to see eachother we get really, well, in the mood, if you will, when in contact. i am scared taht i am gonna get carried away and let him go ahead and do it. he is sweet and wont do anything that i object to, yet he feels comfortalbe doing it and if i said ok woiuld not think twice. i just want to have something that feels good in my life, ya know? we are both remaining celibate til marriage (we are planning to be married his senior year in college) so thats not really an issue. though it is tough cuase even though i am a goody goody i want to have sex and feel good. that sounds AWFUL! anyeays, reading everyone's testimonies has really helped me. i wasn't aware you could contract genital herpes through oral sex. bf and i have agreed that i will never perform oral sex on him, but he wants to on me. last time we were together he had a cold sore. we made out and everything, but thank Jesus that i stood firm in not asking him to perform. i could have contracted the virus! everyone's messags have really helped me stand firm to refrain from having oral sex, at least until bf and i are formally engaged. with raging hormones and seperation, this will be hard to do. i ask that you all keep me in your thoughts and prayesr. it is the hardest thing i will have to do thus far. God bless you all, for you have me.

I just want people who have Genital Herpes that their is hope to find a partner , and that partner does not have to be someone who has the virus as well. As long as you are very upfront (at the right time in the relationship - this would be before having sex) to tell your mate. Stay Positive, it could be worse-

Well, this really sux. Lives and learns, don't ya... ...FUK.

i just got recently caught genital herpes this year. i was taken advantage of by a person who i thought i knew, when i found out i had it i was so hurt, i was depressed and it took a friend to help me through this. now i am back to myself and living my life to the fullest without sex. thats until i found out what i can and cant do, and if the person can still catch it when protection is still used......

I just got diagnosed tonight after getting the results of the culture back. I have serious health issues already and have been on immunosupressant drugs for almost 2 yrs and I am about to undergo colon removal surgery in 4 days. I had no clue about this disease nor did I think I was at risk. I feel that the poor state of health I am in and the stress of going through surgery left my body with nothing to fight off an outbreak if indeed I have had this disease for some time. I am very angry, scared and depressed and this was the last thing I needed to find out just 4 days before my surgery.

I was just diagnosed with herpes yesterday. I have only had sex a couple of times with someone i love more than anyone else in the world, and that was only after I realized I wanted to be with that person for the rest of my life. He has had other sexual partners and was unaware that he had given me the virus.

well i didnt think i wanted to take this survery but after sitting here reading others for over an hour i feel differently. i just want to lay down and cry and sleep and never wake up bc i cant believe this is happening to me. like many others i feel so ashamed and dirty. i havent always made the best decisions in my life and i feel like i am paying for them now. i didnt lose my virginity til 21 and i only had sex w/this guy for 2 years. we didnt usually have protected sex bc i was naive and in love. we broke up and i had sex w/4 other people, most unprotected. So i dont know for sure how or where i got the disease but i do know that my 1st bf had cold sores so that is a definite possibility. i am no expert on std's but i had no idea that oral herpes could be spread to your genitals. i wouldnt let him kiss me bc i knew i could get cold sores and i knew it was a form of herpes. i was 1st diagnosed w/genital warts and after being treated for them they just told me that i might have herpes. i was just starting to be able to deal w/the warts and now this... please try to educate your friends.

Yes, but I,am no ready to talk now I just now the i have herpes 3 days ago I,am very confuse.sara

i dont know how i got it, i was only in 6th or 7th grade when it started and i was a virgin ( i never even kissed anyone). i didnt know what it was until 2 years ago. i really would like to know how and who i got it from. i still havent told anyone about it. but i do only have sex when i dont have a sore and i ALWAYS use a condom.

I have been married for 8 years and have been with my husband for 12 years. This past January, I was diagnosed with genital HSV-1...I contracted it through having oral sex with my husband who had a cold sore! I was floored! I would never have imagined that after 12 years in a monogamous relationship that I could contract something as horrible as Herpes. I had never even had a cold sore in my entire life.(after doing some research on the internet I realized that that could be a reason I was able to contract genital HSV-1 so easily, my body didn't have any antibodies for HSV) When I first began to notice the signs, I had no idea what it was, I thought it was perhaps an ingrown hair. Within 2 days, however, I was VERY afraid, the bumps had multiplied and the pain was getting SEVERE.I could barely urinate. I went to my doctor who informed me it was herpes. How could this be?? I am educated, married, have two children??? She prescribed Valtrex, but I still had to suffer through horrible pain and discomfort for about 7 days before I began to have relief. This was probably because I did not go to my doctor right away, but waited for about 4 or 5 days. When the lab results came back, it was HSV-1. At first I was horrified, and the thought of having to maybe go through another outbreak every few months terrified me. The pain was so horrible! I have been reading a lot on the internet about Herpes and HSV-1 and feel very encouraged and hopeful that perhaps I will be lucky and never have another outbreak. I hope to live a healthy and happy life, and while I am much more aware and observant of my body now, still constantly worrying about a possible reoccurance, I am hopeful that I will be free from future outbreaks and will be able to put this horrible experience behind me.

I am not yet sure who i got herpes from. It is very new to me. I found out today. I am not freaking out like some people have posted but i so not appreciate having herpes. It will change my life.....

I have no idea when, or how I contracted the virus. I have always been careful useing condoms. I feel dirty and restricts my sexual activities.

I contracted herpes two years ago, from a partner who tried to tell me he did not infect me. I had divored 8 years before meeting this man and had not had a sexual partner in those 8 years. Go figure the one time my guard is down and I get this nasty infection. My doctor told me it was an inital outbreak and still he lied. Needless to say, I am not with him any more. I feel betrayed and depressed. I know I will never have another sexual partner or find anyone who will love me, thanks to this jerk who is probably spreading it to other innocent women.

I contracted Genital Herpes from my Ex-Husband who, at the time, wasn't aware of the fact that he is a carrier. I know that I contracted from him and him only as I did not have any sexual relations with anyone before him. I was in India at the time when I had my first outbreak. I went to a gyenocologist in India, she prescribed me these 4 tablets to take all at once. I vomited it all out immediately after having dinner, then again vomited once more after that. Every other doctor was so ignorant about this STD. No one was of any help. About a year later, I contracted it again. Now I take Anti-Viral medication everytime I feel something coming on. I have a boyfriend now who is aware of it. I have realised that I wasn't able to save myself from contracting it, but all I can do now is save other people. Although we have been going out for about a year, there is no guarantee that he is going to be my life partner. Therefore, I am going to break up with him for this reason. I don't want him or his future partner to contract it. I am feeling extremely devestated, but I have to do this. Otherwise, I won't be able to live with myself.

oh how it sucks! I was really young when i got it and it is very depressing when it happens. I just try and be thankful for what i do have.

I just found out, I felt "dirty" and that nobody would want to be with me. As soon as I found out - I told my current boyfriend. He has been very understanding and helping me deal with this "problem". I have came to realize I can live with this and just be more careful.

I just want to talk to someone who can answer my questions...

I got herpies a little after I turned 19, by 2 guys that took advantage of me. I was at my room-mates brothers house and some one slipped something into my drink. I don't remember anything, I was found 5 days later, Starved and about froze to death. My room-mate found me and nursed me back to life. I didnt get tested then. I thought nothing like that could happen to me. I was in denial. I moved on with my life and got married. Needless to say that didnt work out and ended in divorce. When I was 20, I met someone and it got pretty serious.It was then I had my first out break.I went to the Dr. to find out what was wrong and she said I had herpies. I told the guy I was dateing and he acted and said he understood and was ok with all of it. After awhile he used it aginst me and we broke up. I am 21 now, and in result of denial I gave it to 2 people who I lved. All I can say is if you had unprotected sex of even think you may have been exposed to something get tested. You wouldnt want to hurt someone you loved like I have.

Genital Herpes is a pain, but its not a life ruining experience. I contracted it from my college girl friend many years ago. I knew the risks and rolled the dice. Sure, I can tell you now that I wish I'd turned that car around, but I did'nt. Since then I've lived with it for almost 20 years w/o a real problem. I'm happily married with 2 kids. My kids are fine, and I don't believe my wife has contracted my little friend. Diet, Lysiene (sp), and a relaxed life style have definately reduced my outbreaks. I've learned the "triggers" and the leading clues that I'm either shedding or having about to begin an outbreak. Symptoms such as intense tingling usually clue me into the fact its time for a cold shower. Unfortunately for me I believe I've tranfered the virus to my face. I have seen the virus appear on other parts of my body (upper stomach) and disappear never to return again to the region. I recently jumped on some meds. and hope that and will see how that works. One "Trigger" that I have not heard anyone mention is Alchohol. I can drink beer w/o a problem, yet give me a mixed drink and I can plan on an outbreak. In regards to new partners....Be honest, and inform them before you hit the bed room! later

I've been divorced for 17 years and have had the virus for 10 years. I got it from my ex-fiance who suffered from cold sores on his mouth area. It never ocurred to me that oral sex with him, during his outbreak, would create my outbreaks at the base of spine.I have never had them anywhere else, for which I am very thankful. He, unfortunately, accused me of sleeping around. Other partners, over the years, have been more understanding. My OB/GYN has known me for 25 years - and told me the outbreaks would lessen in time. He is wise, supportive, and correct. Valtrex, proper diet and rest, and exercise have been my best friends for 10 years. The hardest thing for me is the anxiety of telling a potential partner about my herpes. That fear of rejection just never goes away. I tell the guy, right away, from the moment I see we are getting close. The mental damage herpes does to you has been worse for me than the physical pain of the outbreaks. My heart goes out to all of you who deal with this every day of your lives. Hopefully, time will pass and a cure will be found. Meanwhile, get more sleep and exercise! The worst aspect, for me,is telling my potential partner about my herpes. It's so hard to be calm and factual about an emotional

I've been divorced for 17 years and have had the virus for 10 years. I got it from my ex-fiance who suffered from cold sores on his mouth area. It never ocurred to me that oral sex with him, during his outbreak, would create my outbreaks at the base of spine.I have never had them anywhere else, for which I am very thankful. He, unfortunately, accused me of sleeping around. Other partners, over the years, have been more understanding. My OB/GYN has known me for 25 years - and told me the outbreaks would lessen in time. He is wise, supportive, and correct. Valtrex, proper diet and rest, and exercise have been my best friends for 10 years. The hardest thing for me is the anxiety of telling a potential partner about my herpes. That fear of rejection just never goes away. I tell the guy, right away, from the moment I see we are getting close. The mental damage herpes does to you has been worse for me than the physical pain of the outbreaks. My heart goes out to all of you who deal with this every day of your lives. Hopefully, time will pass and a cure will be found. Meanwhile, get more sleep and exercise! The worst aspect, for me,is telling my potential partner about my herpes. It's so hard to be calm and factual about an emotional

I have out breaks more often now because of stress. I got it from my first ex- husband he wasn't faithful at all. Now I can say that I hate the situation and not him. I have had a hard time with relationships because I do be honest with the person that I am with. Maybe one day I will be able to move forward in relationships one day.

I am a doctor, married to a wonderful man who had contracted the virus from an old girlfriend years ago. He has a very full carreer, and is sometimes so stressed and tired, he breaks out (he has herpes 11 virus). When I first met him, he was in a sort of denial, but we worked it out together, and when he told me, there was no way that this was going to make a difference in us being together. Love is much stronger than a virus, and that is a fact. Those who run away, are not worth it. He told me before we ever had sexual contact, and we always use protection. We have 2 children, one naturally, as I decided to take a chance, and one in-vitro. We learned about the disease together. Yes, it does place some restrictions on our sexual relations, but not enough to have it be a major issue. Whenever we feel frustrated about some of the limitations, we talk to eachother, air it out, and that helps a lot. All relatioships take work, and none are perfect, and to us, now together 13 years, it is minor. It was not always so. When we first talked about it, he cried, and so did I, he felt so defeated. Now, it is just a little problem. We have learned that anything can be overcome, as long as both people are responsible and caring adults. To all of you who are so brave and caring as to inform your partners of this disease, and risk rejection, but have the morals and ethics to do what is right, you are to be commennded. To those who say they just couldn't bring themselves to humiliate themselves, so had sex with people wihtout disclosure, you are potential murderers, and do not belong in society. HOW DARE YOU. There is no sympathy for the likes of people like that.

I don't like it. I am getting divorced and my wife is the one who shared this with me but told me almost a year into our relationship after i was having problems. Now I don't want to give it to anyone. Just trying to learn how to prevent spreading same. I find when ever I stress I get out breaks and if I do a lot of flying with low or no cabin presure at high altitudes it usually creates an onset. I don't sleep much anyway I'm sure that doesn't help either.

I just found out(Mar. 5,2003) today that I have herpes 2. I have been married for 71/2 yrs. I do not know when I contracted herpes or from whom. I cannot tell my husband yet. He is in Kuwait getting ready for possible war. I do not want to make him aware of this yet, I want him to be able to concentrate on his job. But, I am really upset and do not know what to do. I also have another partner(yes hubby knows), I have told this person already. He took the news very well, even said for me not to be upset and that he will still be my friend. He even joked that he hopes he's positive so we can still have sex. Which by the way I did not find funny. But, I told him we can still if we are careful and follow the safe sex guidelines. I go to the GYN doc in the morning and will be discussing my options with him. I am confused and still shocked right now, but will not let this thing keep me down.

The second person I had sex with gave me herpes. I didn't even know I had herpes until a year after I contracted it. It started out with a bruise like feeling in my genital area and ended up with painful lesions. When I was diagnosed, I knew exactly who I got it from. I have a current boyfriend now that I have been dating for some months now and he doesn't know I have it. He has asked me before but I was too scared to tell him. I don't know if I will ever have the guts to tell somebody that I have an std. I wish that whoever I dated had the same thing as me so I won't alone and disgusted with myself.

I like many, am uncertain of where I got the diseaese. I had been in a two year relationship with my boyfirend at the time of my 1st outbreak. My doctor said that I could have been carrying the disease previously and just not have had an outbreak or that my boyfriend could be the carrier, and not know it. I guess I will never know. My boyfriend has been really great. At the time I didn't know how I would go on with my life or even if he would want to be with me anymore. I feel very grateful for having such understanding people in my life. I don't believe I could have got through it without them...I hope everyone is lucky enough to be surrounded by supportive and caring family and mates. Because it is a very daunting thought to know that you are never going to be rid of this disease. Although, I hope that I will be able to get it under control in the future...

I contracted the virus in 1987,in Korea from a prostitute.Ihave been living with it ever since.Always wear a rubber,and if you have a outbreak,DONT HAVE SEX,you will save your partner a lot of pain. Sincerly,LTG.

Noticed that if I take a body building supplement, like Androstenedione, it is a guaranteed that a breakout will occur.

When I found out I had Herpes, I thought my life was over, my mom didnt talk to me for 3 days, and is totally unsupportave. She thinks its SO horrible that this has happened to me and HATES my boyfriend who gave it to me. She does not accept him right now. She will not talk to me about it so I am literally lost. The good part is that my b/f who I LOVE has a wonderful mom, she talks to me everyday and encourages me. I really love her and have a new outlook on it. She is such a great person to tlak to. The funny think Is I have never meet her. She lives in another state. I hope everyone who is experencing this has someone to tlak to.

To my devestation,I have had herpes since I was 22 and am now 35! I was an innocent romantic sensitive female model and university student in australia. I have taken constant suppresive medication all this time. First acyclovir which i found gave me stomach aches and now famvir which i find very effective.I take multivitamins and lysine. i have yet to try the red algae, is it good? I have very low self esteem relating to this condition and stayed in an unhealthy relationship for 8 yrs as I did not have the confidence to leave as I felt undeserving and considered myself 'damaged goods'. I thought who would want me like this and how could i live up to anyone's expectations of a girlfriend, wife and mother now. I also still feel bad about it and have not told my partne fever: Treatment: Prescription: overTheCounter: psychotherapy: diet: true vitaminsHerbs: true stressReduction: true none: Outbreak Frequency: Frequency: 1to5 Outbreak Duration: Duration: 1-3 Pregnancy Plans: pregnancyPlans: 0 Education: Education: HighSchoolGraduate Experiences: Experiences: I am a 50 yr. old woman that like others, never thought she could catch the virus of Herpes.I was asked for a divorce from my ex- husband over 11 years ago.I stayed celibate for seven years . When I started to date again I was so afraid to get intimate with anyone. I honestly never cheated on my husband and was proud of it. After a few dates and a little wining and dining I was on cloud nine with this new partner. He made me feel like no other had before. I knew I didn't want to date monogomously so I kept it that way. After several years of dating this man we did decide to be monogomous and we moved in together,one day a man and woman came to my home to serve him divorce papers. Yes, I said Divorce papers. He forgot to tell me that part. I went to get checked for STDS and guess what I was told? Herpes, acute antibodies,is what the note said in the mail ( after I took a blood test ). I was Shocked and I am trying to learn all I can.Knowledge is the key here. My real cocern now is cervical cancer.They say 5-8 times more likely to get cervical cancer than if you don't have the virus.I am reading a great book right now called Tuesday with Morrie and it is all about a man that is living with another disease (Lou Gerrigs Disease ), or should I say dying with it and he is such an inspiration for me with my little problem (compared to His ) please go get it and read it. It may really help you with your problems.I also find that helping others is a good way to keep your mind off your body , try it.Good luck my brothers and sisters.

I got herpes from a boyfriend, who I thought I would be with for the rest of my life. We had protected sex for about 6 months then I asked him what I though was all the right questions. We even had a HIV test done. Then when we decided to have unprotected sex, after the 1st time I got these sores that wouldn't go away, and sure enough I got herpes from him. He said he didn't know that he had it, but after that I had a very hard time trusting him and eventually I broke up with him. Dating after that was scary to me. I didn't date for the longest time. But, now I have met a very nice man and we have been dating for about six months. I told him I have H. He was a little uneasy at first but we talk about it. I have break outs all the time now. Almost every time we have sex. I have been taking a suppressant and that doesn't help that much. I stopped taking it for a while and I was having 1 to 2 breakout per month. I really HATE the guy who gave it to me, even more so every time I have to spend money to buy the medicine that it so very expensive. The only thing that I can say is to be careful. Use condoms, because on top of this awful disease you don't need to get HIV. Protect yourself.

I've had this horrible virus since I was 23. I've felt everything all of you have felt. Getting it is just bad luck, it doesn't make us dirty or less valuable as people. We're not going to die of herpes. The best advice I can give is, educate yourself. Also keep relaxed and eat properly and get enough sleep. And the fact that 1 in 4 people have this virus made me feel a lot better as well. Yep, none of us are alone in this. I've recently met a man who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I agonised for weeks over what to tell him, knowing that this could be the end for us. So I told him this morning. He was really good about it and said it wasn't a problem and he could live with it!! How happy am I???????!!!!!!!!!! And don't worry about having a baby either. If you have an outbreak at delivery time, they'll just give you a cesaerian section. Don't let herpes spoil your life. Reading the testimonials on this site has helped me BIG TIME!!!!!

My boyfriend and I agreed to wait until marriage to have intercorse because I was a virgin. Well, a few months into the relationship we began having oral sex. About four months later, I started to get very itchy in a very personal area. With in a few days 13 or 14 small sores appeared. The pain was horrible, just walking almost pushed me over the edge. Immediately I went to the Walk-In-Clinic because I knew something was wrong. When my doctor told me I was positive for HSV-I, my whole world was shaken. It was like someone just declared the most precious and intimate part of my body as "Damaged Goods!" All of my self worth was gone. I drove home depressed, extrememly mad at myself and even more pissed at my boyfriend. When I told him the results he felt so bad and swore to me the he had no idea he was shedding the virus. My outbreak lasted for probably 2 miserable weeks. I eventually let my parents know and a few close friends because I needed people I could talk to. Sharing my "big secret" was my way of creating a support system for myself. Nine months later, I've calmed down a lot. I still think about it everyday, but it doesn't rule my world. I've had 2 outbreaks since my original and they are not so bad. I get one or two sores and I'm all cleared up in about 4 days. I think of an outbreak being like a little pimple that brewed below the belt. The itching is still annoying, but nothing like the first go round. My boyfriend didn't run off like I had feared. In fact we are doing well and he is supportive. I try not to talk about it to much with him because I don't want it to interfer with our sexual attraction. During an outbreak I just redirect him or tell him my kitty kat is closed lol. He get the hint. Most of us have to realize that bad things do happen to good people. Herpes is just an irritation that comes and goes. Be happy that the doctor didn't return with worse news. Be sure to keep yourself informed and educated on the virus. New research is always going on. And don't be afraid to tell the people you trust! I know, you are embarrassed and ashamed to even admit it to yourself. But the more you can talk about it, the better you will feel. It's not a good idea to keep things bottled up inside - that will just add to your stress. Also, talk to your doctor. My doctor put me on a natural suppressive therapy and when an outbreak does occur I have a prescription I can call in. Make sure your sexual partners are aware of your condition. If your partner can't handle the situation - Buh Bye! When someone is with your because of love - nothing else will matter. Oh yeah, hold your head up high and remember you are still desireable, attractive and sexy. The only person that can take that away from you is YOU. Best of luck and remember, we are all in this together!

No one i splet with had hsv2. i got it from i guy that had hsv1 and had a cold sore. who would of thought. i was never told that my life could be turned up side down by a cold sore.

A former girlfriend of mine contacted me following her divorce, and we got together in October of 2002. Following our couple weeks of sexual contact, I came down with flu-like symptoms. Then on New Year's Eve I had my initial outbreak. Amazingly enough, she has never suffered symptoms of genital herpes; however, we realize that I picked Herpes Type 1 up from her. She occasionally suffers from cold sores, but had no idea she probably has genital herpes. I suffered thru my initial outbreak for most of January. Not to sound selfish, but my life has changed dramatically and I don't know what in the heck to do much of the time. I am completing a second degree in college and figured that after I graduated I'd fall in love, get married, and start a family. Now I doubt very much this will happen. I have grown very bitter. I certainly do not blame my ex-girlfriend; she had no idea about the herpes. No virus has ever been cured--there's probably a better chance of science creating a time machine. If this were the case I'd go back to October and tell my 2002 self to not have casual sex ever again. I read that herpes is called the "silent epidemic." The medical community needs to get the word out as to how horrible it truly is, and how ANYBODY can catch it rather easily.

My first herpes experience was very devestating! I did not know what was going on, at first I thought I was experiencing an extreme yeast infection. Then I noticed bumps, burning sensations, itching, and burning sensations while urinating. I showed my mother and she took me to the doctor. He did the a cell culture. Whew! That was alot of pain when he burst one of the bumps to take a sample! My doctor prescribed me first Zovirax and then later Acyclovir. The doctor explained to me that since I was very athletic I probably would not undergo many recurrences because I am active. He said that everyone exposed to this virus outbreaks varies from person to person. I haven't had alot of outbreaks since being married and thats been since April 1999. I can count on my fingers over a 5 year period of how many recurrences I've had. When I first found out about my diagnosis I felt like the world was looking down upon me like I was some type of slut, or a dirty person. I felt dirty, less of a person, I thought that I would never get married, I thought I would never have sex unless I kept my condition secretive, and I was very embarassing! Thats about it on my experience with genital herpes.

I use a spare bottle with soap to wash in my private area so that my hands will not come in contact with any of the soars. I was rape and thats how I got herpes. It hurts alot, because I was engage and this has really change my life. I'm not into sex the way that I use to be. I have not had unprotected sex. I don't want to ever give this to anyone. Having this has change everything in my life.

I am a virgin and have contracted the virus. Why me?? How has it happened to me??

Weird,picked this up at(25+ -), married three times, two children, had problems for 2-3 yrs, then nothing, never passed this on, used condm,if feeling tingly for prevention. Over past 30 yrs. no problems whatsoever, told whover I was with about situation but it seems that your body eventually resists the virus to the point of being non evedent. So chill eventually things will work out for you,single now and had a encounter with a friend of a friend,guess what? yep,Itchy like crazy,redness, evaluated the situation as extremely low risk, you can buy a lottery ticket every day all your life and never win a dollar but take one sexual chance and you win, I mean loose, dont know what is to happen now but I do know their are treatments that did not exist in the 60s, ill improve and so will you.Be smart, It happens to the best of us,Drs, lawyers, indian chiefs-all-(lottery effect.)

how do i tell my b/f? id rather die

i never thought i would get it. i still don't know for sure if i have it. the guy didn't know, then again he still dosen't know. it wa s the most painfull and embarassing thing i have eer one through. mine was really bad and it came up i 1 day and got progressivley worse. it dansmission Prevention:uses condoms: true uses foams: abstains from sex: No Prevention: true Contacted herpes at this age: 25 Herpes Carrier: Y Has Herpes type1: Has Herpes type2: true Diagnostic testing: LCC: PAP: other: none: true Symptoms during lesion formation: sharp_pain: muscle_aches: true lymph: headaches: true fever: true Treatment: Prescription: true overTheCounter: psychotherapy: diet: true vitaminsHerbs: true stressReduction: true none: true Outbreak Frequency: Frequency: 4to7 Outbreak Duration: Duration: 4-7 Pregnancy Plans: pregnancyPlans: 0 Education: Education: someCollege Experiences: Experiences: If you are single, I think it is incredibly important to be responsible if you have the disease. Though it seems very difficult to share this information about yourself to a person that you may just only want to be casually intimate with, it makes all the difference. It was important to me to let any potential sexual partner know that I had herpes right up front. This was a difficult task for me because a serious relationship was furthest from my mind and herpes is a serious issue to discuss. I fully expected that this bit of personal news would be quite the deterrent for most men, but I soon found that it only helped me to understand true intimacy beyond any sexual experience. Because I was honest at the forefront, I met the man of my dreams who accepts me at the deepest level and he does not have herpes. We will be married this September.

I'm 16 now I was 15 when i got herpes. I had a bad crush on this guy for three years. when he finally ask me out I was so happy I thought I wanted him to be my first and he was. he was my first everything my first boyfriend my first kiss and my first sexual partner. Five or six months after he took my virginityI woke up one morning and somthing was hurting me so I checked it out and I just started crying herpes was the first thing i thought about I just had that filling so I called my mom at work and I told her I thought I might have herpes.But we just let it go for a couple days but it got alot worst I couldnt go to the bathroom or anything so we went to the doctor got test they came back negitive. but then it got even worst so i had to go the the emergency room that doctor said there was no doubt about it she knew it was herpes so we went back to the other doctor again did more test same test as last time this time it came back positive when I found out they came back positive I wasnt that upset i didnt cry or anything Cause them three days I had to wait for the results gave me some thinking time Herpes doesnt ruin your life I do still cry somtimes when I really think about it and why did I have to get it and how could some one I love so much do that to me but i still love him. january was a year we've been together were still together. he says I was his first to but thats not posible I wish he would just tell me who he was with it would help me out alittle i worry alot about when I have kids they might get Im only 16 I havent even started my life yet and I dont wanna spend the rest of it with the guy im with now. I always think im to young to have herpes but I guess i didnt think I was to young to have sex I should of waited for the right time and the right guy even though I thought I had the right but all it was is I wanted him to be. but anywho I got alot more to type but IM not gonna cause im tierd but thanks for reading what I wrote bye bye PS. TO THE MAKERS OF VALTREX THANK YOU!!:* AND TO ALL THE YOUNGS GIRLS DONT HAVE SEX UNTIL U READY AND IF U THINK U READY MAKE SURE HES THE RIGHT ONE AND ALWAYS USE PROTECTION PLEASE!!!!!!!!

A phone call the next day from a close friend was all but too late. He told me that he tried to warn me before it happened, but I guess I was to horny to notice what he meant and to naive and stubborn to think it could happen to me. Like everyone else that contracted the disease, there is much hatred towards that person. Even after spending the day with him aterwards, there was plenty of time to tell me. But what is the point? He already got what he wanted. That just meant for him he would go on to the next innocent victim who wouldn't even see it coming. It has been a year now that I haved delt with this terrible diease. I don't tell anyone, I keep it to myself. I have slept with alot of men since I have contracted this disease, they would never suspect. I am a sweet, soft spoken, affectionate person that feels dirty and shameful at the very sound of the word herpes. The word makes me feel uncomfortable. I do not want to, still to this day, accept the fact that I have it. I research alot of information and pray that one day they find a cure. Till than, my relationships don't last long and I must live with the guilt. Sometimes my friends catch me in a daze, staring at the sky when I'm in one of those moods again. "Whats wrong?" they ask. I shake my head and snap back into reality to face life for what it is. If I told them, I know what they would think. I do enough thinking. I know. Its my problem, not theirs. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I live for life. I am going to stay happy, healthy and hopeful till they find a cure and I don't have to fake it anymore. I can just be me, and have real love and real good sex.

Far too many of you people sound like a pamphlet. It's just a lesion. Doesn't really slow me down any. I just got it in September, from a lying whore. Oh well. It'll be cured by 2006, or more likely, vaccinated, so people won't have any business asking you if you have it. The human genome has already been almost completely mapped, this is really speeding up research. Personally, it's a que sera sera for me, I needed something to get my mind off of women anyway and back onto my work.

I am ashamed of myself, of course. I feel like I'm going to be lonely for the rest of my life becuase nobody is going to love me once they find out that I have herpes. Thats all.

I'm 24 years old female who just found out yesterday that I have type 2 herpeswhen sitting at the doctors my future husband tells me for the first time he is a carrier and that he got it 12 years ago with the first girl he slept with.We have been together for 1&half yrs. And he just told me!I feel cheated.Even thought I have been with other men in my past I was always took precausions against STD's and have now found the 1 time I didn't,now I will pay for it the rest of my life and if that don't top it I'm also 25 weeks pregnate and have to worry about spreading to our unborn child.

I don't think it matters how this disease is contracted. Anyone can get it. The best thing to do is become educated. The more understanding you have, the more peace of mind you will have. I have been able to have two completely natural births, I have been married for 11 years without giving Herpes II to my husband. He has been great about it. I still feel ashamed and embarrassed and I have a hard time telling him when I have an outbreak. I don't want him to think of Herpes when he looks at me or thinks of me. HE is the only person who knows I have Herpes. It helps to read other peoples' experiences. It is just a really hard disease to live with. Just remember that things could be worse.

For those who are afraid to tell someone you love that you have herpes I am living proof that love concures all.. My boyfriend gave me herpes and all I could do was love him. Don't be afraid to tell your partner that you have herpes...if they leave you then they never loved you anyway. But make sure you let them know you have herpes before they have a chance to get it. Just remember you we're ramdomly chose and don't feel bad more than 25% of the U.S. population has this disease....at least you know you have it...unlike many unfourtunate others.

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE ONE THAT CAUSES COLD SORES.IVE BEEN MARRIED FOR THIRTEEN YEARS.MY WIFE HAD AN AFFAIR ON ME AFTER WE HAD BEEN MARIED SEVEN YEARSAND CONTRACTED GENITAL HERPES.I HAD TO DESIDE WETHER TO STAY AND WORK IT OUT OR THROW AWAY SEVEN YEARS OF MARIAGE,WE ALSO HAVE THREE KIDS.AFTER I TURNED 35 I STARTED TO HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CRONIC PROSTITITUS.WICH IS AN ENLARGEMENT OF THE PROSTATE AND CAUSES ALOT OF OTHER VERY PAINFUL PROBLEMS.I HAVE ALWAYS USED CONDOMS AND HAVE NOT CONTRACTED GENITAL HERPES YET BUT MY DOCTOR SAYS ITS JUST AMATTER OF TIME BECAUSE MY WIFE HAS IT.SINCE MY RECENT CRONIC PAINFUL CONDITION IME HAVING SECOND THOUHTS OF STAYING IN THE MARIAGE WITH GENITAL HERPES HANGING OVER MY HEAD,ALSO MY WIFE SEEMS TO GET MAD EVERY TIME I STOP THINGS (FORPLAY) TO GO AND PUT ON A CONDOM.IME NOT SURE WERE TO GO FOR HELP AND OR ADVICE.ANY SUGGESTIONS?

i have 4-5 recurrences per year, but not is problem with patience.my experience no is good but no is bad, this is my life, i love my life. i like know one woman, in the same situacion for to share, our experience.

I went on this date with this girl that I really had a cruss on. We ended up sleeping together on the first night. We dated for some time after that. We actually were talking about getting married. Hence, we did not use protection. I thought that I was going to be with her the rest of my life. I did not get it until about a month into the relationship. I got really sick for about 3 days. I got an eye infection and had real bad flu symptoms. I also had a bad cold sore pop up. I also had sores on my penis. I went to the doctor to get it checked out. At the time, my girlfriend had a urinary tract infection. The doctor prescribed us both Penicillen and said that it was just from the infection. I knew better. I have not been checked since then, but I know that I have it. In the past four years I have had about a dozen or so outbreaks. They are only in the private area. I usually get sore in the buttocks and back leg area and my penis is usually sensitive. I was stupid, I also passed it on to another girlfriend later on because I was not willing to admit it to myself. Please, the only was to prevent infection in abstinence. If you are going to have sex then please use a condom. It is not worth it. They say that now 1 out of 5 adults have herpes. That is a chance I wish I did not take. Find out first, if they are clean before you do it without protection. Herpes will not kill you but it will make your life uncomfortable. Your lack of confidence is also affected. You don't feel very valuable once you have it. You feel like you are disgusting. You are special, remember that. You just made a mistake like the rest of us.

I got herpes from a boyfriend when I was 20. I thought it was terminal and that my life was over. That was a long time ago. I have been happily married almost 20 years and have three healthy, perfect children. Plus, my husband has never contracted the herpes. Whenever I have an outbreak, we abstain at least ten days until I am over it. I also take Famvir to speed up the recovery process. I had an outbreak when my second child was born so had to have a C-section. All went well. He did not catch this virus. I am very careful during outbreaks. I wash my hands a lot and disinfect the toilet seat after I use it. I also wash my laundry separately from my families and I even rinse the washing machine in bleach afterwards. Maybe I'm too cautious, but it's kept my family from catching this virus. And I have a great life! The key is to no longer have multiple partners. Find ONE person to build a solid relationship with.

I contracted herpes from oral sex and had no idea what so ever that a cold sore and herpes were the same thing. this is something that they do not teach you in school and I think that it is high time they do. People have problems with sexual education in schools and all i have to say to them is that if I were taught more about this i wouldnt be sitting here writing this today.

I got Herpes from my girlfriend, my one and only sexual partner. I loved her, I still do, but we recently separeted on good terms and are good friends. I really believed that I was IN LOVE with her and might marry her some day, but unfortunately I was wrong. We are not right for each other, but I really wish we were because like most everybody else I need to be with somebody who also has the wretched disease and we can treat ourselves together.We were sexually active for sometime, then one day she casually told me she had HSV, it startled me but I didn't know that HSV is Herpes. She explained it to me and that she got it from her first partner. I really wasn't affected by this news. I almost didn't want to believe it and just ignored it like ignorance is bliss or something. That was about a year ago, and I don't feel the same anymore since my breakouts have really began to occur a few months ago. It took that long for it to really surface, I didn't believe it, but now I do and I feel wrecked. Today is March 12th 2003, and sometimes when I look at my sores or think about it, I really wish that there WOULD BE a catastrophic terrorist attack that would kill me to put me out of my misery. I'm not exactly depressed about it, I just really wouldn't mind too much if I died and moved on to a place I know is better than this disease-ridden planet. I'm just reaching my sexual-prime and am about to turn 21, but I have Herpes. I have had a tough enough without Herpes trying to meet girls, but now what? "Hi, wanna dance?"... "Yeah I had a good time tonight, AHH! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Okay, so it's not totally like that, but that's how I feel. I just need to focus on getting rich as hell and donating my life savings to find a damb cure!

I was with my boyfriend for a year and a half. During our relationship, we had sex unprotected because he swore to me that he had been tested for everything and that he gets tested once a year. Towards the middle of our relationship, I discovered that I had herpes. I told him my bad news and he told me I must have gotten it from someone else and made me feel terrible because I probably gave it to him. At the end of our relationship, I came into contact with one of his ex girlfriends. We got to talking and she told me that he had given her herpes too. He knew the whole time that he had herpes, he still had no reservations about having unprotected sex with me during our relationship, and he made me feel bad when I did get herpes. Needless to say, we are not together anymore. I never would have thought that someone could be so heartless. I swear to God, I wish I never met this man and I hope he burns in Hell. Don't ever trust anybody.

I got my herpes from oral sex, I hadn't had sex when I contacted herpes, I was just going to the doctor's because I thought I had gotten another yeast infection, he thought it might be herpes. I remember being told I would be contacted in a few weeks, a month went by and my father said "no news is good news." So I grew to think I was fine... then one day they called I was positive. I remember the nurse telling me I should come and talk to someone, I couldn't stop crying, I truely thought my life was over. Its been a year now, I've had two outbreaks total, I'm lucky, it could be worse. You learn to live with it, a year ago I wanted to die, I still get the occasional crying spells, but that's just something that may never pass...

Before my husband and I started having intercourse, when we were dating, I told him I had had herpes. He was the first person I was with since I contracted the virus. Needless to say, this was a very difficult thing to tell him. He was wonderful about it. He, at the time, didn't have any sort of STD. Unfortunately he did contact it from me since we were trying to have children. He knew there was a good chance he would get the disease, but he wants kids, he loves me very much and deals with it just fine. He never blames me in any sort of way. Point is, you can have a normal life, get married, have kids etc.

I have found that if my partner switches brands of condoms, i get an outbreak. Also, at one time a boyfriend that I had was not very honest and had sex with another persoin and that cause me to have an outbreak

I know who I got herpes from because he was the only one I had had sex with in a year and I had my first outbreak about a week after I had sex with him. Yet, he refuses to get tested because he has never shown signs of it and therefore thinks he is clean. This has made me feel even more alone in this situation. I met someone last night and we really hit it off and I ended up going back to his place. I wanted to have sex with him so bad yet kept telling him I couldn't. Yet, I gave in and we had sex with a condom, without me telling him that I have herpes. I gave him my number and I hope he calls but I realize that I have to tell him the truth if he does. I feel so bad and scared. I think that when I tell him he is going to be mad and not want to see me again, so i blew it. Yet, if I had told him last night he porobably woudn't have wanted anything to do with me. This disease sucks and I feel like every option sucks when it comes to having a relationship. Whoever I end up with, if I ever do end up with someone, we will never be able to have sex without a condom in fear of transmission. This sucks. I hate my life and myself.

The first outbreak was the absolute worst, I was traveling in California, I live in Florida. I did not know what was wrong with me, so I suffered longer than I should have, called my gyno and told him tha I may have a UTI and he prescribed something which of course did not work, meanwhile I'm in so much pain, and urinating was excruciating at this point, finally, a day or so later I talked to him and decided I must have herpes (I was still in California) and prescribed Valtrex for me which helped). I have never had an outbreak like that again, but as soon as I am stressed, I get those twinges in my thighs, that's how it starts. Never get the sores, thank goodness.

I kissed a table dancer on breast, when I got home I kissed goodnight my wife afterwards I felt a burning sensation, it was herpes, now I´m worried about my baby and my wife. I fear I was infected by AIDS.Is it possible?

I am very scared. I am not sure how I got herpes but the new guy I started seeing about a month ago told me he was fine and then we had sex without a condom I am still kicking myself to this day for that. I came down with sores about three days after we had sex. We are still together but he is not a very nice guy and I worth more.

Hi. I just got diganosed in jan. 2003 . I am married to somone who is very understanding. but at first I was very depressed. not so much now. We want to have a baby. my doctor said I probaly have had it for a while and that i probaly got it from being molested when I was a little girl.

Just that I thought I would never get a disease I could not get rid of and especially while only having one partner, but anything is possible. It has effected my life a little because i am so young, but im learning to cope.

My boyfriend stopped talking to me when he found out i have herpes, he's a realuneducated man who obviosly did'nt care about me that much in the first place. If your partner disrespects you or leaves you do to this virus, htey were'nt worth it to begin with. When you find the right person they will look beyond this and see you for you and take the good with the bad. most people in healthy relationships when one partner has the virus through precaution the other will not contract it.

I am sure I got the virus from a guy I was dating. He was staying with me for a short period. Now that I think back on it I think he may have slept with a friend of mine. She had it...and he denied having it. My first outbreak was horrendous. I thought I was going to die. My legs hurt and burned so bad. The first year I was having outbreaks all the time. And it seemed that the guys I dated after I got it were accepting of the fact that I had HSV2. I started to maintenance my Acyclovir, taking one in the morning and one at night. Even if I didn't have symptoms. I did this for about a year and this kept me from having anymore outbreaks. These days I get prodomes, but I don't have actual outbreaks. I recently passed it to someone and was mortified. I was bad and didn't tell him I had it. We didn't even have intercourse, but he rubbed against me. I didn't tell him because I was tired of the rejection I have received recently. But now I know the rejection is alot better than having to deal with giving it to someone. I never occured to me to try to find someone else who has it. But, yesterday I met a really nice guy. I don't know where this will go, but once again, I dread having to tell him. But I will when the time comes. The only advice I can give is to be safe!!!!! If you think it's bad getting the virus, wait until you give it to someone else. You know how bad it was when you first got it. Be responsible and hold yourself accountable. I let my guard down and now my very good friend is paying the price. Peace!

I was in a long term relationship with a person I was extremely in love with. Our lives became so intertwined that broking up devistated my life and everything I knew became unfamiliar. As time passed I tried to heal and grasp onto the reality I eventually had to face. It was hard to let go of my hopes and dreams for he was the center of all of them. I grew bitter, fell into depression, and no longer cared about anything. I was never type of person to sleep around or find confort in a man, but at that time it seemed to ease the pain. With in 6 months I had 2 short term relationships, and in both we had unprotected sex. I do not know who infected me. I dont really do not care. I believe in my heart that who ever it was knew. Thinking back, my only regret is allowing my self to get caught up in the moment. Numbing the pain is not dealing with it. And in the end, this is just something else that hurts.

I contracted herpes back when i was 24. i was in college and was dating a girl who had it but didn't know she had it. i haven't told anyone since until i started dating this girl recently. we were having a discussion one night and she told me she had something to tell me. she has herpes type 2 as well. what a wierd coincidence. i felt so relieved when she told me. we have been dating for some time now and things couldn't be better. i feel a big load has been lifted from my chest. i believe one day we will be married and have children toghether. to all others out there....be safe

At 18 I contracted this disease and was devastated. Fortunatly I had a good doctor who informed me and I had the insight to reserch the disease on my own so I fully understood what I would be dealing with for the rest of my life. For those of you on this sight who have recently contracted the disease and feel depressed and as if no one will ever want you, that simply isn't true. I went on to date three other men seriously, the last one I married. He is wonderfully understanding and that is because I was frank with him from the beginning and was able to answer all of his questions. He thinks I'm gorgeous and I always feel that way. I'm sorry to say that there is no cure, but suppressive therapy worked well for me. Talk openly to your doctor about this. Don't be afraid or shy. Believe me they have seen this before, especially if you are on a college campus. After reading some of the testimonials I've noticed that some of you have given the disease to others because you were afraid to tell or just didn't care. And, some of you wait until you are already having sex before you say something. I'll step on a soap box and say "That is extremely irresponsible and unfair." If you truly cared about people you would not put them in the same position that you were put in at one time. If you take care of yourself, educate yourself and others, talk to your doctor and be responsible to the people you care about and the disease will effect, you can have a wonderful, balanced and rich life.

I apparntly contractd the disease performing oral sex on a partner who I knew was a carrier, but she said she wasn't showing sighns of infection so it would be safe. Right. To make things really bad, I must have shaved just as the disease was manifesting, because my outbreak covers almost my entire chin and a large portion of my upper lip. It's excruciatingly painful, and not being able to touch it has proved to be an actual example of maturity and discipline. I can only imagine how I would have responded to it when I was 20-ish. I thankfully have a best friend who has genital herpes, and he has been indespensible. He buys me groceries so I don't have to leave my apt. (if you could only see how disgusting my face looks right now) and has given me lots of practical advice about cleaning and touching anything. Right now my world is upside down, because I'm a bartender and in school for massage therapy, neither of which I can attend while manifesting symptoms. How can I miss maybe two weeks of work and school? Not to mention that people are calling and asking where I am and what's wrong? I don't want anyone to know, and that will probably be impossible. How will that affect my reputation and my ability to work? If people find out, will they want me to serve them a drink? Will my classmates let me work on them? I'm definitely scared right now.

Anyone SO tired of these damn herpes commercials on TV? I cringe every time I see one. I got herpes from having rigorous unprotected sex with a girl i met at a party. I even had a condom with me but did not use it. Real smart. A day aor so later I saw the redness which became bumps, etc.

Hi everyone,Being diagnosed with herpes was an enormous shock, because I had used condoms with both my first and second partner. I still don't know, to this day, how I got it, because I was only a month into my second sexually active relationship when it happened. I had to be hospitalized, it was extremely painful, swelled, blead, and they had to put humid gauze pads between my lower lips so they wouldn't stick together because there was nearly no skin left. Needless to say, it was a very traumatic experience, but this was almost 4 1/2 years ago, and I am having my first recurrent outbreak. I thought my life was going to end, because it is extremely embarassing, and it made me feel disgusted with myself and has had, for years, a disastrous consequence on my sex life, because I had no desire whatsoever to have sex. But now, at 22, I have been with my current boyfriend for a year and a half, and we are planning on having children, I had a miscarriage 7 months ago, unfortunately, but I know I will have children, soon enough, and all that matters is that I am careful not to transmit it to my children. Life doesn't have to end because of this misfortune, it goes on and we can still make it beautiful. My boyfriend found out that I had gotten herpes when he came with me to the hospital when I was pregnant, and they asked me if I had had an outbreak since the hospitalization... I wanted to melt under the floor, to escape, to run, because I had forgotten, completely forgotten that I actually had herpes. Some may not believe it, but it was like my memory selected this traumatic event and erased it, because it was so traumatic. Anyways, my boyfriend was extremely understanding. He is extremely supportive, and he still wants to have children with me, he didn't get mad, and he still has sexual desires towards me (which was part of what worried me, because I perceived myself as a disgusting person long after...). Everything's fine, a terrible weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and there are understanding men out there, don't get discouraged.

I suppose I would just say that most prospective sexual partners I've told about my herpes were only briefly taken aback. They all did their own research that night and told me no big deal the next day. Anyone that drops you cold after you admit herpes is really not particularly interested in you in the first place. Obviously I'd RATHER not have it but it has effected my life not a bit since I contracted it 4 years ago. Also you will find that many have herpes themselves (obviously) and when you do meet them it is such a relief to you both that it's almost worth having it lol.

I got herpes during the time that I was married I was a faithful wife and still got the(gift). I feel like I am worthless and that no one wants to be with someone like me. Even though I am Attractive and have a lot going for myself I still feel like no one will except me with this. If anyone have any info please share I have been dealing with this for years and it hasnt gotten any easier to deal with. I want to get married and have a companion so one to grow old with I am soooo lonely but i really try to keep my head up.....

Hi, I'm a 19 Year old female, I was with my first love for 3 years. When we broke up I was very depressed and obstained from any sort of relationships for a long period of time. I eventually met a guy who I ended up falling for in a short period of time. I had problems with my family and was kicked out of my house and moved in with him, to be awoken at 4:00 in the morning being raped by him. My head slammed extrmeely hard on the head board and knocked me unconscious, not to mention, I was on my period at the time. A few months later I found out I had contracted genital herpes, now I very rarely have oral outbreaks. I also found out he was 34, married and an alcoholic convict on parole! Even after beating the hell out of him for lying to me he still stalked me for weeks until I got a restraining order. To this day my father thinks I slept with him willingly, since I told him that so he wouldn't kill this guy and go to prison. Only my sister knows what really happened. So when it comes up in a conversation with my dad it's all my fault which depresses me profusely. I'm sure if I'll ever tell him.. Until then I'm praying for a cure, bless you all!!

Id just like to say be careful who you trust always make sure to use condoms or something because when i found out it ruiend my life Ifelt like ending my life I still have a problem getting over it My boyfriend swears he didnt know but a few months later i found a perscripsion bottle from hes ex and he still says he didnt know and he was with her for a year Im scared to have children i dont want them to die thats the only thing that really bothers me about herpes also that theres no cure.

i went to an all night party when i was sixteen, and joined in a threesome with a couple of girls. one of them had a sore around her mouth. a week later i couldn't walk. i couldn't piss for two days. when i finally did, i shook and sweat all over, tears pouring from my eyes. i went ballistic, trashed my room, yelled and cried, then lay in bed for days. i refused to eat or drink. my doctor used to treat aids patients, and said it was the most extreme case she had ever seen. my abusive boyfriend had torn my vaginal opening, so the virus had a lovely head start. i usually don't have outbreaks anymore, but one started in on me the other day. i feel ruined. i've had boyfriends say they don't care, then find out months later that they're afraid of getting it and that's why they stopped having sex with me. i don't believe people anymore when they say it's all right or they understand unless they have it too.

I just found out today. My boyfriend doesn't have it but he's the one who gave it to me. He's there for me and it really helps. I just want to tell ppl: Dont put the blame on anyone. It doesn't help. Let your partner know u dont blame them. Its nobody's fault when neither of you knew.

i was recently diagnosed two days ago. Even though I have had more sexual partners than I would like to admit I have only had three in the last three and a half years. There are two partners that could have infected me. One is in Kuwate and the other is being tested. The other Was the man I lost my virginity to. I feel strongly he infected me. I started noticing sores three days after having sex with him. I never thought it would happen. i feel so discusted and ashamed. I told four people, the doctor, my last partner and two close friends. Before I went into the room for my exam I was crying in the waiting room, I knew what had happened and I didn't want to believe it, I still don't want to. I just wish it would go away.

I have both oral and genital herpes. Presently, I am experiencing the longest succession of outbreaks ever. I have symtoms that indicate genital outbreak number four (during the past month)is beginning, and the only thing I can attribute to this is diet. I ate several helpings of a dessert containing chocolate, peanuts, and peanut butter, and within 2-3 days the symptoms for the first outbreak began. Outbreak #1 was quite small and lasted about 4-5 days. Outbreak #2 began just as #1 was healed, and was quite large,lasting 8-10 days. Outbreak #3 began much the same as #2, and was fairly small, lasting 7-8 days. Three days ago I began experiencing the painful sensation in my lower back suggesting outbreak #4 is developing, and the scab came off outbreak #3 today. I have been treating with L-Lysine, and may not have been taking enough mg,and also stopped taking this for a few days since my skin was breaking out. This is by far, the worst I have had.

I just contracted this and found out about it 2 weeks ago. I can't believe it. I am devastated. I lost my partner over it in a flash. She blames me, I am absolutely certain that it was her who was the carrier. I have been married for the past 5 years which ended 6 months ago. Both my ex-wife and I were always 100% without any STD and monogomous - certain of this. Then I met this girl and in a matter of 3 weeks have contracted this monstrosity, and lost the partner who gave it to me. My whole world feels like it just collapsed. I have no idea how it happened. She has had 7 partners in the past 2 years, and I would caution perhaps not always protected. Yet I am getting the full throttle of her ferocity, blame, anger, everything. Don't know what to do, how to handle it, where I can go with it. Thoughts of what it means for my future are decimating me.

i was diagnosed with herpes in 2001. i already knew i had it, it was painfully obvious, but when they told me for sure, i thought i would go insane. you hear about stds in school, but never think it would happen to you, especially given to you by someone you trusted. although i suppose i deserved it; i was cheating on my long term boyfriend with this guy...it became quite involved...i really did love him tho. every time i get an outbreak i go into a very deep depression. i've been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder years ago, and this doesn't make it any easier. i want to die, to kill myself, to just disappear. mostly i want to find the scumbag who did this to me and kill him slowly. the thing that hurts the most is that i gave this disease to my boyfriend, who i love more than anything. he didn't want to use condoms, even tho he knew what i had...i wish to god i would have insisted that he did...nothing i can do now tho. every time i have an outbreak tho, that brings it all back, the guilt, the shame, the horror. i see a therapist, and am looking into support groups, taking incredibly expensive medication. i feel like if i don't get this thing under control soon...i don't know. it's comforting to read tips and advice from other people in the same boat as i. makes me feel a little less like a leper, more like a human being. thanks.

i am not sure i have it,i self diagnosed myself

I contracted herpes from a person who seems to be on a mission to infect anyone they have intercourse with....... I would suggest that this course of conduct is not very responsible! I am coping - and like many of you acknowledge, there is nothing we can do about it (at the moment), and we must deal with it and move on. Although I fully endorse disclosing your condition to your partner. I am a Lawyer. My partner is a Doctor. We plan to marry next year. I recently disclosed my condition to her, and it ws very difficult, but she understands, as many would. I am surprised by the statistics posted on this site. It comforts me in some kind of morbid way. Here's to cure soon! Cheers..........

It sucks really really bad.

I was just diagnosed and it is devasting at first but I've discussed it with my partners and they have no idea where or whom I got it from. I could have it a long time or not. The symptoms are hard to diagnose. I am going to take my first medication today and I don't know what my reaction is. I feel depressed and anxious and I am also a diabetic which causes me great concern. I feel that I could have been more careful when choosing the partners that I did but the partners were certain that they have nothing contagious. I learned a valuable thing that I will be using condoms from now on that is if I decide to have intercouse ever again. I have not had many partners in my lifetime and I am shocked that me of all people would get this!!!

I really think that it's sad when people continue to have sex without theirpartner knowing. I contracted herpes while I was in a serious relationship. My partner knew he had something, but didn't tell me until after I found out I had it. I thought I had cut myself shaving, and I had my yearly check-up the next day. I asked my doctor to run a test just in case. Two days later she called me back to say it was positive for herpes. Of course I was devastated. I am no longer having sex, not because of herpes, but because I decided I was tired of having sex for the wrong reasons. I was reading the other peoples testimonies and was amazed at how many partners other people have had. I am so ashamed that I have had multiple partners. Not only can you get pregnant or contract a STD, you lose respect for yourself and can become depressed. I have done alot of sexual things (I am a very sexual person) and never thought I would regret any of it. I haven't lost any desire for sex, I just want to do it with the right person now. I guess I am writing this for all the young girls (or boys) that may read this. Respect your body. Wait for the right person to come along. Get married. Have sex. This is the only way to truly enjoy life. I am so tired of people pushing "safe sex", we need to inform people that the only "safe sex" is abstinence. It's time to break the cycle. It's hard, I know. But, it can be done.

I wonder why me and if my boyfriend would leave me and the risk to my baby, iwould have these rest of my life, and could i afford the medince, and would frawn if they would find out. and witch partner gave it to me

i knew this girl for a real long time because she was my dads friend stepdaughter. we ended up going to mexico as a family trip and we ended up having sex. i didnt know she had any type of diesase but 2 weeks later i went surfing and when i got out of the water i noticed something. i went to the docter and he diagnosed me. i was f*cking pissed like everyone else that finds out about this. the stupidist thing i couldve done was not wear a condom. i have always worn condoms but in mexico they are hard to find. i cant believe this girl that supposedly was my friend did this to me. sometimes i think she did it on purpose because she was angry that she got it. since then i wear a condom everytime i have sex. i wish i wasnt so ignorant and i had to get this F*cking disease to realize that there is this shit out here and once it in your system your contaminated the rest of your life.

I'am in the military I've had about two outbreaks it's not that easy getting off work. My fionca' hadn't had an outbreak but we still plan on getting married and we hope to get threw this When I do get outbreaks he wishes it was him This may sound mean but I wish it was him sometimes too just so he can see were i'm coming from and why I can't sleep at night or why I'm always crying when I do get outbreaks, I've only had two at first I didn't believe it until I got my second outbreak I knew But I can't do nothing about it but live one day at a time and to the fullest I'm just scared that when we go to war I'll get an outbreak and won't be able to do my job because of the pain.

Well... I don't know how I got herpes, and I'm not even sure wether it is herpes. I think I got the virus before I had sex, inface I came out in a sore on mt bell end about three days before I had sex. I used a rubber, and thankfully no signs have been passed to my partener. My partener Claire does know I have herpes, and knows mores about it than what I do. She's the love of my life and I know the virus wont affect out relationship. Best of luck to you all. God bless :)

I was just diagnosed today, and in all honesty I am completely freaked out, and distressed by it. I feel like my life's course has somehwat been altered. Have come to find out that my boyfriend didn't even know that a cold sore is a form of Herpes. I love him, and am so afrais as to how this is going to affect our relationship. I wish I had some words of wisdom, or something like that, but I am still coming to terms with this.

When I first found out that I had genital herpes I was devastated. I didn't know what to do. The boyfriend I had said he never had it. I asked the boyfriend before him to get tested and he did. He didn't have it. I left my current boyfriend for not telling me and then lieing to me about it. A couple of months later I met this really nice guy. We dated for a month and he brought up about when i was ready to have sex so was he. He said he would wait for me to be ready. I knew then that it was time to tell him my big secret. I was really scared. He didn't care that I had herpes. He said he was with me for me not for what I had. We now have been together for eleven months (4-5-03). He asked me to marry him and I said yes. One month after we got engaged I became pregnant. I am now five months pregnant with our baby. I couldn't be happier. So to all of you women out there with herpes scared to tell your partner, look where I'm at and think of that. You could be really happy just like me.

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD, LIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST!! PEACE OUT :)

I wish and pray everyday that a cure will come up. (real soon) I also wish I could take back the hand of time. I wasn't very sexualy active until after I contracted herpes. I was very angry when I found out that I had herpes. It was the the very first std that I recievied. I felt as if my world had stop. I dont look at men in the sane light. I'm very distant to them. I also now like girls. I'm very scared of getting involved with someone and give it to them.(I would wish herpes on my worst enemy) It terrible thing to live with. Looking at me you would be able to tell that I have herpes. I kept myself well groomed. I dont sleep around with a lot people. In fact in the last 18 mths I've had sex 2 with one person. (a girl) I had the fact the I living with herpes. The way I delt with in the being was by sleep with lots of guy hoping that would get it and to make me feel better about myself. (you know pay back) It worked in the being but now I've grow up and it depresses me I will never have a normal relationship with another ever again because I hate this fucking shit. Why me? I got herpes for the 4 dude i slept with aint that some shit.

im only 16yrs old and transmitted genital herpes during a one night stand through oral sex, i told the person who infected me and i told one friend, everyone i knew in my school and town found out, i was depressed for weeks. I have only had one outbreak and im dreading the next, im not depressed anymore because i understand that theres nothing i can do to get rid of the virus, life goes on. It was really scary at first though becasue i didnt know what it was. Im worried about future relationships, but hey, its not the end of the world!

I found out I got this when I was 24. I met and married my husband that same year. He is awesome and it is nothign to him at all. I am careful, but because my outbreaks are either on my butt or arm, it doesnt get in our way. I can't understand how I got it. I do NOT do oral sex, always hated that , ick!Anyway my 1st outbreak was genitals, yet I am not sure that was herpes or not. I never had it there again, but started getting it on my butt later, then my arm..... I am not into weird sex so I cant tell how I got it there ????? WEIRD!! I went a good amount of years with no outbreaks, even thru stressful times, so I dont know how to tell when it comes on. My symptons are clear, muscle ache in my right leg, thats it, and then the rash comes 2 days later. I take Valtrex and it works awesome and stops it from getting sores. This is not a big deal disease. If you deal with it the right way, it is easy. Although I must say, I do not have it on my mouth or genitals so I guess thats why for me its easy. This is a disease that people are ignorant about, so do not knock yourself about it !!!! Bless !!!

I was 23, 3 months pregnant with my firt child. I had been dating my child's father for 6 months. I had never had any outbreaks prior to meeting him. Telling him wasn't a problem, but his reaction to it was something else. He was mad at first and then eventually got over it. He was tested and had the antibodies for oral herpes. So, that made me think that is how I got it. We broke up when my son was 8 months old. He went on with his normal life, but I on the other hand, had to deal with this disease. It was devastating enough to find out that you had it, but to have to tell somebody else was even worse. It can be a cruel world out there when you are looking for a mate. I still have not found that person. The outbreaks are only once year, but that is enough for me. It always seems to pop up and remind you that you have it. I have had another child since then. Herpes never caused any problems in both pregnancies. The fear of being alone the rest of your life because you are afraid to tell someone is huge. Part of me feels like I would rather be alone than have to tell someone again, and see the look on their face.

...I would like to share my story some other time, but I just learned something that everyone with herpes needs to know! I have been experiencing predominal sypmtoms of both genital and oral herpes. I'm not sure what type I have, but regardless I just noticed some open sores in my mouth and on my lips. After examining and touching the sores in my mouth I accidentaly rubbed my right eye and now it is swollen and red. I have noticed that I now have slightly blurred vision and an increased sensitivity to light in this eye. Upon doing further research I discover that both herpes type 1 and 2 can be spread to the eye and is a leading cause of blindness in this country. Reccurent outbreaks in the eye cause scarring of the cornea and a loss of vision. If you think that genital or oral herpes are hard to manage think again, ocular herpes is the most difficult to treat and demands long term care. Cold sores and genital sores now seem very minor that I am threatened with loosing my vision. Whatever you do, do not ever touch anyother part of your body, especially your eyes, if you have any sypmtoms of Herpes!!!!!!!

I contracted genital herpes about 4 1/2 years ago i believe. I was actually in a relationship for about 5 months and it popped up. My girlfriend was on vacation when i had an outbreak and found out i had it. When she got back, she really wanted to have sex and i had to tell her what i found out and she hugged me and had sex with me anyway. I don't know where i got it from. I hadn't slept with anybody since we had been together, but I was with alot of people unprotected before her. We ended up seperating, yet both having healthy children 3 years later in seperate relationships. Since then, its tough to deal with, we are broken up and it is hard to have a clean concience with any girl i meet. I feel like when i meet them, i need to tell them immmediately, but if you knew what this consists of before you got it, would you have stuck it out? Anyway,I think I have figured this thing out for the most part. STRESS is definately the worst thing for it. This virus is strictly in the nervous system. Weird foods can cause outbreaks... Oily foods especially. Herpes is basically like a pimple with out a pore in the wrong damn place. Try to avoid products to cause your skin to produce oil. Clean any possible ares that have had occurences with soap three at least everyday if not more than that. Friction definately causes a reoccurences. If you notice or will notice, wherever you have an outbreak, it tends to reoccur there. That is also the way it s spread. If you have an outbreak on the left side of your pecker, and your girl gets it, its going to break out right where your infected area touched hers. This is the problem with couples that aren't completely honest with each other when they have an outbreak. If you can find somebody willing to stand behind you when you tell them, you have to be sure to avoid giving them the virus at all expense so it doesn't cause more reoccurences for the both of you. Irritating it, just causes it worse. The best thing to do if you start having an outbreak is to start pop-ping some accyclovir. That is good stuff. I typically take it twice a day just to keep from occurring. The only problem with that is the fact that the human body becomes immune to its environment and will eventuall build an immunity to the drug. It is good to take a few days off whenever possible to get the system clean. Your body typically rotates everything every three hours ,so if you stay on it every three hours with good nutrients to back it, it will be gone in three to four days. You must eat right and try to avoid heavy stressing factors including anxiety. Drinking causes anxiety and nicotine causes immune system breakdown so it is good to try to avoid those. I know how it is to like drinking, so if you drink on a fairly regular basis, be sure to up the tolerances on the rest of the precautions like eating healthy and working out. Also, take plenty of vitamin C if taking the anti-viral medications. Vitamn C helps the activation of the stuff. It sucks having to deal with it mentally, but you control it and your life, it does not control you. Granted, it is much less stressful if you can be in a rtelationship, and have it out in the open rather then stress about the thought of it all of the time, but if you can not be in a relationship all of the time, what do you do? How do you know you can tell, that won't go broadcast it on the radio? Well, that's for you to decide, but remember this......If you had it all to do over again, would you give it back to the giver?????Anyway, at least be sure to never sleep with anybody unimformed without a condom or under even the slightest signs of an outbreak. That is just way to much risk...for both of you....I think its much worse finding out you have given it to somebody else than knowing you have it. Ohter than that, you got to keep your chin up and live life to fullest, cause it could have been something far worse. Stay positive,assertive, and healthy, and life will be good to you.

Well i found out March 21,2003 by my doctor and I'am pregnant and i don't know what to do but pray and ask the lord to guide me through this situation.My first outbreak was for like 7 to 8 days and it went away.I believe i can go trough this.

I was raped by 2 guys I thought were my friends. Apparently I was wrong. They gave me herpes. Now I have to pay for doing nothing wrong. I only wish I had pressed charges. If I had pressed charges, I could've saved other girls that were infected by them as well, and they would've paid for their crime. If this happened to anyone else, don't make the same mistake I did. Do the right thing....Report It.

i was raped and the guy gave it to me

Well i got hsv-2 by being drugged at a party but i don't count that experience as a sex partner...i only count my ex bf...who doesn't talk to me anymore..i would just like to know what to do..

I have no idea if I even have it. My ex was a LARGE man and I used to think he just tore me there.....since we rarely had sex.....I was a battered wife. About a month ago I had sex with a college love and we are planning a life together and after 5 times with him (nothing on him) this shows up on me. I ordered Valtrex on the net since I used it for shingles but I am not even sure I have it.....HELP

I contracted Herpes (type 1) God knows where at the age of 1. It may be genetical but no one else in my family gets outbreaks. When an infection comes up I can feel it coming for days in advance. Outbreaks are always on my right eye and causes the eye to itch and become red. My eye lids get swollen (sometimes completely shut) and my eye leaks gunge - yuck. I use an over the counter cream called Zovirax which helps the eye recover itself. On several occasions Ive had to go to hospital to check my eye for damgae because its been hard to see after the outbreak. I get it maybe 3 times during a year, every year of my life that I can remember, mostly during stressful times like exams. Ive also noticed that only my right eye stings quite alot when I go into a smokey atmosphere, like a bar or club.This website has helped me to inform myself more about Herpes. I didnt know that there was another type of Herpes (the genital one) and I just thank God that I dont have that one, its sounds pretty ugly. I do sympethise with people who have this type though and I hope they are managing their lives ok. Thank you for having all this information so readily availible on the internet, it has helped a great deal.

The saddest issue that I have to deal with for now is that I'm not sure as to what it is that I have. About a month ago I noticed a bump on my vaginal area. I didn't have a diagnosis of what it was or what the disease herpes was for that matter. After a few inquiries of mine, I found out that a genital herpes outbreak usually consists of painful "fluid filled" blisters. The thing is that what I had wasn't painful at all, nor was it "fluid filled", yet I have learned that an outbreak can be painless and it's appearance can vary. This really worried me because by now it is too late to get a culture (I heard the best and positive results of a culture is getting it done within 48 hours of an outbreak). I am now oblivious to what it is that I have and the only thing I can to do is wait for another outbreak so I can get tested. Another concern of mine is that this might be a genital wart, nevertheless I cannot make any assumptions or self diagnosis. Only doctors can do that. A huge worry of mine also is my boyfriend, whom I have been with for 5 years. The problem is that I cheated on him several months after I lost my virginity to him with various partners, and even worse, till this day he is unaware about my promiscuous behavior. Fortunately though, he and I have always used protection, before and after my promiscuity. I'm 90 percent sure that he did not give me anything because of the fact that we were always protected and because I never noticed any bumps or sores on his penis or around his genital area. We don't have sex anymore even with protection, because I don't want to risk the chance of giving him anything. I have yet to break the bad news to him, my cheating on him and that I may have an STD. I'M A BIG FAT LIAR, and believe me, I live with it everyday of my life. It's tormenting, one, not knowing what I have and two, soon I have to break the news to him. I won't blame him if he decides to leave me, I cannot. This is the end of my story to you folks, and the sad beginning of my journey. I have a lot to learn, however, one lesson that I have learned through all this and one that I will forever keep with me is that its just so not worth having unprotected sex. No matter how horny or careless you are. Don't be lazy, get CONDOMS, or even better yet, practice abstinence or monogamy. They are the best ways to be free and safe from any STD. Peace and God bless you all.

i have never had an outbreak..took a blood test specifically for it because i felt something was wrong/different.

I'm not even sure when I contracted the virus. I've never been tested, but an OBGYN told me what my symptoms sounded like and I'm 100% sure that's what it is. I've been married 20 years to the same man who was very active before our marriage and unfaithful during. I am recently separated and now this whole "condition" is taking on a whole new meaning to me. I feel like no man - no matter how sensitive or loving or wonderful will be willing to deal with this issue and put himself at risk. I've told one incredible man about it and am expecting him to let me down easily telling me he isn't interested in anything other than being friends. Can I really blame him? I feel like used goods - dirty - humiliated - disgusting - unlovable. I know it isn't my fault but I still have to suffer through telling a man I feel like I am falling in love with. All I know is if he tells me thanks but no thanks it will be the first and last man I will ever utter those humiliating words to. I will either remain married to my unfaithful husband or will be lonely and abstinate for the rest of my life. People tell me I am a beautiful woman (of course they don't know about the herpes) and I am intelligent and have a great personality. I really think this man in my life was well on his way to falling in love with me before I dumped this burden on his shoulders. I am so depressed and have incredibly low self-esteem. I feel ugly and undesirable. Reading other peoples experiences hasn't helped me much as it doesn't lessen the fact that no matter what I will be dealing with this for the rest of my life and will probably be losing my 2nd chance at happiness in a day or so when he gives me his answer. Even if he says he wants to give our relationship a chance I think he will always be paranoid and will NEVER be able to look at me the same way again. What a miserable virus! Something basically nothing more that an occasional inconvenience may ultimately ruin the remainder of my life.

I JUST FOUND OUT YESTERDAY THAT I HAVE HERPES.IT COULD HAVE BEEN THER FOR YEARS????? IT WAS EITHER FROM MY EX-HUSBAND/ABUSER/CHEATER WHOM I DIVORCED 1N DEC.1993..........OR FROM MY CURRECT HUSBAND [FEB.1994] WHO USED TO BE WITH SOME ONE 1-1 1/2 YRS. BEFORE ME THAT WAS A SLUT. HE HAS TOLD ME THAT HE HAS HAD 'SEMINAL SEAPAGE' DURING BOWEL MOVEMENTS......WHAT THE HELL IS THAT????HE HAS NO SORES....WE HAVE NOT HAD SEX IN 1 YEAR & 3 WEEKS,,,,,,,WHY ?????? HELL IF I KNOW.....I THINK HE IS CHEATING AND DOES NOT WANT ME....PLAIN & SIMPLE.....NOW SINCE I FOUND OUT I HAVE IT, HE IS WITHDRAWN...SULLEN...AND LOOKS GUILTY.....AND I AM THE ONE THAT IS IN AGONY

i read a lot about people seeing herpes as the end of the world. i did too for a while. i have only had it for 6 months but i had a lot of support from people close to me. my boyfriend [i contracted herpes from a previous boyfriend but was with my current boyfriend when i discovered it] tries to settle my panic and jokes that it is just like the flu, you get it you treat it, it goes away.....you get it again and you keep repeating the process. i think it hurts so much because of the social stigma of getting an STD, its like only prostitutes get that. well we know very well that is not the case. i sometimes wish i could shout to the world that i've got herpes- i think that would make me feel less guilty about it. since the repercussions of that are not something i want to deal with i will stick to fighting small battles at a time.

It's not the end of the world at all physically. When I discovered I was relatively asymptomatic, I could not figure out what the big deal was. Telling a partner is by far the most stressful part. I just had somebody completely reject me when I told him and now after 14 years of having HSV my world is upside down because of this stupid virus. So I am bummed but I know I will move on and meet a more compassionate person. The other people I have told have been understanding and supportive so if you think someone is a judgemental person before you talk to them just be prepared, it does hurt. After ending a long monagamous relationship I did not think enough about how to tell someone new. It did not occur to me to get on a website like this to look for advice since it had not been a problem in the past. I don't know if it would have helped in this situation but I will be alot more careful next time. I have to believe that it is for the best in the long run.

Was passed on to me by my husband through oral sex - he had a cold sore.

Just that it can look a bit like impetigo.

I would say always, always use a condom. Ask your parnter if he/she has been infected with it. Double check!! I never thought it could happen to me and now look. I just found out yesterday when I finally went to the doctor. I still don't know if it was me or my boyfriend. My last parnter was in October 2002 and this is my first outbreak. I still have to learn more about it. Thank You.

Contraction of the disease is through ignorance and thinking "it could never happen to me". Before my husband and I were married, I was dating him and another guy. I knew the other guy had a very active love life before we met. I had been careless many times in the pass. I assumed that that he would have told me if he had herpes. Two mistakes I made, I did not use protection because I "trusted" him, and I probably gave it to my husband. The chances are good that I contracted it from him because after about a month of sexual intercourse with him I had one outbreak, it was very mild, and I have not had a reocurrence since then (3 years). It was so mild, I thought it was a big bite. My husband and I had sex during that time. And it passed to him. The sad thing is it has not affected me at all. My husband has an outbreak every month, and it breaks my heart. It does not affect our love life, and we are very open about it. He takes Acyclovir and it helps a little. He felt resentment at first, but it subsided. We are fortunate to have each other. I hope they find a cure for Herpes soon! My message is to get tested regularly if you have unprotected sex. Someone gave it to me, I hope not on purpose, and I to my husband. We can contain this disease and defeat it! It can be devastating. So do what you can to help!

my penis herts

I don't have any of the symptoms and have never had an outbreak, but I am infected. I'm not sure exactly how to deal with it.

If you have herpes, and you think there is the off chance you're having an outbreak, make it well known...my girlfriend wasn't sure if she had a cold sore, and now I have type 1 in a very intimate area.

When I first found out that I had herpes I was devastated. I thought that I would never be able to have a regular relationship with someone ever again. So I didn't tell anyone. I have been having unprotected sex, and I know that is wrong. So far I have been very lucky not to give it to others, at least that I know of. I recently moved from my home state to go to college, and I met someone that I wanted to have a realationship with. At first we used condoms all the time, and then when we became really comfortable with other we stopped using them. Now 6 months later we realize that we have strong feelings for each other, and we began saying "i love you" to each other. With our relationship going there, I had been feeling extremely guilty for not telling. I knew that if I loved him I needed to tell him, then allow him to make the decision if he wanted to continue the relationship or not. I told him two days ago, and we talked about it for a little. He tried to pretend that he would be okay, but i could here it in his voice that it really bothered him. When we got off the phone, he made it seem like we were going to talk the next day, and that everything would be fine, but I haven't heard from him since that night, and it will be two days today. I guess I waited so long to tell him because I was scared that if I would have told him right away he would have walked away from me without getting to know me. Now that he has gotten to know me, he has fallen in love with me, but i think that if I would have told hime in the beginning we wouldn't have had the beautiful realationship that we have been having. But i also think that with me waiting so long to tell him, I think that I may have lost him. All I wanted to do was have a normal relationship with someone. I pretended I didn't have it because I haven't had an outbreak since last july. If I did mess up this relationship then I have learned another lesson, even if this relationship works I have still learned a lesson. Those who have it need to tell their partner before they have sex with them, so their partner can make a choice whether to continue the relationship or not. I could have really hurt the person I love by giving it to him, and then I really would have lost him. Telling the first person is hard, but now that I have told him, i believe that I will be able to tell another beforehand. JUST TELL YOUR PARTNER BEFORE YOU GET INTIMATE SO YOU WON'T HURT THEM LIKE I HAVE HURT MY LOVER.

When I started university, I definately became a lot more sexually active. I was in one serious relationship prior to my time at school, in which I had only 1 sexual partner. When my girlfriend and I broke up, I started "having some fun". I then started to notice bumps on my gentials which I immediately thought was herpes. I had a lot of the symptoms, so I really was an emotional wreck, yet I was afraid to go to the clinic. Luckily, a few days later, I did go, and it turns out that it wasn't herpes or an STD. My advice to people out there is if you think you might have it, DON'T WAIT! Go to a clinic or doctor and find out! People there are very professional and do not judge you... Education=prevention!

Im new to herpes and I just met this great girl who isnt infected. She is very interested in me and I in her. Sex is starting to come up and Im deathly afraid to tell her because we both feel there is something there. I know she would have real issues with it but I know I need to tell her why I wont have sex with her. I have a great deal of stress in that aspect. Otherwise Im fine. I still dont know how I got it either. Im always careful and use protection always. Just dont know if she will except me with this infection. How do you all meet people and still have healthy relationships....Must have lots of understanding and patience.

I found out in September 2002 while doing a blood test. I have had no reaccurences since. I just believe there are worst things to have in the world and this is is not one of them. Just be truthful with whoever you meet, its not that bad. Life is what it is, so make it somethinf special.

I believe I am an asyptomatic genital herpes carrier. I have no symptoms except a slightly greater sensitivity to vigorous stimulation during the time I suspect an "outbreak". This happens maybe 4 times per year and is definitely more noticeable when I am stressed. Both my regular partners have been diagnosed with genital herpes but one has outbreaks 1-2 times per year and the other one has only had one outbreak in 5 years. I'm not sure what to say to a prospective new partner. i don't know how much risk I pose to others who are not infected.

i went to the pool with some friends. then a week latter i had it, i don't know how i got it do you?

I have just been told by my doctor that I have been effected with herpes. I am scared and I really don't know who to talk to. I haven't told anyone and I really don't know want the further holds for me. I was wondering if there is a cure in the making for herpes? If so when and what

this sux.i dont know how its spread or if i can have sex ever. well ive got lotion lol

this sux. i dont know if i can have safe sex ever i feel like my life is ruined sexualy before it even got started. i still have lotion though lol. gotta think poitive

i still dont understand how igot this my last 3 sexual partners and i are still good friends my current partner and i are engaged and nobody owns up to having had this virus, were in long term relationships over two years with each of them and never saw any signs, obviously one of them was a carrier and didint know, my current partner doesnt want to get tested bcoz he feels if he doesnt have it it may change his feelings about our sexual relationship and if he was the carrier and gave it to me then his guilt about that may also ruin us, idont know this virus plays more with your mind sometimes than the physical symptoms

When I found out I was HSV positive, I thought about killing myself. Two years later, I sometimes forget that I have it. I am currently in a serious relationship and I have failed to share this information with him. Through prayer, I hope to share this info soon with my mate. He and I plan to get married. Unfortunately, I still lack the confidence that he'll except me for who I am. It has been a struggle and hopefully he and I will do it together. I must say this is only one of the worst things that has happened to me. Well maybe not knowing who or where I contracted HSV-2 from is even worse. I wish I was still a virgin!!! Having sex is not worth the daily discomfort.

I don't know exactly who I contracted herpes from I didn't even know that I had it. I was with a partner that asked me to get tested so I did for everything I could get tested for. The results came back positive for type 2 herpes. I was sort of suprised because as far as I could tell I haven't had any outbreaks. I haven't felt anything out of the ordinary. It has been a couple of months since I was diagnosed. I took it hard at first. I felt ashamed and dirty and scared. In a way it made me stronger though and I have learned a lot about myself since that point. I did feel like I didn't want to have a sexual relationship again for a really long time. Recently I met this wonderful guy that I really click with and I was struggling with the decision to tell him about my herpes. I felt that if I waited then I would get more attatched than I was already and it would be harder if he ran. Well, I did tell him and at first he said he was okay with it but then a few days later he told me he did a lot of research on the subject and he didn't want to be in a relationship with someone that had herpes for fear that he might contract it. I was really devastated thinking that every new relationship I want to get into has a higher possibility for rejection. The guy wasn't a jerk about it and we are still talking but it still hurts.

I had sex for the first time and contracted it from my partner.

There is hope! I contracted in a longterm monogamous relationship, apparently his "canker sore" in his mouth, was a cold sore and I ended up with genital herpes. He never was diagnosed with type II, and never showed any signs of it.My initial outbreaks were about every 3 months. I insisted on using Valtrex, as a daily drug and have been in remission for over six years. Valtrex is a miracle drug! If you have a physician, get it prescribed to you. It is worth every penny!

I have had only a few partners and I have never had any of the symptoms mentioned yet my papsmear tested positive. I feel so ashamed..I hated telling my partner..but he has been so understanding...he is currently getting tested...I only hope he is okay. I can only hope for a cure and a vaccine for him.

First of all I would like to say that I contracted this disease from oral sex at the age of 20. I was a virgin at the time and my ex-boyfriend and I had tried to use the dental dam to protect ourselves. He said he could not breathe properly when we used the dental dam so we began to have oral sex without it. That was my worst mistake ever. I did not pay any attention to the bumps on his face around his mouth I thought they were just shaving bumps. Later and discovered that they were more. My experience would be that like other people it is very hard for me to share this information with people that i meet and want to have a sexual relationship with. It almost makes you feel as if you don't want to tell them because you are afraid of the reaction that they may have. When I first told my first sexual partner that I had this sexually transmitted disease he rejected me. I went to go visit him so we could talk and before i even got to his door which was open I could smell the pine-sol. He was disinfecting everthing in his house that I had came in contact with. I could not tell you how that made me feel. The feeling is undescribable it still hurts to think about it. This disease has been such a henderence in my life. I never want to get too close to anyone. I push alot of people away because I feel guilty for talking to them or getting close to them knowing what I know. I try to think about this as being a good learning experience for me. It is very hard at times to deal with this it seems as if I am the only one with this disease. Everyone talks as if they are so disease free and here I am stuck with this awful, painful disease. A few of my worries are having children, noone ever finding a cure for this disease, and finding a mate. A word to the wise avoid stress, tight jeans, thongs, dont have sex too frequently, wash your hands after touching your genital area if you don't all of these things may trigger an outbreak!! God Bless Every One Of You!!

im not sure yet whether i have herpes or not but i think its likely

I never thought that i could get it ,in fact we used to joke about it . I have slept with my fair share of women and don't have a clue who i got it from . If i were more educated about what symptoms come with herpes i would have know much ealier that i had it. I have had what i thougt were zits on my ass for as long as i could remeber but never thought anything of it .Who knows how many other girls i could have givin it to , I feel really guilty when i think about how many times i didn't use pretection but theres nothing i can do now. I just want to learn as many things possible to help prevent anymore outbreaks or symptoms.I find that when i get stressed and combine that with exsessive drinking I get the outbreaks. I don't really no how this is gonna effect my life in the fututre, it scares me to think about tellling a fututre partener what i have but o well if they don't understand it wasn't meant to be.Hey i'm have always been an optimist so atleast i won't be sleeping around anymore ,who knows if i didn't find this out i might have kept on fu*king around and got aids ,i take herpes over that anyday!

I contracted the virus from the man that is now my husband. He had cold sores, and neither one of us knew you could pass the deasease on to the genital area. now we both have H1 on our private parts.

IAM NOT SURE

Hello!I found out about a year ago and I must say I was totally devasted. I had not cried like that in a long time. I have a boyfriend who I was with when I found out. I freaked out about telling him but knew i had to. I was scared that he would be disgusted with me and leave me but when I proceeded to tell him through lots of tears he was very quiet and then held me.He told me that I already had a place in his heart and he was going to work with me through it. He got tested and was fine. We are still together and just take precautions when I know I am going to have a breakout which I do get often but hopefully they will stop coming so soon. I am not sure to this day who gave it to me and I never will. I battle every day with it but try to stay positive. I can't say I am fully recovered from finding out but as time passes it does get better. One thing I am dealing with is telling an ex boyfriend and knowing I have to. Well good luck to all that are dealing with this and remember you are not a dirty person. We are all beautiful in many ways. Remember also to keep smiling.

i met this guy last year and we began seeing each other after a couple months we used protection at first but as we began to really like each other it became non-existant. we had sex like two weeks ago and exactly 10 days later i began to have discomfort in my gentials at first i thought it was a cut but then i looked and realized it was an open sore, my first reaction was one of sheer disgust, i cried for hours. and then i got myself together and made a gyno appt. the next day at the doc. she did a cell swipe and said that in her opinion it looked like herpes and gave me a three day prescrption for valtrex. i cried all the way home and as soon as i got there my beloved boyfriend called me and said he was coming over. i was a great actress i didn't even tell him. i couldn't i didn't have the nerve i had to find the strength in myself i finally told him the next day and i cried the whole time come to find out he had cheated on me three weeks ago with one of his ex's. i was and am devistaed my whole life has changed. its been a week since i got it and i am still in pain. i can't even wash myself. all i do is cry i hate this but it is my fault, he didn't know ,he had no signs ,he must have been shedding. im so embarassed!

iam not sure if i have the virous or not my friend just told me he was positive with the hep virous . i hav enot been tested yet i dont dont know if i ahve it or not i was stupid not to havre used a condom.

I always knew herpes was out there but I never in a million years thought I would get it. I found out I had it one week before my 17th birthday. It was the most horrible pain I ever had to go through. There was no doubt in my mind who gave it to me since I have only been with one person. The worst part about it is that my partner knew he had it the whole time and never said a word to me. I am not putting all the blame on my partner because I should have been more careful but I just can't see how someone can have a disease and just give it away like that without feeling the slightest bit guilty. I am still adjusting to having herpes. It isn't even so much the fact that I have it, but the question is " who is going to want to be with me now"?

Breakouts only happen on my feet, is that weird or what?

I was just diagnosed with herpes. I had checked on the internet for symptoms like mine, so I was pretty sure that I had it when I went to the doctor. That didn't make it any easier to deal with. When the doctor told me, I started crying. All I knew is that this is a disease that you carry for the rest of your life. It effects a lot of things, but there are ways to live around it. I am not going to die from it, I may feel like it right now, but I know that it is a common occurance. If the guy told me he had herpes, I wouldn't have slept with him, but as it turns out, he still claims innocence and I am in a lot of pain. The pain is the worst part. Walking hurts, sitting hurts, peeing REALLY hurts, and I am afraid to take a shit because I dont' know how that is going to feel either. I have medication, and hopefully I can get it under control. All of these experiences I have read are really depressing, but this isn't that depressing. Hey, at least I don't have AIDS or something even worse. I haven't told my boyfriend yet, but if he doesn't accept it, then that is his problem. It is just like a cold sore, only "down there" which makes it the pits, but life goes on regardless. Its not like I have to change my entire life, I just have to be a little more careful. I am grateful that herpes is all I got. It could have been worse. I am not going to sit and cry over something I now have no control over. I wish I was more aware beforehand, but that is the way life works out. Things like reading other people's experiences makes you feel better, regardless. At least you know you aren't alone in it.

They fucking suck! im embarassed to have them and don't want anyone else to get them.

I found out I had genital herpes around seven moths ago. Since then I hadn't had a recongnizable outbreak, until this week, right now I am in agony!!!! But you all know how it is. I can't afford anti viral therapy, so if anybody out there has any advice on how to speed up the healing, and get rid of some of this horrific pain, I would love you for life!!!!!I was really upset when I first found out that I had herpes, it only gets me down now when I have an outbreak, or see one of those stupid valtrex comercials, i never went horse backriding or rafting before i got this!!! I'm very lucky to have a very supportive husband, although he is a longhaul truck driver so he is gone alot. I also have two of the sweetest little boys in the world. God bless you all and keep your chin up:)

My question is this.. I read how people don't even know if they have it, how people don't know they got it, how people never have an episode.. so what the hell is the big deal! It's all stigma and it is about time people just chill about it.. it is like a cold just in the netherlands..

I had only been with 3 men prior to contracting Herpes, my 1st serious relationship was for 2 years, my marriage for 9 years, and a long term relationship of 2 years. I have never had a one night stand, but herpes does not have morals and could care less if was not promiscuous. The man I had been dating knew he had it (Herpes Type 1 & 2)and did not tell me, selfish as it was, I do understand to a certain extent. It is not easy being single and having an extra cross to bear makes it so much more difficult, but it could have been so much worse. Being responsible is really important, two of my partners ended up contracting it, but that was due to being in very long term relationships and their decision to no longer wear protection. I have been very lucky, I have only had the first outbreak in May of 1998 and the real outbreak 2 weeks after that, it was mortifying, but I survived and was good friends with someone who I ended up dating for two and a half years. I have not had an outbreak (knock on wood) since, but I have been responsible and told anyone I became intimate with that I had it. I also pray everyday that there will be a cure.

I found out I had herpes about 6 months ago. I believe I contracted it from my ex-husband because when I was with him I would experience a burning sensation every once in a while but it would then go away so I ignored it. After breaking up with him I started seeing someone else. A few months later I went to the doctor because I had what felt like an open cut on my vagina. I thought I had cut myself shaving. The thought that I had herpes crossed my mind even before I went to the doctor because I know other people who have it and know about the symptoms. My doctor immediately diagnosed me after seeing my problem. I honestly felt suicidal and like no one would want to be with me. Like I would never have children and that all of the plans I had about getting married and starting a family were down the drain. I felt obligated to tell my new partner about it even though deep down inside I thought he would leave me. I knew I loved him and didn't want to lose him, but at the same time I couldn't possibly hide it. To my surprise after I educated him about herpes he was very comforting and supportive. I just want to make sure others know that there is hope after herpes! We are still together and I love and respect him more than ever for being with me even after knowing there is always a chance that he may somehow end up with it. If someone is worthy of you being with them they will support you and be understanding.

I contracted herpes from my husband of three years. Apparently, my husband had no idea he had it. I found out about it when I went to my doctor for a check-up. I was devastated when my doctor told me I had herpes. I'm seriously considering divorcing my husband. I hold him responsible for ruining my life.

i'm really new to this. i was infected by a cheating partner. i had my first outbreak about a month ago. im currently having my second outbreak. i've been in so much pain. urinating burns so bad that i try not to drink any thing for the whole day. i have personally found that ice helps to realive pains from my sores but the urinating this is bugging.thanks for giving me a place to vent. i feel like an outcast now that i 've been "infected."

IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!!!! I was diagnosed at 16. At first I was devestated, and felt so depressed, angry, and alone. But then as I learned more about it I began to accept it, and discovered so many ways to control this nightmare. Valtrex has worked wonders for me, I have'nt had an outbreak in over a year!!! I'm still with the guy who gave me this, in fact we just got married, and I just gave birth to a beautiful, HEALTHY baby girl. Having herpes should'nt control your life, or discourage you from getting married and starting a family, I'm living proof of that. If you've just been diagnosed, please don't let this get the best of you, eventually this will just be a minor problem in your life. THANK YOU ALL FOR READING MY STORY. GOD BLESS

Hi. I am a 19 year old male student at SDSU. I contracted the HSV-1 & HSV-2 virus because I was uneducated about many aspects of the virus. I have only engaged in oral sexual intercourse with 2 people in my life. A female that I was interested in told me that she was clean of any viruses and infections before we proceeded to become intimate. Little did I know, she was shedding the virus and I recently (1 week later)developed severe pains in my groin that can accurately be described as if burning razorblades were freely drifting in my sac and splicing the nerves in my testicles. Also my lips periodically swell, reden and eventually blister over puss white. If I could do anything to prevent anyone from contracting this incurable and dramatic life changing virus, I would suggest that you first try to imagine this pain that I am going to continually suffer off and on, and because of my dignity, I can no longer allow myself to return to dating the woman that I realistically hoped to marry in the near future, in fear that she might contract the virus orally and then possibly later affect her genital region, birth complications,etc. I hope everyone understands the severity of this disease and the ease of it's transmission. I am a normal, caring and sexually exclusive person, however this virus doesen't selectively infect the 'sluts' or 'sleepers' it can easily be transmited simply through sharing a cup of water, smoking from a pipe, sipping off a straw, exchanging chapsticks, and of course - kissing and sexual intercourse. If you care about someone enough to be intimate with them, it is imparitive that you know the facts about STD's and their rapid transmission upon our socially active society. 1 in every 4 adults on average, and in some selective enviornments as much as one in every two. That's heads or tails when taking the risk. Are the odds aganst you?

WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS NEVER QUESTION GOD ! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

I used to have a friend that I really liked. He never wanted anything else but sex. I was a virgin and I was sick of it. So I let him. I was to stupid to put a condom and he lied telling me he got checked. So now after my first time, my first partner, I'm stuck with herpes 1 for the rest of my fucking life. If only at least it was from somebody special. I of cousrse can't blame everything on him cause that was REALLY stupid of me. I still hate myself for it. Now I've been with a man for 1 year. And I hate the fact that I can give this horrible desease to him. I'm praying they find a cure and soon. I didn't derserve this. Nobody deserves this. L.

First of all I would have to say that it was one of the scariest things that happend to me. At first I didnt know what it was at all. I went to the docter as soon as possible because it hurt really bad. Then when the docter said it could be herpes I broke down crying. I realized the decisions I made were really dumb. I hated myself for it and I wanted to know who and when I got it from. The test came back negative but she says I still have them. And the test doesn't always show up positive. Then I realized it wasn't the end of the world. The docter told me that if I were planing to have childern if i was during an outbrake I would have to have a c-section. I was a little upset at first then after I thought it would be for the safety of my child. It really hurts to know someone could do this to me. But I didn't know either and I should have used protection.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I GOT HERPES FROM I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I'VE HAD IT I DON'T KNOW WHO GAVE IT TO ME BUT IF I COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE MY LIFE I WOULD BECAUSE NOW I HAVE TO TELL ANYONE THAT I SLEEP WITH THAT I HAVE IT, AND THAT IS SO HARD TO DO BE CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THEIR GOING TO REACT TO YOU.

OK,I just got through reading all the comments from everyone else, now it's my turn. I've had it for 20+ years. I went through all the initial outbreak pain and suffering, it hurts, your depressed, you wonder if you'll ever have sex again. Will anybody ever be able to love me? Will sex make me feel dirty, will my partner think I'm dirty? BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, Get Over it. The initial outbreak is the worst, it's not as bad a major migraine or the flu, but it does hurt, itch and generally make you feel like shit for a week or two. Don't worry the episodes get less intense and less frequent as you get older. Once the initial shock and depression is over, you can have a fairly normal sex life. If your potential partner is not understanding, dump him or her as fast you can. Why would you want to settle down with someone who is that stupid or unwilling to invest more than just their genitals into your life. Find someone who has the ability to show a little restraint in their sex life, yes you need condoms, yes you will not be able to have regular sex with them during an episode. At least you didn't get HIV/AIDS. But you will learn to take better care of yourself, because if you don't, you'll break out. You'll hopefully start taking vitamins, get your exercise, eat right, stay away from coke, easy on the alcohol, etc.... I had 6 sexual partners after I found out I had herpes. I learned about it, explained it and was never turned down. The last partner I married 12 years ago, we now have 4 great heatlhy kids. Guess what, when I told her I was positive, she said, don't worry I have it too. Supposedly 20% of the adults over 21 have it. Those with 5 or more partners in their life have a 35% chance of having it. That's one third of the people your likely to meet who are sexually active. I'm still married so I don't worry about it any more. Your not dead. Get educated. Talk to a Doctor. Get healthy. This disease may have saved your life. When I caught HIV wasn't known yet. I just happy to be alive and kicking and still enjoying sex after all these years.

i am a 27 year old women, who was in a 2 and a half year relationship withsomeone a male , who i thought i would spend the rest of my life with, i had always annually been tested since i became sexually active, only 6 monhts after we meet i became pregnant, my son is 16 months old, in dec this past year iour relationship ended for many reasons the main he cheated, but now swears he always had protected sex with just HER, but i know for a fact he is big into ORal sex, me thinking we would fall back in love , keep sleeping with him, no protection, the last time i had sex with him was mar 27th and now on april 1st , i guess the joke is on me i find out he has given me herpes, the only partner i have had in almost 3 years , and he is trying to deny it !!! the gull of him , i guess i should except that out of him after all our whole realtionship was a lie, after lie after lie, but my very valid point to him was i hope it was worth it, he has only known her for 4 months , i told him good lord you have no idea where she has been the last 22 years of her life!!!! and he replies she said she went to the doctor a few months before we meet, and her reason for that visit???? makes you wonder and he doubted my love and faithfulness, but i believed in his and look what it got me for life !!! i would rather be a single mom of 20 kids, and broke !!!! so my suggestion to all out there , you just never know , love is blind , and now i am left with a son to raise , single mom , and herpes .!!!!! that not how i intended the story to go !!!! be careful and have the facts in writing !!! protect your self and others.

I was diagnosed when i was 16 years old. I was devistated and i really believed my life was over. I was in a relationship at the time and my boyfriend excepted this and we stayed together for 1 year. I now have a healthy beautiful baby girl who is now 3 months old. Although i am no longer with the father, i just want to let people who suffer from this know that life is not over. For a short time i really did believe that no one else would want me. it is lonely and scary. I recently let a guy friend know about this who i have known for seven years, we've always been interested in one another but never pursued a relationship. He let me know that i am still who i always was, his best friend. what he said made me feel so good but most of all he made me feel like i wasnt damaged. And you are not either. Life goes on, you will find someone who loves you for who you are. Please, if you know you have this you must tell any possible sexual partners! i was not made aware and every person has the right to know. If they love you they will except it! God bless!

I have not had a chance to read the information in this site properly at the moment as I am at work but from what I have seen I feel it will be very helpful (Diet/Nutrition etc). I do not know at the moment whether anything other than my menstrual cycle affects my attacks as I have only had three that have occurred approximately 1-2 weeks before my period is due. One thing I have read in this site is that it is unlikely the flu-like symptoms will persist with the attacks. However, I have now had three attacks. My first lasted approximately 3.5 weeks and I did not want to move AT ALL!! I suffered SEVERE flu-like symptoms, fever and body aches etc. Since then I have had a further two attacks and the flu-like symptoms have not been AS bad but they have still been BAD!! I have been prescribed Aciclovir which works wonders but I am dubious about taking medication so will be looking into my diet and possibly other factors once I have had time to absorb the information held on this and other sites.

when i was diagnosed with herpes i was shocked i don't really know much about the std but i decided to hold off from having intercourse for the moment until i find out what precautions i can take so i won't have another outbreak and don'tgive it to my new partner.

Not sure if I have Herpes. have an occurring lesion on my buttocks. Have been to Doctor's ,nobody seems to have any answers. Never had any actual test done though.

Yes i have to say that it hurts and that i want all of you guys to know that sex is a great thing but please protect yourself so you dont start growin bumps in your private spots now its like sometimes i cant even see my labia because its so sore. When i have sex the guys are so grossed out they dont even want to eat me out anymore. You know how sad i get at nights i just wanna cry and the medication doesnt work for long. PLEASE PROTECT YOURSELF AND KNWO WHO YOU HAVE SEX WITH.

Not really an experience but something that has bothered me. Ever since I got infected with Herpes, I have no been able to get into a realtionship with another guy in fear of getting hurt or infecting that person.

Herpes sucks, but I'm learning to live with it. More people have it than you relize! Don't be afraid to tell potential partners. If they shun you they are just ill informed. If they care they will take the time to educate themselves. Take care of yourselves and pray for a vaccine soon so others won't have to go through what we are going through!

Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm having an outbreak or not, but by waiting, I certainly DO find out and by that time I'm in real pain. But sometimes it is just plain irritation. So it's the not knowing sometimes that can be just as (mentally) painful.

After being alone and lonely for 3 years after my divorce, I met this man who I am crazy about. We have not had sex yet. The other day his previous girlfriend of 10 years reminded him to tell me he had herpes. He said that he had forgotten since it had been so long since he had an outbreak. I've been researching herpes in order to educate myself but the more I read, the more my feelings change. When he told me I immediately called my sister because she contracted it in the 80s. Fortunate for her, when she met her future husband and it came time in the relationship to break the news, she discovered he had it as well. It's different when you both have it. My feelings have definitely changed for this man because I'm scared at the thought of ever having sex with him. He could be the one for me but after reading the experiences on this website, I'm too scared to go forward. If I knew for sure that I was going to be with this guy for the rest of my life, I could see taking the chance. Apparently having herpes while single and dating is a nightmare according to my sister and the stories I've read here. I told him that I had been with only one man in the last 25 years and when I got ready to have a relationship with a man, he would have to have an HIV test. I never even thought about herpes!

It seems that I got HSV1 from my ex-husband via oral sex. But since we split up almost ten years ago I didn't know I was a carrier until today when my boyfriend noticed lesions on his penis and got checked out by his doctor. I went with him because we're in this together and I feel awful. The only symptoms I had were a couple of weeks ago when I had what felt like small cuts and they hurt when I peed. But they went away and I didn't really think about it again. His doctor told him (and internet research supports) that you can walk around for years without knowing you have herpes until something like this happens. Anyway, I feel terrible and hope it won't affect our lives too much. We don't have any plans to split up and have a loving & very sexual relationship so time will tell.

IT COULD BE WORSE THANK GOD THAT YOU ARE STILL LIVING, DON'T LET THIS GET YOU DOWN ENJOY LIFE!

yes I contracted herpes when I was 13. I had a baby when I was 16 years old. During the time when I was in labor I was currently having a herpes outbreak and therefore had to deliver by c-section. It was awful. Please verybidy be careful, what happned to me was awful and I wish it on nobody. God Bless.

ya it sucks, kissed a girl in the 3rd grade and had it ever since. i cant wait for death

This is my first outbreak and I would have to say the most painful suffering I have ever witnessed in my life. I am 17 years old and I only slept with 4 guys. 3 of them only once and the fourth one several times. I'm sad..:(:( I wish I knew who I got it from....I never knew that if a person gets herpes for the first, they won't even notice an outbreak for several years.well whatever Im in pain so peace out:(:(:(:(

Some days it doesn't bother me to know at all, other days it's really depressing. I'm with the same girl that infected me, so I don't have experience in entering a new relationship and telling the other person. However, I think that if it is a serious relationship it will work out ok if you talk about it and inform the other person about the virus. You aren't alone, it's not the end of the world, and it won't stop you from making your dreams come true.

I was in a monogamous relationship with a wonderful man whom I thought I was going to marry. He had only been dating 4 months when I decided to finally tell him that I have herpes. We were sexually active and I just couldn't bare to tell him the truth in the beginning of our relationship because of fear that he would leave me and be disgusted with me. When I did tell him two weeks ago, unfortunately he was furious and angry with me for lying and he broke up with me. He said he didn't trust me anymore. I never lied about anything else in our relationship and I know that in the end, I've at least done the right thing in telling him, even though it wasn't up front. He got tested recently by a blood test and it was negative. Needless to say, I feel aweful about not being completely honest and sometimes wish that I wasn't alive because dealing with this is so terrible. I feel like no man will ever accept me because of this. I have been broken up with several times because of this.

once in a while i will get like a bump down there and it itches and hurts,but im not sure that it is herpes because i only get them like a couple of times, and all of those times has been when im on my peroid.

Don't let people kiss your children!!!!! I dropped my daughter off at a friend's house, and when I picked her up, i was invited in for coffee. I noticed the scabbing on the ladies face. I took my daughter home and washed her in soap completely. A week later, she got those bumbs abover her lip. Lucky for her, it jsut lightly scabbed over and did not form a sore. A week after that, I got those bumps below my lip..Well, i got a sore. It has been 10 days nad it still hasnt healed. I am angry and sad for my family. My poor baby adn my poor husband. He is a GM and has to meet people all the time. God willing he wont get it too.Why do people feel the need to kiss children???????? I am American..jsut living nad working in a different country..

I went in because I noticed a little red mark on the opening of my vagina. The LPN asked if it was painful and I answered only when I urinate. Well they did a culture,sent it in and told me to call them in a week or so. I had also had a yeast infection, so she gave me Diflucan. The next day my sore was gone. I didn't think about again till I had to call the Health department. I calleed but I wasn,t at all worried then the nurse told me I was positive for herpes. I freaked out, I wanted to die. My fiance,s mom spoke with an Rn who's main thing was infectious diseases. She told her that if a woman is either on her period or has a yeast infection than their is a 90% chance that the results are wrong. I haven't found any proof yet. I haven't had another sore either so I haven't been tested again either. If anyone can tell me something post it. Please, It's been real hard for me but thanks to my fiance and my family I think I'll be okay.

It's something that really sux and is hard to accept, but i have over time and it helps if you have someone there that loves you and doesnt care about that. because i had that someone and i would not have done it without him. I have learnt to accept it, but at every outbreak i get depressed the first 2 days, it hurts and its very uncomfortable and i have to be so careful about everything.I'm just thankful it's that and not something worse. Life is to short for me to dwell over that all the time, but without my fiancee, i wouldnt have been able to do it. I love him and we are very careful so that he doesnt get it from me so far so good and its been 2 years. Good-luck everyone, and dont forget there is someone worse off than we are out there. s.

I was just diagnosed with herpes a month ago. My first outbreak occurred after having unprotected sex with a male. My symptoms included genital sores, discharge and pain on urination. I was put on Valtrex for 10 days and the sores were gone by the end of the 3rd week. So far I have had no other outbreak.

A large portion, I think a majority, of the population has "H." Don't let this virus get you down. I beat myself up for years over it. Be open and honest with your sexual partners. People who love you for who you are will be accepting. Don't make it into more than it actually is. Again, don't beat yourself up for it; it ain't worth it.

I found out I had herpes after I got flu like symptoms and developed a itch around my vagina last August. I had just recently been with two guys in the same nite. I feel like a slut saying it now, but then I know I thought it was all in fun. Finally in January after having my culture come back negative I had a blood test done. It came back negative for HSV-1 but positive for HSV-2. I don't know if I got it from one of the guys I'd been with. I'd had symptoms similar before but didn't realize what they were. I guess it could've been the roughness of sex, or my premenstral symptoms that triggered just a violent outbreak. Since then, I have had no visible symptoms, no lesions, no itching, no burning when I pee. I get urinary tract infections alot though. Unfortunately I was in denial until last weekend. Not complete denial, I'd stopped having causual sexual relations with all but about 1 person. That makes me sound like a slut too, but I've never had a boyfriend that I was in a sexual relationship with. I was always more comfortable "hooking up" with people. Well I turn 21 this Friday and I decided I need to be honest with myself. Part of this reason is because I found a guy who I was truely interested in on a physical and mental level. The other reason is a friend of mine told me they'd heard a rumor about me and they thought I had herpes. While I didn't deny this claim I didn't say it was true either. But I really want to tell the people I've been with the truth and not have them hear it from someone else. My town is like that, once someone hears something the whole damn town knows. I feel horrible. I feel like a slut, that I'm worthless, that no one will ever want to be near me. And though I realize that it's not that bad, in my head it hurts. I have been so incredibly selfish and immature and I can't believe I could put some of my closest friends in this position. It's horribly depressing and this week has just been horrible. I also decided to tell my exboyfriend, who still cares about me, but we did not have any sexual relations... go figure. I feel trapped. I hate knowing that I've put people in harms way, but I also hate the thought of ruining my reputation. It's a tough pill to swallow. As my dad would say, it's not the end of the world. And tomorrow will be another day. Unfortunately I have contracted a disease that is not a death sentence like cancer or AIDS, I have one that's life in prison.I know there is hope. There always is. Unfortunately I hate being a statistic. 1 in 5 is not a good number. But after reading all the other stories I know I'm not alone, and that makes me feel a lot better.

I am in the military. During some training I developed a relationship with a girl and had intercourse with her twice. She did not know that she had been previously infected with it. Our relationship ended after 2 months and I went home. Four months later I broke out with what appeared to be a circle of bug bites or something. Ha ha. Since then, all I do is worry. My current girlfriend may be infected. We don't yet know. How tragic.

i feel so ashamed and alone, ifeel hopeless dirty unlovable i never told anyone abot this not even my docter.

I start taking my pills Valtrax before the outbreak even gets a chance to start itching, burning or tingling. It really helps out like that because I wont feel as many affects.

i was diaginosed at 22- i had 1 outbreak once a year for the first 4 years and have not had an outbreak in over 12 years. thats why i left some questions blank.

Hello:Here is my terrible experience. I was married for 10 years and then got divorced. I met a girl, who came to my clinic looking for job and started working for me. She was already married three times and was 7 years younger than me. I started liking her and fellin love with her. It took me several months to be with her because I felt it was not right. Before her I had just slept with my ex-wife only so I had just one sexual partner. I am a very successful professional and a rightwous man and actually fell in love with this girl. Not knowing her lesbian tendencies and attraction towards other men. While she was sleeping with me she was sleeping with her ex-husband, a girl she met at a bar and another man. With me she would swear of undying love but was secretly enjoying her life. She contracted Herpes from I do not know who. I took her to the hospital and actually told the doctor that he had misdiagnosed her disease as she sweared that she had not slept around. I sat next to her when she would hurt and comforted her. She would tell me that she had not done anything and I should not doubt her. I believed her and was with her and contracted the disease. She left me 2 days later to be with her ex-husband. I had sores all over and could not believe what she had done. In the next few months she left her husband and came back to me and lived me for a year only to disclose that she had slept around before. Our relationship dwindled. Guess what. She is back with her ex sleeping with him again and here I am with sores that come too often now. I am afraid to be with anyone. I do not want to infect anyone but I am very lonely. Who will I ever find . May be a nice girl who was cheated by some one whom she loved. Not all people who are sick are bad. they are just unfortunate to get sick by some one they trusted and love.fOR LOVE AND AFFECTION TO THIS PERSON, ALL THEY GOT WAS AN INCURABLE DISEASE IN RETURN.

i have a sad story to tell!i am only 20 and he was my first boyfriend.oh god i was just a kid and so inexperienced.you can tell by the # of partners!you know you should be so unlucky to get herpes from the first guy you ever get close enough to have sex with!or i should say i'm lucky that i didn't get HIV!god knows how i felt when the doctor told me that its not curable i felt like commiting a suicide!i would cry everyday and think that i'm not gonna be able to get married or have a child or even be loved by anyone,nobody wants someone like me!sometimes i think how unfair life could be!and the funny part is he cheated on me several times and we broke up and it was exactly after that our break up that i found out that i have that diseas and he got back to his x-girlfriend right after!i told him that and he said he has checked himself and he doesn't have it!he wasen't there for me and he was having fun with his new girlfriend!i just wish everyday that he would feel himself the pain that i felt i belive that what goes around comes around i cant wait for the day to see his misery!and i thought to myself i will never have sex again if someone innocent is at risk!but sometimes i feel so much anger that i decide to not even tell it to anyone and be with anyone that i like the same way they did it to me!unfortunately i can't be that immoral!i just don't know!i don't know!and its almost 8 months that i have this diseas and it comes back to me very often every month or so!and the drug is so expensive i can't use it everyday to have it supressed!but at least i know when the outbreak is!and there is one thing that i pray for everyday and that is "god please give me the strenght to accept the things that i can't change and give me the power to change the things that i can!i can't cure it but i can supress it.and i wish that god would give us all the wisdom to see the real side of the things because they are not transparent indeed!but i guess we'll have the power to deal with it eventually!we'll make mistakes but deal with anything and everything ofcourse!because we are humans!

I have found it hard to deal with it, I dont feel atractive anymore. If a good lookin guy looks at me, I just look away. Im a young mother of a daughter, and is scared to death of giving it to her. I didnt contract it till after I had her, but I make sure if I have an outbreak that I wash my hands really well. I have not been with anyone since I found out I had it, I refuse to further spead it. I promised myself unless I find someone who is fine with knowing I have it, that I will not touch anyone till they find someway to stop the spread of it! To thoughs who are infected I hope you some what feel the same, the guy who gave it to me knew he had but didnt care, and it has wrecked my life. I have to wake up every mornig and deal with it, Im stressed to no end...Please just think of it if you are infected with this virus please for yourself, and other people dealing with it, be respectful its not just you it effects...

I've recently found out that HPV1 can be contracted into HVC2 through oral sex, last night! I was at a comlpete loss for words. I couldn't beleive it! My boyfriend who stuck by my side, an angel, was there for me no matter what. I was really shocked! But one problem that happened also, that I found out too, is that you still can contract HVP2 even without any current outbreak. He told me that you can't contract it, so we had sex! I told him that last night after I found out, but he wasn't upset or anything. He just said he needed to get tested really soon! But I really hope nothing happened to him. I'm real have some safe feeling inside because there are these types of services of help us out. I'm tryin to keep my head up though. Leslie

Before getting intimate in a relationship I shared with my partner that I have Herpes type 2. Somewhere deep down inside I wanted him to accept it and me, I thought he was big enough to handle it. After two days of him thinking about it, he let me know that he can't handle it. I was totally devistated, but what's a girl to do. I'm going to take myself off the market, and get some hobbies. The rejection is hard to handle, and it;s the first time in three years that I have to share this with someone. I don't regret telling him, because honesty is the best policy for some of us if our partners had been honest we would be in this prediciment.

When I first suspected I had genital lesions, I think I was in denial. Then after a few years I felt like I had something in my right forefinger that developed into a painful red sore accompanied by a red streak up my arm to my armpit and was also very sore. I saw my family MD and was diagnosed after he cultured it. Since that time, my finger has broken out many times and is more distessful than a genital sore because it is hard to keep it covered well all the time. I only use paper towels during that time to dry my hands. My MD prescribes anti-virals as well as antibiotics for the cellulitis I get. In all my searching for info I have never heard of anyone else having there finger in-volved. I don't know if it is due to touching a genital sore. I've always tried to wear gloves and practice good hand washing. I was infected by someone I feel sure knew they had it and didn't care to be forthcoming. It's hard not to be angry, but you just have to count your blessings and make the best of it. I feel it's the dirty stigma society has placed on this and other STD's that brings about feelings of shame and guilt. Anyway, my heart goes out to all who share this little monster and may God bless you!

Terrible thing! Scared of transmitting it when pregnant

He didn't know he had it.Some men Have no clue about it. Anything at all abnormal means something.

I have genital herpes. I contracted herpes from my current boyfriend/babies father. My body seems to have a very difficult time fighting the disease. I have frequent outbreaks. I also frequently suffer from body blisters that appear on my thighs. I think the thing that really upsets, angers, and makes me fear herpes is the fact the I'm pregnant. I don't want my child to be affected. I think about it every day. If I could change ANYTHING in my past it would be having sex without using a condom and not knowing their status. One more thing my boyfriend doesn't seem to suffer nat all. He doesn't have outbreaks and is never in any pain. This sux! Pray for me ya'll. Pray that I learn to coup with this disease and pray that my unborn child is not affected..... Fearful in TEXAS

I was just diagnosed with type 2, four days ago. So I dont know much about it. I got it from my ex-boyfriend, we were together for 6 months, broke up for 4 months and just a week ago got back together. So i have'nt had much time to process all of this. I love him very much but he doesnt understand how upset I am about this. But i think we will work through it. Herpes is something I have always been afraid of getting, now that i have it I'm trying to learn as much about it as i can. I want both of us to know as much about it as possible. I just have to live everyday to the fullest and not let this get me down. This is a great web site, I would recomend it to anyone who has Herpes.

I was diagnosed with hsv2 just over a year ago. I fell apart and really couldn't imagine how I could go on living. It does get easier. Initially I had several outbreaks but haven't had one now for about 8 mths. I know I have it, and am aware of it and would hate to ever pass it on, but it's not the first thing I think about every morning, the anger I felt towards the guy who infected me has subsided. Life goes on. I didn't realise that herpes was something you could contract even when using condoms.

It was just before my 24th birthday that I began to realize the "god I feel sore from sex" feeling had to be something else because nothing have ever hurt like that down there before. Not even when I had my daughter and I tore really badly. I went to my Gyno the day after me birthday and she said it maybe looked like herpes, which is what I was convinced I had by then, but by then the outbreak was about 5 or 6 days old. She took a sample and two days later I got the news that it was genital herpes, type 1. I knew that if it was type 1 I got it from my boyfriend who went down on me when he was just getting a sore on his lip. I can't blame him, he didn't know you can pass it like that and thought he was getting a zit, not a cold sore. But I still feel dirty a little, if he and I don't stay together who will ever want me now? More importantly, who will I want to curse with this just to have a relationship? My honey has been very supportave and is trying to help me through this hard emotional phase by reassuring me that we WILL stay together. We have been talking about marriage and he still wants to marry me even now. Im just glad I have found this site because I really need to talk to someone who truly understands what this is like. I can't talk to anyone about this, my boyfriend and gyno are the only ones that know and I intend to keep it that way. Herpes has a sigma that only people that are sluts get it. Well, I'm not a slut and I still have it forever now. I think people need to wake up and realize that their actions do have consequeses, even if they are not the ones paying for it someone is.

Just found out today. Devested....that would be putting it mildly. I will be ok though. Lucky enough to have a good man.

My last boyfriend gave me herpes of the mouth and genitals. I had two outbreaks so far. I haven't seen a doctor or talked to anyone about it. I don't have health insurance right now and I want to go to a doctor, but I can't afford it. I have a new boyfriend and we are in love. We have had protected sex (not during an outbreak), and I haven't told him. I have an an outbreak now and I am devastated. I know I have to tell him, but I am so afraid that he won't love me anymore. It is haunting my every moment. I feel so guilty inside for having sex with him, it's tearing me apart. I thought I may have had it for a while now, but I couldn't come to terms with it inside. I am sure now. My last boyfriend of 2 1/2 years gave it to me. I didn't believe it at first because he was a virgin before he met me. I found out later that he cheated on me while we were together (towards the end of our relationship). I am so afraid of being rejected and alone. I took my new boyfriend out last night, all ready to tell him, and then i just couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't want to lose him. I feel weak and pathetic.

It burns! It burns!

I read about people who are having threesomes in their marraige and risking this and other diseases. My experience is how could 5 seconds of pleasure, be worth the rest of your life in misery and afterlife in hell for adultry and pre-marital sex. I learned my lesson and by the grace of Jesus Christ am forgiven. My prayer is that all who read this with be blessed by the glory of God and find peace.

It gets better over time. Physically and mentally.

hi i am a 21 year old who just found out i have herpes. i got it from having oral sex. my boyfriend had a coldsore on his mouth when we had oral sex. we didn't know that this could cause it but it did. the doctor today told me she wanted to see me in 2 days and if things weren't getting better that she would have to put me in the hospital. i am in fear. what am i going to tell my parents. what are they going to think of my boyfriend, who i love so much. he is being very understanding and feels really guiltly. but we didn't know.the pain is very sore. i am taking valtrex,zovirax oint., and some other. gosh it is helping. i can actually walk. i wish this upon anyone. just be careful and think befor you react to anything

in the 1st years the outbreak frequent & severe.later ihardly ever had a problem.in the last few years it seems to have expressed itself areas around,butnot on the genitals. last week i felt the symtoms comming on again but this time it was isolated to the left side of my upper body & left arm.sure enough a couple of days later,clusters of blisters began to appear on my left chest,armpit,arm,& fingers.everything about it tells me its herpes except for its location and the fact i have no swollen lymph nodes-is it?

I would just like to send a word of encouragement out to others who are struggling with this infection. I had an extremely hard time dealing with my diagnosis and even became scuicidal. I initially had frequent outbreaks and a lot of discomfort. However, now I am 3 years post-diagnosis and my life has turned around. My outbreaks, which used to be constant are down to about 5 times per year (huge reduction from about 20x/year). I had also thought that I would never be able to find a life-long partner, but that has also changed. I have found a perfect gentleman who loves me for who I am and not what has happened in the past. I have also learned many ways to deal with the pain and discomfort and I actually do a lot of HSV education at my work place with others (I work in a hospital OB environment). Althought herpes has made a huge impact upon my life, I have learned to cope and live life to the fullest regardless of some virus. I do no let it control me anymore. So...hang in there. It will get better...it did for me and for other people I know infected with HSV.

Since contracting herpes at age 17 I have transmitted the disease to only one person (that I know of). Which is very lucky considering I've had many sexual partners and frequently occurring outbreaks. I have 8-15 outbreaks a year. Each outbreak still causes me pain and frustration emotionally and physically. I have tried everykind of treatment to lesson the occurences but nothing has worked and it seems that my outbreaks are becoming more frequent. I am very lucky to have a monogamous partner that is extraordinarily supportive and understanding. Since there is no cure I keep trying new things. The best medicine is a positive attitude. I'm trying.

I don't know if I have it. I think I do I mean I only had sex with one guy with out a condom and I think that for sure the others don't have it. I don't know what to do. I am scared because now I know that I won't have a boy to love me. I won't be able to have kids with out worrying.How would I tell my friends, what would they think that I"m a SLUT!!! OMG this sucks but I have to go to the doctors first.

I am a virgin and have always planned to wait until I was married to have sex. I had never even been kissed until about a month ago. Four monthes ago I had what I thought was an outbreak, but the Dr cultured it and said it was negative and not to worry about anything. Well, I had never had a cold sore in my life, so I just passed it off as some infection, but not herpes. Three days ago I started feeling sick, and by the next day I had developed these sores again, but worse this time. I haven't gone to the Dr again yet, but I am in a few days. To my knowledge none of my friends have this disease, and I am absolutely clueless as to how I may have been infected. I still have not had a Dr tell me that I actually have herpes, but I've pretty much been able to deduct that through my reading. I am at peace with whatever I find out,but sometimes it does not seem fair that I never did anything and I have this. I know it is not the end of my life and I can still function normally....I play volleyball in college, and this won't affect it at all, but I have to live with telling my future husband that I am a virgin,but I have herpes.

Yep, I was a fool. I was in an open relationship always using condoms, but one night, he managed to penetrate me (though I stopped him right away) w/o protection. I had been tested for the works, honestly discussing my results with him. He lied to me and told me he was clean, even went to the DRs. I had an outbreak, or so I thought, but was away from home and couldn't get a DR to see me. As soon as I got home, I went for a culture, but it was already dried up and produced a negative result. That eased my mind, though my now ex-partner and I (still friends) then slipped up and confessed that he'd lied to me and told me about how he'd been lied to and contracted it. I didn't have any outbreak symptoms for 7 years, but been with the same 1 partner for 6 years and am now working on my 2nd outbreak (or so I think that's what it is) in 3 months. It starts with a sore-throat, fever, headache, tiredness. A little bump in 1 spot down below. Unfortunately it LASTS for a really long time, and am having difficulty seeing the DR in a timely fashion. Three months ago, I had it for 3 weeks or more. BUT, now I'm eating better, going to try L-Lysine and give myself time to rest. Things could be worse, A LOT worse- it's not fatal. Yeah, it's embarassing, I'm not sure how I would break this to any future partners because that kind of rejection I can imagine following the honest telling of something like that, I imagine that would really suck. I guess in the event of future partners, I'll just have to look for someone understanding and sincere. Up my standards more. :)Good Luck to all who are dealing with the same! It's not a death sentence.

I contracted herpes from my second husband, before we were married, and he denied that he had it. After we were married, I contracted it again in a different area, and then he decided to fess up. I felt very betrayed, but we worked through it -- although we ended up divorced several years later. I've been divorced since 1989, and have not had the desire to get involved with anyone intimately -- except for recently. I have not had an outbreak in 9 years, but am a little fearful to tell this new interest of this problem. We dated in high school, and haven't seen each other in 33 years. He's the most caring individual that I've ever met, and I feel that he'll understand, but still there is that fear. We've just recently started dating, and our time together has not led to any type of sexual activity, but I know that I must be honest with him if there is a chance for us to build our relationship -- I wouldn't want him to feel like I did when the person I was about to marry couldn't be honest with me.

I haven't been diagnosed with herpes, but know I may have it. I never ever thought that I had it until a friend of mine brought it up. I questioned him about it and he told me his friend had it and said it was painful and so fourth. I started to think about some of the same symptons that I was having. I, like anyone else, started to internally freak out and blame myself for this "tragedy." I still haven't gone in for a test to find out what I may have, but know deep down inside it is herpes. The symptons are self evident. I am extremely depressed everyday and try to convince myself I don't have it, but that's when the outbreak occurs. I think my depression has created this constant stress in my life, which then leads to an outbreak. I haven't told a soul due to the fear of being looked at in a negative way since most people feel the "disease" is horrible. I think for the most part I am the same person before I had, but know someone else may not be once they get infected by me. It also sucks because I am not sure how I actually got it and from whom, which makes it that more difficult to deal with. I think when you can figure out who it is, it enables you to realize someone else really has it also. I feel like I am the only one suffer from it since it is a disease people don't like to comfront openly to others about. What I do know is that I have come to see things in a whole new way. My life definitely hasn't gotten better from it, but I have realized that we are all able to get sicknesses. The worst part about the herpes virus is that there is no true cure. It makes me even more scared that doctors can't figure the disease out to stop it. I hope I will have the courage to eventually tell someone that I am infected, especially my future partner/wife. I really wish I was educted better on this issue and learned what I could have done to never have gotten this in the first place. All I do know is that most people have the disease, and it will continue to multiply until a cure is formed. I think medicine should do more to figure a way to stop it from forming. I wish one day I will be cured or never have a visible outbreak again, and find someone who will except me for who I am, not what I have. This disease is something that has totally made me into someone else. I will continue to live my life, but try to prevent myself from being stupid again. I will make sure that I protect myself and others for the rest of my life and will hopefully build up the courage to confront this to make me feel at ease with myself. I hope others understand where I am coming from and know there is others out there like me suffering. I wish everyone the best and pray that we will overcome this "Herpes Virus" as well as other disease that plague us.

I've just broken up with the guy I was with when I got herpes. I didn't worry about it when I was with him because he knew and we went to the clinic together. I think it was from oral sex, he had a tiny white spot on his lip i think. I may have had it once more nearly one year on, it didn't hurt only itched a bit. It may not have been it. I've only been with one other guy but did stuff with another. I used condoms (except for oral sex-wish I'd known.) The guy told me he always got checked. Now I wish the checks had included herpes, but it may not have been from him - my dad had chicken pox, I wonder if there is any link to that (e.g. sharing towels?) Probably not but still, its a mystery. Unsure if the guy I split with has it or not. He probably won't tell future sexual partners, but I have more of a conscience and a guilt. I'm a bit nervous of telling future sexual partners, but I know that they'll be better people and not just gonna use me if they love me enough to accept me. I wish they'd find a cure for it! I have only told family. I wish I knew if any of my friends had it, especially if 1/5 have it. i still can't believe I have it, I'm no slut, and I'm intelligent and faithful. Guess it happens to anybody. Just wish it wasn't with me for life. I reckon there'll be a cure one day. Who knows! it still hasn't properly sunk in because I never came to terms with it properly. I feel okay mostly though, expcept when someone mentions it as a joke or something. Real funny! We'll be okay, they'll find a cure one day, and until then, its not life-threatening, just a pain, and the best way is to destress, be happy, smile and surround ourselves with positive, good, supportive people who love us for who we are. :)

I contracted herpes at the age of 20. My boyfriend and I had decided to take a break for a while.... a few monthes later I began to see someone new. We had sex just a few times and I began to become very ill (flulike symptoms). I thought I had a urinary tract infection as I often got those as a child. A few days later a lesion appeared in my genital area. I was shocked, scared and ashamned. My doc perscribed me valtrex which helped me get better. I went to bed a few days later, feeling almost 100%, back to my old self! I awoke in the morning in severe pain, and was rushed to the emergency room. Later that day I was diagnosed with stroke at the age of 20. I am a healthy and active young women, and now plagued with many health complications. To make a long story short, I found out that I have an immune deficiency disease and the herpes virus set it off and sent me into a stroke. Please anyone and everyone, use protection -you never know what is going on with your body until it is too late. God bless everyone who has herpes and is dealing with the heartache and pain. Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories!!!

I use breathable panty liners when I have an outbreak. Change them every time you go to the washroom and wear them for a few days afterwards. Caffeine increases heart rate and outbreaks. Exercise for some reason increases my outbreaks. I look at this disease more as an irratant because it is bothsome and not life threatening.

I am currently still having my first outbreak and i just wanna say that its the most disgusting thing i have ever seen and had to deal with. I get paranoid over touching things because i have a 3 year old sister who has to be on a ventilator 24 hours a day and herpes could kill her, so i have to wash about 40 times a day, my hands are all cracked and dried from washing and i wouldn't with this on anyone. I have found that vagisil max strength works AWESOME for killing the pain as long as its bone dry before you apply it to the area affected.

What helps me is a positive attitude, and the unwillingness to give in to the virus, I just keep telling myself this outbreak is over before it starts. A bit hookey, but it seems to help?!?

It is not the end of the world. Stuff happens and you just got to roll with the punches. I know when I die and go to Heaven I don't have to worry anymore about my herpes. I have faith that everything will work out in the long run. The Devil tried to rune my marriage and throw a cruve ball in it having me and my Husband break out at the same time and did not know either of us had a STD. We always got checked out we were safe with everything. Its too bad but we love each other and that is what counts. tasha

HI all. This site has been a wonderful support system for me since getting this. I have always been a practiser of safe sex and therefore was totally surprised when I got genital herpes. The guy I was with had lied to me about having any STD's before we got intimate. We still used condoms and thats why I was surprised that I had contratced it. I have learned now that you can get it still cause the condoms don't cover all areas that may have the outbreaks/virus. I am no longer with this person. He thought it was no big deal and didn;t want to tell me cause he thought I wouldn't want to be with him if i knew that he had it. Enough about that. When I got it I was in a depression for about 2 weeks, thinking that no one would want me ever. But through counselling and education I have learned that many people have it as well and there is hope. A lot of people have it and don't know. I could have gone on not knowing that I had it unless I went to the doctors when I did.Now I am doing okay, no more depression. BUt there is that nagging thought of what to do when I meet somoene nice that I would like to get intimate with? I of course will tell him, cause I would never do what the jerk who gave this to me did to me..took away any options.. I will be okay. and so you will. SInce getting it 7 months ago I have not had an outbreak since. Take care and get educated.

I had been feeling quite sick for quite awhile and i thought it was kidney problems because i had previously been admitted to hospital for a kidney infection. But tests showed nothing so they sent me to a gynaecoligist and he took some smears and i later found out it was herpes. I was very shocked a because i had only been with my boyfriend for quite awhile and i hadn't presented with any symtoms like blisters. My initial feelings were that this made me a horrible person even though it was not my fault as my partner wasnt aware he even had herpes, I had always associated sluts with herpes but as i learnt more about it i realised it was not at all what i thought it was and now i look at it as just a conditon that i have to be careful of. It does not have to control my life and i wont let it.

I want to know how long it usually takes your body before the initial outbreak? I have not talked with anyone about this, not even the guy I think I contracted it from. I think he is avoiding the situation, he moved to a new city far away. I feel like my dating life is over, not because I have to have sex with every guy I date but it is an issue that will eventually come up. What are you supposed to say to someone. Everyone is so grossed out by it, when doctors are not surprised. Herpes is so prevelant anymore, I wish there was a cure!! I am so stressed out, it is always on my mind. I need to be strong.

I was just diagnosed today, so I can't fill out all the questions. But, right now I'm shocked of the outcome from the test, and angry too.

I can't believe that this happened to me. I have the worst of luck with everything, or at least that is what it seems. About 2 weeks ago i hooked up w/ my boyfriend, not sex, just oral. I wanted to wait till i was married before i lost it. Then 3 days later i couldn't swallow, hard to breathe, dizzy, headaches and preety much just feeling like crap! I never thought it could be passed through a cold sore. i new a cold sore was a form of herpes, but i never though i could get it in my genetals. so now i'm screwed for life. I am 17 and i have an STD. i think the worst part about it is that i feel so dirty, when really i haven't even been close to being around. It just makes me so upset to know that this is going to change how i am going to haft to live the rest of my life. my advice is, just be safe, and before you do anything, read information, i just wish i would have, but now its to late, don't let it be to late for you

Just One Time It was just one time I thought no big deal Who ever thought i had sex appeal I wanted you to like me So i did what you said That little dirty deed is now stuck in my head All I wanted was to be loved But all you did was kiss and hug I cried when you touched me in that way But you made me think there was no other way I told myself it would be ok But i really dont think I can face God on judgment day I was stupid I was a fool Look at me now I have HSV2 Now I am sick for the rest of my life All because of one careless night CW

i found out today that bith my boyfriend and i have genital herpes.

Well I'm 16 I sleep with my fourth partner only to find little bumps in my pubic area looked like pimples with white tops on them. I just thought my skin was irritated and was too scared to go to see if i had anything soon i hear rumors that the girl i slept with has herpes. I then looked on the internet at pictures of the herpes virus only to find that i think im postive i have herpes and im only 16. i have not yet went to the doctors or told anybody when i first seen the bumps i guess i just went into denile. Know i dont know what im going to do i can bareley afford gas money know im going to have to get medication to keep from having virus breakout. I also think i somehow gave myself oral herpes just recently.

I could only have caught it from the one person so I asked her to have a test done - this was in 1973 - and it came back negative. She was a bit put-out that I'd accused her of giving it to me - understandably perhaps. Nothing then stopped us having sex, including painful sores that lasted for a month or so, but then they were probably like that because of the frequency of the sex we were having. A month later we moved in together and two years later we married. I get a recurrence every year or so or maybe once every few years but my wife has never had it.

I am only 17 living with this nasty virus for the rest of my life. my doctor told me about a week ago that I had it.Everybody is being supportive.The thing im worried about is how do I tell my boyfriend.WHY ME?

i just found out that i have herpes. i am 18 and i'm getting ready to graduate high school and go to college. this is how i got the disease. my boyfriend and i had just broken up around a month ago. we had been today for about 2 years. i got really depressed because i heard he was screwing another girl and decided to go get drunk every weekend to try to get over him. well one weekend got a little out of control when i got too drunk and had sex with 3 guys. i dont' know which one gave it to me but it really makes me mad. i wish i could take it all back because it wasn't worth it and i'm still no over my ex. now i know he will never come back to me again. i told him about it but i dont' know really how he feels. i'm going through my first breakout now and it is so painful and uncomfortable. i'm just going to try to go on with my life b/c thats all i can do.

I just found out about an hour ago that i have herpes. its been burning really bad when i pee the past couple of days and ive had a really bad cold... or so i thought. so i set an appt. w/ my dr. and the minute she looked at it, she knew exactly what it was. i wouldnt let myself cry until i made it outside. a million thoughts are running through my head... no one will ever love me again...ill never have kids...never get married... my life is over. at least with aids you die- i know that is sooo horrible to say but right now i wish i were dead. when my mom picked me up i was bawling and she said what? i said theres a perfectly good explanantion... i have herpes. it was the first time i said it out loud and that made it a million times worse. that made it real. i made her swear never to tell anyone. i live in a small town.. word gets around fast. the guy i got it from i have been sleeping with on and off for over a year. a guy that i only called for sex.. vice-versa. funny thing is, id heard he had it. from a couple of different people. of course i still didnt believe it, and continued to sleep w/ him repeatedly. now i have herpes. i went to this web site as soon as i got home and started reading up on how im gonna live my life. scared to sit on my own toilet seat in fear that one of my little sisters might catch it. my mom didnt even kiss me before she went to work. im scared ill never get kissed again. my mom tried to tell me to calm down, i cant be calm when my world feels like its falling down right on my head. i still kinda feel like i should wake up and this is a a horrible nightmare. but its not. i know i messed up sooo bad but now its too late. i cant let anyone else find out. i cant deal with this by myself tho. my head hurts, i keep coughing having a runny nose, fever, cant shut my legs. and stress can cause breakouts? well i better get ready for outbreak after outbreak. this is my life. or my non life cause ill never be loved again. im so scared and confused and hurt and SORE!!!!! i just hope someday the words- i have herpes- WILL NOT go through my head every 5 seconds. god help me, cause i know i cant do it myself.

Use condoms and trust no one until you have mutual std testing done together. Even then you should really wait to have unprotected sex until you are engaged. I am so scared this is going to ruin my social life forever.

My husband contacted herpes 22 years ago, during a one night stand. I forgave him. Not a problem during 2nd pregnancy, because of information. Finally got herpes on our first real vacation--stress. Now that he has left the marriage (not my choosing) I've had an outbreak every month or more. Stressed, not sleeping, very much in denial. Knew he was about to hook up with internet friend, and I knew her AOL---so I gladly informed her of his std--he was angry--she said no way. Darn--he's gone but I still have his STD. Can this help me in the divorce and needed medical insurance issues???

My expierence has been both positive and negative. I was diagnosed 4 months ago with hsv-1. I'm a sophmore in college and have never been sexually active nor do I know anyone with the disease. It is a mystery as to where I got this. But that is not important. I was showered with emotional support and love from all my friends and family. At first I was miserable due to the severity of my outbreaks, the feelings of being unclean, and affraid I would never be able to find an understanding sexual partner. I began to compulsively wash my hands because a doctor warned me I could spread the disease to my eyes which could result in the removal of my already cancer damaged blind eye. Along with conpulsive hand washing I began disinfecting any toilet I used for fear of spreeding this around me. My friends were great! They made it a point to hide or take away my lysoel. Over the first few months I began to realize I was still me and I wasn't dirty or diseased. If I refuse to share a drink friends will snatch it away from me saying they don't care if they get sick because they love me and would gladly go through it with me. I'm now seeing an extremely amazing guy who I've known for years. He completely supports, understands, and doesn't care that he could contract this from me. We're very careful and use condoms. But I'm always very observant in changes in my body and abstain even from kissing when I suspect an outbreak is about to occur. I recently started supressive therapy taking 1 gram of valtrex daily and twice when an outbreak occurs. It has helped emencely! I have so much more engery, the duration and severity of my out breaks is significantly less! But unfortunately my outbreaks are still frequent and farely severe. Liasions occur orally, genitally, and down my throat. I find it very upseting and a little embarassing coughing up scabs as the lisions heal even though I know there is nothing I can do about it. I guess what I hate most about this disease is it keeps coming back! When you think you've got it under control or you slip up and get stressed WHAM! It hits you again! Herpes has changed my life but for the better (even though its painful and stressful). Now I find myself wanting to contect with others, I don't keep my disease a secret. Its part of who I am and there is no reason to hide it. I realize I especially want to connect with teenagers struggling with this and other STDs. Help provide the support that has been given to me. My current career plans are work with an organization providing counseling and prevention advice for others and eventually get my masters so I can be a high school counselor. I know with out the constant support of those around me I wouldn't be able to cope nearly as affectively. I wish all of you out there the best!

i just found out today and i am so upset it has already been such a horrible experiance my boyfriend gave it to me but it is really my fault i should never had sex with him until he was tested i was so sure he was pure but never just believe anyone

He didnt tell me he had it. I loved him so much it didn't matter.

I get it on my left palm also. With prodromal pain up my left arm for a day or two and intense itching at lesion site just before it pops through and for some hours afterward even a few days into it. Also site is same area and never leaks fluid. Most people believe it's a burn blister if they see it! Certainly stays dry though! Although it's painful to have anything brush against it even, like a coat sleeve. Takes forever to go away too, like over a week. You didn't ask about lesions on palms, so I thot I'd fill you in. My MD said it's not whitlows though. Guess the virus has wrapped itself pretty well around my nerves. Got it on palm first time soon after first gential outbreak cleared, didn't know what it was till 3rd palm outbreak. rotten disease!!!!!! I don't dare have another baby, or sex with anyone either. (Condoms or no sex? I'll take no sex---I H A T E condoms, ruin it) Life stopped at age 28.

It was the worst experience i have ever had. I hope that my reccurences are not often at all. I can't walk or go to the bathroom it hurts so bad. I recommend that eveyone, i don't care how old, young, pretty, ugly, or invisible you think your are, Practice Safe Sex. Try to prevent the pain i have gone through so far and probably will go through again in the future.

I was raped...and am having a really hard time with the fact that I have herpes. Mostly because I'm afraid to tell anyone. I feel like I'm dirty or tainted, and no one is going to want to be with me. I think the thing that's most depressing is that there's no cure for this disease. Even the fact that it's called a disease is devastating. I'm worried about transmitting the virus....I feel like the only way to ensure that I don't do this to anyone else is abstinence....is that my best option?? I can tell you that I hate the thought of becoming a sexual hermit so that this secret of mine doesn't get out.

I'm not a carrier (I hope) but I wanted to say that I met a girl carrier who I'm completely crazy for after being abstinate from sex for 18 months. (After alot of knuckleheads I said no more sex until I'm really in love.) This girl said she had herpes on our second date after we'd begun making out on her couch. But I just had to get to know her, had to be with her. She felt the same about me. We've been together for 2 months and two of her outbreaks. While I care alot about her herpes and it bothers and scares me, I got to know her knowing she had it, fell in love with her knowing, love her still. I'm not a troll - I'm considered a desirable man, and I love sex. I love sex with her the most by far, herpes or not. So if any one is feeling bad and lonely I thought maybe they should know this story.

I got herpes from date rape. I thought I was going to die. I remember being really sick and then I found a sore on the area above my genitals. I remember thinking maybe it was herpes, but my thoughts was confirmed when I read my mom's copy of "The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies". It said, "You played sexual Russian roulette and you lost". I remember I wanted to die. I had flu-like symptoms and had a sore. But I still went to a clinic, because I was too ashamed to go to my regular ob-gyn. It was confirmed, but then I never really had outbreaks over the years. It wasn't until reacently that I have been able to go back to a regular doctor near my house. Through my shame I only went into the city to a Planned Parenthood. Because I thought they wouldn't think less of me, they see people that are worse than me. What a terrible person I am, who was a nice girl from the 'burb's and a good family getting this horrible disease?! I now have an outbreak, 2-4 times a year, I think I have more stress in life. I know an outbreak is coming because the lower half of my body has shooting pains. It's terrible. But I have really grown-up and have dealt with my situation. I'm married and he is so understanding. It just stinks that sometimes when I have an outbreak and I feel closest to him I can't express myself in the way I would like. I'm a success story with it. Though I think I am going to go back to my doctor to get put on some suppressive meds. since I have more frequent reoccurrences. See I've grown-up already.

I contracted herpes about a year ago through oral sex. My first attack was very painful, but since that first episode I haven't had any other outbreaks. I'm just now thinking about becoming sexually active again. I brought it up with a very sweet boy that I'm seeing, and while he is understandably nervous about it, he has been very willing to talk to me, to listen, to sympathize, etc. He says that he wants me in his life. But this wasn't enough for me. For some reason. I met a man recently with whom I have incredible sexual chemistry and when he asked me to go to bed with him, I said yes without blinking an eye. We had an amazing time, but now that the moment has passed and I've reset my chronometer to 000, I'm scared stiff that he will come down with it. People - if you have herpes and you want to have sex - tell your potential partner! If they don't want to take the risk that is THEIR CHOICE - don't make a choice like that for someone else. It is the most selfish, cruel thing you can do. The self-loathing I feel for what I have done (regardless of whether he has contracted it or not) makes me physically ill. Don't be like me.

I was just diagnosed with HSV about 3 weeks ago and I thought my life was over. i found out who my true friends are and learned to accept what i did to myself. I have noone else to blame but myself and my biggest advice to people is be safe, it'll pay off.

I contracted herpes about a year ago. I was infected by someone who didn't know she had it after having sex without condoms on a few occasions. That was a costly mistake - but I'm thankful and very fortunate that I didn't contract HIV and am chalking it up to experience. I also consider myself lucky that I havn't had regular outbreaks since I was diagnosed; I know this isn't the case for everyone. I'm finding that having herpes comes down to what you make of it. As I've read over and over again in these testimonials, it doesn't have to control your life. There are many people out there who wouldn't consider someone having herpes an insurmountable obstacle to an intimate and sexual relationship. There's hope out there for all of us. Lot's of it. For those of you who are newly diagnosed or have remained uneducated about the disease I would highly recommend that you read up on it. Learning about herpes was my first step toward a more positive outlook on living with it. A reference that has been very helpful to me is a book called "The Truth About Herpes" by Dr. Stephen Sachs. It covers some of the physical characteristics of the disease and answered many questions that I had, including how herpes is transmitted. Dr. Sachs addresses many social and relationship related aspects of living with HSV as well. Learning that I'd acquired a condition that will stay with me for the rest of my life was a jagged little pill to swallow at first, but making a decision to educate myself about it was the best thing I could have done. Every day I'm waking up knowing that having herpes will be less of a factor in my life - physically, psychologically and emotionally. Through educating yourself about herpes (you'll quickly find out that it's not all bad news), receiving support from friends, family or counselers if you need it, and by consciously reinforcing a positve thought process I believe that anyone can make the same strides that I have. Remember, it's a rash. It's not life threatening and it's been stigmatized well beyond what it deserves by an ignorant media and general public. The same things you've enjoyed in your life before having herpes are still there for you. There may be new challenges in your relationships now as well as the possibility that someone you care about could have a negative reaction to the situation when they learn about it. Rejection is never easy - but make a pledge to yourself to MOVE ON. Empower yourself to decide on your own terms what your outlook on living will be and which direction your life will take. Personally, I know I can live with herpes. I couldn't, however, live knowing that someone's aversion to a virus (not even to me, personally) will affect my hope, spirit or willingness to connect with someone intimately. It's your life, and it's too short to let a rash decide how you will live it.

I've only had 3 recurrences since I got it 4 years back. The outbreaks are so minor that I'm not even sure if it's an outbreak or not. It's certainly not painfull or anything and I don't get any itching or burning before hand. As far as sex goes I always do a visual inspection to make sure everthings clear. Each time I've had a outbreak I've applied rubbing alcohol to kill the virus so that it will heal quicker.

I have herpes Type One, from a gay relationship.

I found out I had herpes two years ago, when I had my first outbreak and researched the symptoms online. I later had my suspicions confirmed by my doctor. I have been with my husband for almost 9 years, but both of our previous partners were unfaithful. Neither of us are sure who brought it into the relationship, which is difficult to deal with at times (for me, at lest) because there is no one to direct my anger at. It could've been my former partner, it could've been my husband's former partner; who knows? My doctor told me that a person can carry the virus for years before having an initial outbreak and that has certainly been the case with me. I'd been with my husband for 7 years when I found out, and we are committed to monogamy. My husband has infrequent outbreaks, but I feel like I am plagued. I either have an outbreak or the beginnings of an outbreak with no lesions at least once every three months. I suppose I'm fortunate in that I'm married and my husband has it too, but I still feel stigmatized. I can't imagine ever being single again because I can't imagine ever telling a potential sex partner that I have this disease. Every time someone makes a herpes joke I cringe. Every time I have an outbreak I feel like I'm wearing a scarlet "H" on my clothing. I'm hoping as time goes by I'll accept things and stop feeling so dirty, but I don't know.

i suppose telling someone you have the virus can be the most nerve wrecking, humiliating experience in your life. it's not only personal and embarrassing secret you have...but to have to share that with someone else can be the hardest thing a person has to do. but once you do tell that person you care about, it's a huge relief off your shoulders. my x-bastard boyfriend of 1.5 years gave it to me. we're still not sure to this day who gave it to whom, because we both had an outbreak at the same time. I remember the unbearable pain that i was in: walking as if there was something in between my legs, painful burning when trying to urinate, having to pee in a bathtub filled with water didnt' even help, swolllen bumps, itching, just PAIN. i also had a high fever, felt discombobulated, body aches, you name it. i remember hysterically crying because i had never before felt this sick in my life. went to the doctor and that bitch doctor started yelling at me in disgust saying that i had herpes. i was absolutely mortified. to make things worse, her treatment towards me during the examination made me feel like a lepper. well, i got a second opinion of course, and a third, and yes i do have herpes. that bf of mine ended up going for an x good friend of mine and since then, havent' talked to him since. it's been really hard living with herpes because yes, it is a personal and devastating experience i went through. in retrospect, i wish i had been a little more careful and not be so trusting of men. Men it seems don't have as bad an outbreak as women do. over the past 2 years since having it, my outbreaks are nothing to that of my first time. and i'm able to live with it more accepting than when i first got it. after my x and i broke up, i met a wonderful loving person. took me a good 6 months to finally let him know why we werent' having sex. we had had a huge fight aobut us not having sex and he stormed off saying that we were just better off going our separate ways. a couple of days later, he told me that...whether or not we had sex or not didnt' matter to him, and that he still wanted to be in my life no matter what. i htink in a way..that was my test of just pure love. that was my sign of letting me know that he loved me for me as a person, and that our friendship/relationship was the only thing that mattered. to this day, that was one of the most important things he's ever said to me and we're still togheter to this day. i told him about my situation and he's been supportive ever since. so for those of you that thinkn that your life is over..it's not. herpes(i hate that word) is just nothing buy a nuisance. your first outbreak will probably be the worst as it was for me. good luck to you all, and please be honest with your partners. it just saves so much embarrasement and pain.

I contracted herpes simplex 1 when i was only a little girl. My dad also has herpes and he is the one that gave it to me. I have an outbreak maybe twice a year, but when i do its bad. Having this on my lip and then having to go to high school is really hard. People in school talk about me having herpes, and something that a lot of people don't know is that A LOT of people have herpes. It does effect my life but i try not to let it run my life. It helps me if i think of all the other people that are just like me. I didn't do anything wrong.

Sexual partner never showed signs of having this disease. Unaware of any possibility. This has ruined my entire mental and physical ability at the present time.

im not sure if ihave it and im scared to get checked.

i feel like the loser of the losers. told my parents about it since i cant talk to others (stds are taboo)..my dad was like "bla blabla." very very unsopporting. so i just left himi feel like i should kill myself,... none of my deeds were successful. maybe i should just give up.

I just found out I had herpes type 2 and Im frustrated I dont know at this point when and with who I got it from I have multiple sexual partners but that is about to change because of having so many partners in a one month period I dont know who gave it to me.

hello.i am a 36y/o male.the woman i am with now,has the virus,and i got it through her.up until now,i have never had an STD.she told me she had the virus prior to us having sex,so i knew what i was getting in to.i am in the middle of my first outbreak now.i have a small sore on my penis, along with a lot of itching!!!!she gave me some of her Famvir, and i intend on seeing my doctor about this.As i said,i knew what i was getting into,so i do not blame her for this.she is more upset than i am. I guess it was inevitable?with all of the diseases out there,it could be much worse?!she and i are both HIV negative.i would like to learn more about this disease.

dont have sexual intercourse without condoms and dont fuck whores

I was diagnosed with herpes a few weeks after my 18th b-day. i had neve had unprotected sex untill my current boyfriend. he swore that he didn't have anything and after we moved in together, i started getting really bad bladder infections after we had sex for a long period of time or after my period. Eventually my doctor tested me. I know that my boyfriend knew that he had it because he wasn't upset when i told him at all. I was crying but he was just like it'd no big deal. We are still together, but i have outbreaks about 2 times a month. I have never had an outbreak that I could see. The have always been inside of me and made it very painful to pee.

I dont know exactly how i got herpes...i havent had many sexual partners and have 9 times out of 10 used protection. when meanwhile, my friend sleeps with any guy she comes in contact with without any protection and doesnt have a single thing wrong. i dont think that i deserve this.... and at such a young age. my life is shot

I recently got diagnosed with herpes 4 months ago. I told my boyfriend at the time and I was amazed at how supportive he was. I told him that I wasn't mad at him because it was our decision to start having unprotected sex. We talked about our future and he wanted more as soon as I got back from a 9 month internship that would take me out of state. As soon as I moved I didn't hear from him again. I was really depressed and felt alone. I started doubting in my mind whether I really got it from him or a previous partner. I'm sure some of you can understand the confusion that this causes. However, I feel that he could show some respect and contact me about his health, just so I could know....was he the carrier or was I? did I contract it from him or did he from me? or did he fortunately luck out and does not have it? If he did give it to me I realize that I cannot hate him for that, otherwise I would have to hate myself because of my choice. I will not beat myself up like that. I feel at loss whenever I think about him so I find myself not focusing on him but rather on myself. I was surprised at how I managed to pick myself up and I found out that I am a much stronger person than who I thought I was. I am still learning but I refuse to let this get to me.

When i first heard i had herpes i wasn't even is shock and i didn't even cry you have to kind of expect something like that cause your not using protection. It could be worse at least your alive and no one can visibly see the problem. I still thank god for my beauty and my children and my personality cause that helps me get through the outbreaks.

I contracted herpes the first time I ever had sex. It was with some guy that I had met at a party, and I figured, what the hell, he's hot, we'll use a condom, it'll be fine. Two weeks later, I couldn't even pee without having a really strong alcoholic drink, or I'd wait until night so I'd only have to pee once a day. I cried. I stayed home from school. I told him on his voice mail. Then I never really talked to him again. I found out though, that he's infected several girls. I feel bad and horrible for them, as for myself, I should've been smarter. Now I'm with a great guy, who I've been with for almost a year. I haven't told him yet. I don't really want to but I know that I will have to. I'm scared because I don't want to lose him, but who knows what will happen unless you try. Don't worry, every day that passes it gets easier.

My name is Kim and I am a 35 SWF that was married for four years to the man I dated all through college. Never realizing that he was a consistant cheater until after we had our daughter when I caught him in bed with my Best Friend. Needless to say I had to go to the doctor for my 6 week check up after having my daughter and found out I had Herpes, a yeast infection and another STD called Trichmonis which is from one partner sleeping with other people and then them coming back and sleeping with you. Since then he and I have divorced and for the last 8 years I have been trying to do the dating scene all over again, and the hardest part has been once I started getting closer to the guy that I wanted to begin a relationship was to admit that I had a problem that I thought that I was the only one who had it. I then met a wonderful man, and his name is Jeff. He gave me a chance and was willing to accept me for what was wrong and has been very supportive ever since. On the 13th of this month we will have been dating 8 months and it has been wonderful ever since we met. So what I am saying to all the single women and men out there, is don't give up just because we have HERPES, there are people that will love you and accept you for who you. I wish you the best. I wouldn't being a support person if someone wants to keep in touch.

I am having a very hard time dealing with this. In the past I had many guys in and out of my life! I made it to 44, with out herpes. By the time I reached 45 years old I was in love with a man with herpes. I still love this man very much.BUT, HE DID NOT TELL ME UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR, WE DID EVERYTHING IN BED. The night he told me he cryed, by this time it was to late for me. I have to deal with this 3 times a year now. I have to learn alot about taking good care of myself.

I was diagnosed with herpes less than two weeks ago and I feel dirty and unlucky. It kills me to think that I am no longer a person with no diseases and what I'm finding hard is how complicated talking about this topic is therefore I've decided to tell no one about this - maybe it will do me more harm, but I just think it's too embarrasing.. As of now, I feel that I am probably gonna have hell of a time in relationships and I will no longer be able to have unprotected sex without wondering if everything is okay (not that I am planning on it). This is probably one of the worst things that has happened to me and I'm still not sure how I'll pull through.. I am just hoping and crossing my fingers that I won't have another outbreak anytime soon. I hope something goes my way in this misery.

It's interesting ... I've had herpes for over 25 years, and I outbreak ONLY on my buttocks! The most interesting thing is, to be honest, I've never transmitted it it anyone ... and I was married for 10 years, was in a later relationship for 7 years, and have had several other partners. I'm not advocating this at all, but perhaps due to the location of the outbreaks, I had never used "protective measures", and yet never transmitted the virus. I only recently found out that I indeed had herpes. I'd thought perhaps I had shingles, or something similar. I only knew I suffered from a horrible itching and some kind of skin problem when I was stressed or nervous. The other interesting thing is that the outbreaks seeem to happen 7 - 10 days AFTER I've had stress. It's almost an afterthought, of sorts.

Mine lasted 8 weeks. It was the most painful and horrible thing I have evr been thru. I would never wish that pain on nybody. PLease protect yourself and your loved ones.

I let my ex-boyfriend move in with me. I thought that because he was livng with me it was okay to have unprotected sex "WRONG". I found out a couple of months later that I had it. I was taking a bath and I remember this extreamly uncomfortable burning sesation between my legs. Then tried to urinate and it burned like hell. Remeber would be the key word in that sentence because as time passed the out breaks did get less painful. The test never shows positive for it, but the doctor assured me that I had it. I guess she knew I was in denial about it. In my mind I called her the "B" word, I guess I was in denial about it becuase she wouldn't tell me what I wanted to hear. She only told me the truth. For a long time I was in denial anout having the "illness". I call it a illness even though it's not because only someone who is a sick person would hurt another with such a shameful disease. I haven't told any of my family members. This illness has made me a much more private person than was before. It got so bad holding it in because I kept it to myself for about five years. I always thought that my life was over because no man would want to marry me, or put his body at risk to be with me, but most of all I stressed about having kids. I would think about how I was gonna hide the illness from my family when it came time for me to deliver. I felt like no man in his right mind would ever want such a problem in his life and that I would be alone forever. But that's not true. And about four months ago I finally told my god sister someone I could trust. I figured I needed someone to go to when I needed to talk. I wrote her a letter and when she started crying I knew my secret was safe with her. When she started crying I knew she loved me and that she wanted to be there for me. I did also tell a male friend about it a long time ago. He understood and was there for me. He didn't leave. No matter what you have to keep going forward. God will not put more on you than you can bare. If a man really loves you for who you are than he will love you UNCONDITIONALLY. I admit sometimes I still have my moments of denial. But I never stop praying and I never lose hope.

I found out 5 days ago... I was devastated... I dont exactlly know who I got it from... I think I have a good idea... I am with a guy now that understands well and sticks by my side... I wish I knew where I got it from... My whole body hurts, I get lots of headaches, I have fevers, I get chills, I feel ran down... I hope that I dont get many outbreaks... My doctor put me on famvir... I can now pee without it burning... I dont understand alot about it and some of these experiences on this web site help me understand more... thanks for listening...

Ive had cold sores since I was a child. Then after I was about 28 I developed the lesions on my genital area. I had no new partner but apparently my dr. said it was spread from my partners cold sore orally during sex. I cannot say exactly when the virus was introduced into my body.

one time i ran real fast and they esploded all on my pants.

knowing that you have the std. educate yourself and others to. DOn't wait for ever to tell some one you have it. because you did not like it when you found you. so give them the cahnce to make there desion if they want herpes or not .

My ex fiency whome I was with for three yrs and thought I was safe w/ till I found out about her cheating on me soo I split and found myself with a new wounderful women who has supported me through everything for the past 8 months. About 2 weeks ago I started having problems with my area below I went to the Doc's and show and explaned the problem that I was having to find out a week later that I have genatal herpies. Now not knowing I was carrying it I had to come home and tell this wounderful girl whome I was w/ about the problem I have she still supports me and is backing me a hundred percent but now I have somthing now I have to live w/ it for the reast of my life and hope I didn't transfer over to this women who had trusted me. soo I now sit here looking at myself woundering how I could be soo stupid and not wrap it up... all I gots to say is keep it wrapped and keep it safe be smart and tell your partner what u have or new partners soo this disease don't spread like it has to me...Always, Travis C.

I just found out that I have herpes and it is still hard for me to accept the fact. My outbreaks occure when I get really upset and stressed. I am a college student so I live a stressful life so it's kinda hard. I have only had this for a month and I have had 3 recurrent outbreaks. I think that I will be okay I just have to keep my head up and know that God is on my side.

I have only just found out that I have H, I had my first OB last year, but the Dr said it was nothing so I just went on doing my normal thing, up until two weeks ago when I had another OB, so I decided to go to a different Dr, who took swabs and yes last Friday I found out that it was Hsv2... great... I have had my weeks worth of crying and feeling unapealing and unattractive but I am trying to be positive! its a thing that you hear about but you never think you will catch it!! and I did... I thank god that it wasnt anything else that was life threatening or more serious! I have found comfort in chat rooms where other people are just like me!

I'm not sure if I answered all of those questions correctly. I just wanted to say that this website helped me gain knowledge of my problem. I only have simplex 1 (oral) but I have had some real problems with it in the last few months. I have narrowed it down to stress and sunlight. I'm glad that I learned all of this so I can prevent the next one, hopefully. I am going to take L-Lysine and protect my mouth from sunlight better. Thanks to whomever created the site!

Don't play with fire... The herps are serious and don't play with them. If you legions of any kind... consult your physician and apply numerous creams and ointments. Power to the people.

I was shocked to find out that I had herpes. I know how I got it and it wasn't through intercourse. I had oral sex with my husband one night we never had intercourse this night. In about 2 days I noticed itching and burning thinking it was another yeast infection I never worried. By the next day there were a few bumps and then I realized something was wrong. I called my Dr. and told him was I had found and very quickly I was in a lot of pain, walking was hard sitting was impossible and very little sleep for about 3 days. My results had come back 2 weeks later and already having an idea that what I had was herpes the results made it for sure, herpes 1 which affects only 10 - 15% of all cases. So to make a long story short many people have contracted this disease different ways, some like in my case bad luck. I'm married to a faithful man who had a small cold sore on his lip while having oral sex with me. My advise to people would be to be very careful check yourself and your parner before having sexual contact because it can happen to anyone in any situation. This is something with no cure, and for people who have just found out they have genital herpes or think they may have this disease try to take care of yourself, watching out for too much stress, good diet and perscription medication, reoccurances can be limited. Always check yourself and at early signs of a breakout start medication as soon as possible. Remember your not the only one out there and I hope you will find some peace of mind in my story. Take care.

i was just scared i wanted to just die and take him along with me but i have a child to live for.i'm dealing with it.don't let this diease get you done.do wht u want to do. you conrol it.don't let it conrol u. use condoms if u are going to have sex. please i gave it to someone else i didn't know i had itat the time. but i told him what the doctor told me. we are still together now.

I was 19 and had never had sex. I went to a party with a friend, I saw a guy that I had worked with before. I couldn't find my friend so I asked Mark (the guy I had worked with) if he could call him on his cell phone. We went into the bathroom to call him. He couldn't get him on the phone. One thing lead to another, and we had sex. The condon broke and I didn't think much about it. 2 day after I felt really sick. Not like the flu sick but my bones and body felt sick and I new something was wrong. I went to the doctors and they took my blood. I didn't hear from the doctor for 2 months, so I thought no news is good news. Well I got a call from my doctor telling my that I have Herpes type 2. My dad has been the biggest help to me through out this hole thing. I have now met someone special in my life and I avoided telling him what I had I was afraid that he would run from me. One night I sat him down with tears running down my face and told him that I have Herpes. He told me that, that wouldn't stop him from loving me. Sorry it is choppy.

Hi,Im new to HSV. I am in my second real attack including first outbreak. Its not really that bad but durring an outbreak it feels like an army of bugs marching up my rear because it is so tingely and itchy when it happens. I have the normal body pains asociated with and i seem to be getting a cold easy now and its harder to get over, with the difference in my immune system, while the attack accures. Unfortunatly, not knowing about the facts soon enough made it easyer to spread the virus to my face. My outbreakss seem to be only two durring 9 months but the crap on my face dont seem to clear up. Im always a little tingely but not as bad. Because i dont take any meds i concider myself lucky to have few reaccurences. I live on beef and chicken. I drink often and havent the best health. Self love seems to be the only thing helping me. Mental talks to the body and the body responds in feeling happy angry or sad. I imagen my temperment produses the health, what the metal tells me the human body. Anger feels sickening. Pride feels great. In other words, be clam and the mind reacts accordingly. Metal health is love. If it helps anyone i would like to mention a dream i had durring my first outbreak. I want to note this because of an artical i found. I thought it odd to read that HSV has some sort of double strand in the DNA. The dream was about a double headed snake. Everytime I went to shoot my health at it, it would take it and use it against me. Like sending a person love and they reject and get mad. Well, my little boy who is great at games came to me in the dream and told me that i had to dodge the attacks from the snakes red stands of virus. At that point i would reserve my health while dodging hits, metal avoidence. WHen i went to fire my health it was strong enough to hit the snake and make it smaller. Talk about will power. IT TAKES A LOT I live by my dreams if it means anything. I have about 8 a night recall. This is how i first knew something was wrong in my life. Dreams help us hear what our mind is telling us. We understand the pictures more then the intuition given us through the mind. The question was there. My fear became a reality. In another dream i seen myself eating Chicken nuggets with honey mustard. I was giving this in a dream by my passed away father. He told me how sick i am. Its suposed to be a medison or some sort of cure he gave me? Also i was givin a bath with some really costly yellow powder in it. I noted how costly it was when i seen it in the dream. This dream was just days ago. I was being told how to be treated for HSV in my dream. I even got knowledge on having part memmory loss, weight loss and diarea associated with my sickness. I dont like to be so personal about myself but for this cause i needed to say something if its going to help us get anywhere closer to a cure. Thanks for reading!! Hope you can help me with your comments.

I just found out I had herpes 4 days ago. I have had symptoms for going on 2 weeks now. It took 2 trips to the doctors to diagnose me. I was so relieved the first time to hear that it was just trauma from vigorous sex. After a couple days, my symptoms became worse. I went back and he was pretty sure I had herpes just by looking. Today I got my results from the culture---positive, but I already knew. I got it from being ignorant and thinking it would not happen to me--it is always somebody else, right? At first I was devastated, but now I know I can't look bak, but I have to learn to live with what I've been dealt. I think that all things happen for a reason. Two years ago, I suffered a horrible break-up of a 10 year relationship. The way I chose to deal with it is drinking, drugs, dieting and taking stimulants for weight-loss to keep my feminine body men seem to love. I am well-educated, intelligent, and attractive, so I wonder how I let things get to this point. I am learning to minimize recurrences of outbreaks, I must stop all this behavior, which will be good for me. I will probably be healthier and wiser than I have ever been. After reading all these personal experiences, I feel much better. I know that I am not alone and that I will be more careful about who I have sex with---it takes a special person to accept you for who you are and not for what you have. I won't be able to have sex with just anyone because I have to tell them about my infection (which I am dreading). Of course I wish I could go back and fix this, but I can't so why dwell on it? Isn't it true that I cannot get stressed-out or it will trigger an outbreak?There is light at the end of the tunnel, I know it, and I hope everyone else out there knows it, too. Herpes can happen to anyone. It doesn't mean you're promiscuous, or poor, or stupid or dirty, although from my experience, we all go through that. Trust me, I've done my share of self-pitying, but it feels much better to know that God has a plan for me and this happened to me for a reason--it may have even saved me from much worse.

The emotional pain is much greater than the physical pain of an outbreak.

idont know how i got it or from who

Okay, i just found out yesterday that I have type 2 herpes. one minute im so scared and wish i were dead, and the next i feel like im really over reacting. i mean i know that im gonna have to deal with this somehow. yesterday i swore up and down that the only person that would ever know was my mom but since then ive confided in my aunt and my cousin. and they were sympathetic, no doubt, but i couldnt help but feel like they were thinking- hey, thats what she gets. this is my first outbreak and i hve heard that they are the worst, this is definitley some painful shit. yesterday i just had one sore, and 2day i have 4. inside and out and they hurt sooo bad. im not letting myself eat or drink aything cause i cant handle goin to the bathroom. i have found that when i absolutely HAVE to go, pouring a glass of cold water over myself while im going makes me not feel it as much. nevertheless, it doesnt seem like anything is gonna relieve this pain. it feels like its never gonna go away. but im still really confused cause i was pretty sure who i got it from cause i had heard he had it from a couple people, but the wierd thing is, i had slept with someone DIFFERENT like 3 days ago and all of a sudden im in pain YESTERDAY and find out this crazy shit. and i hadnt slept with the one i heard had it for OVER a month. but i still kinda know in the back of my head that hes still my gift-giver. i mean these arent the kinda people i can talk about it with either. these are some for real ghetto boys. out there thuggin, dealin, tryin to be ballaz, but what they dont understand is they passin this shit around like mad. there isnt a doubt in my mind that i brought this on myself for bein stupid, not usin protection, thinkin it would never happen to me, fuckin to feel wanted but really needin to be loved. i thought it was hard before tryin to find a decent guy in my ghetto ass town now i have this to add to it. im never gonna be loved again, never gonna get married, have kids. my life is potentially over in that sense. my cousin- same age as me and has a 6 wk. old babygirl- tried to say that ill still get to do all that, but obviousy if i was messin with the kinda people that gave it to me in the first place BEFORE how do i really expect to find BETTER now that im burnt up. it may seem like im putting things EXTREMELY bluntly, but at this point, i really have nuthin to hide from you guys. im sure you guys either feel or have felt exactly like i am right now and maybe the way i feel will change, and ill get over the guilt, and shame and all that ut right now i just feel hopeless. i need someone to talk to that understands so if anyone would like to email me to talk its (XXX) and i made this email addy specifically for herpes friends-god, that sounds SO pathetic so it doesnt have any personal info or NUTHIN. please write!!!!!!!

Hi! I was just scrolling down and looking at everyone else's testimonial's!well I have had Genital Herpes for a year and 5 months now! Ok this is how it all happened there was this guy that i have had a "crush" on for a long time and it was december something i think december first and i was trying to sleep and the people i lived with had a son around 18 yrs old which the guy i liked was his best friend which was 18 also i was 14 at the time. i was trying to sleep when my "crush" walked in and laid down beside me and threw his game which since i liked him i fell for! so afterwards he told me that next time he was in town to call him and we could actually go out! i was thrilled that this hot guy just had sex with me (not to mention took my virginity!!!) and then asked me out on a date!! then about 7 months later which was july i had an out break!!! it lasted for 2 weeks and i haven't had one since!!! now i am going to church and i have forgiven him!! i have had 5 partners and i am not going to have sex anymore!! so for you people out there who have an std or think they do go get tested and dont have sex dont do what that guy did to me to someone else!!! IT ONLY TAKES ONE TIME!!!!! if you need someone to talk to just e-mail me having someone with herpes also to talk to is very very helpful!!!

The discovery that I had herpes with genital warts started the whole case against my father, which led to his prison sentence for eight years. I was eight when I found out at the pediatrics center, I am eighteen now and have remained been an abstinent since. I still feel that I can't become close, especially intimate with anyone, but that is okay at this time.

i think i am being punished by GOD WITH THIS, BECAUSE I TOOK SEX TO BE SO TRIVIAL AND MY MORALS JUST WENT OUT THE WINDOW. I WAS TAUGHT NO SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE AND FOLLOW GOD'S RULES. I WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOR MANY YEARS AND STILL MY MOM HAD MANY TALKS WITH ME AS SHE WAS A VIRGIN WHEN SHE MARRIED: BUT I DIDN'T LISTEN TO HER OR THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES... I WISH I KNEW IT WAS THAT EASY TO GET THIS...I THINK SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE A WHOLE DAY ON THE SUBJECT...AND THE CONSEQUENCES...I KNOW I WOULDN'T HAVE THIS RIGHT NOW AND NOW, FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.....

I dont know where I got it from, because I was not having sex at the age of 12, at first doctors thought it was shingles , until it came back.So please be careful not to spread it.

this is the first time i've really read into herpes i guess i'm just scared i need to be able to talk to others about what i'm going though it almost seems like everyone has a completly different experiance like there are 100 different dieases, but i know deep down that everything will be okay life goes on everyday is an adventure, we just have to stay positive

I really feel that people are far too negative about this, of course it is hard news, but I think you need to put it in perpective. This absolutely does not change who you are or your appeal to others. I only hope that people will not let it change them. Truly the worst thing about it is the societal stigma and having to tell your potential new partner. Once this is over, it is fine. Also, there are plenty of great medicines that can reduce outbreaks or stop them all together. I have had this for 8 years and only had 2 outbreaks and never transmitted to anyone. I am on suppresive therapy Valtrex just to make me feel more secure that I am in control. But in all honesty, I feel we should keep perspecitve, it is NOT live threatening at ALL. It is only a minor inconvenience and discomfort for a few days every few years, that is nothing. The general population just does not understand what it is and therefore are scared. I would like to hear other peoples positive stories about telling partners and about how they have realized that this does not take over your life in ANY way. I think that when you tell a partner you need to give them the FACTS so that they understand it and that it is really a minor affliction and do NOT let them make you feel they are doing you a favor by being with them. If you dont present it to them as the end of the world then they wont think it is. They are not doing you a favor.. You are still the same great you that you were before and any good person will feel that way. Millions of people have this and they live normal lives, get married and are happy. Dont let it ruin your life.. you are in control of that!!

I am 18 right now and I have been with the same guy for 2 and a half years. We started dating in December 2000, and he had never had sex before. I had sex with one guy in March, but we used protection, then in August I had sex with another guy and we didn't use protection. But what I am so confused about is how I really got herpes. Because I did not get my first outbreak until February 2001, 3 months after I was with my new boyfriend. So now I have been so confused for over 2 years on how it just came out of nowhere, my boyfriend still has thoughts in the back of his mind that I cheated on him, and I have no answers. I think about it all the time what my boyfriend must think of me, but there is no way to explain it. I wish I could find out how I got it.

Just diagnosed today and I am devastated! I am told I can lead a normal life, but I just can't imagine acting "normal" when I will have to take medication for the rest of my life. Now I have to expalin the the person who gave it to me (99% sure it was her), in a NON-BLAMING sort of way the I tested postive for Type 2. I am NOT looking forward to that. I guess I can kiss my chances of EVER having a long term relationship with her. I also don't look forward to having "the discussion" every time I am going to have intercourse with another. Thanks for letting me vent!!!

The very first outbreak I had was extremely painful. I had to rearrange my schedule at work and plans for a few weeks because I couldn't even walk. Fortunately, the following outbreaks have not been as bad. I do not have to ajust anything in my life because of it, except having intercourse of course. Living with herpes has been a challenge, but I have been able to find support in most of my friends. It's not the end of the world if you contract herpes =)

Just have to keep your head up. And always remember to keep your self clean at all times.

got it from someone with sores on his penisi asked him, what are those? he said, i don't know, always had them (LIE!) now even though that is how i got HPV (warts)(same scenario) i went ahead and had sex i thought they were prob HPV and i had that already i didn't know what exactly HSV looked like and really nothing about it anyway i would say to people sleeping around, no oral sex and no kissing someone with a cold sore unless you enjoy pain every month, real pain! and it's sooooo unfair that guys seem to have so very little symptoms--the guy i got from had sex with me no problem with sores present i can't IMAGINE having sex or being TOUCHED even during an outbreak, I can hardly WALK sometimes they have gotten better over the last 10 yrs, less frequent and less painful, but they still last a week and i mean a full week of yuck, not 1 or 2 days of bad and slowly fade 1 week or more of full strength outbreak part 2 i also somehow immediately got it on my left palm VERY painful and takes FORever to heal, looks like a burn blister lots of painful neuralgia up and down my arm up to 3 days before outbreak and then intense itching at site if I scratch it it will break out immediately, i can watch it! if i can make myself not itch it, it sometimes will be a less severe outbreak at least it's easy to keep dry and let light get to it :) people think i have some skin rash thing, people do not know about HSV, they haven't a clue part 3 no one knows in my whole life that i have HSV even though i have had it for 10 yrs i feel very dirty and worry sometimes about passing it esp from my palm

My first outbreak was in feb of 2003 and it was very painful and lasted 2 weeks and i only had one sore.Since than i have had 4 more outbreaks and i think it is caused by stress and eating to much chocolate lol!!

I got genital herpes from my most recent boyfriend, who had a lesion the first time we had sex. I didn't know what it was. We had the STD conversation prior to sex, and since he told me he had no diseases, we used a diaphram instead of a condom. Two days later I had a huge outbreak, and he confirmed that his lesion must have been herpes. If we had used a condom then it might have prevented the transmission, but realistically, since he chose not to know his sores were herpes, I would probably have gotten it some other time. The lesson I learned is that sometimes, out of fear, people choose to ignore or not know what they know to be true, regardless of how kind, sweet and honest they are in other areas. Next time around, I wait a lot longer to have sex, insist that we go together to get a complete STD workup, use condoms for at least the first six months, and then retest and keep an eye out for any symptoms. For prevention now I use Lysine when I start to feel stressed or tired, or whenever I have foods high in Arginine. When I have an outbreak I alternate applying vitamin E, vitamin A, and super-lysine cream to the lesions with a new, clean q-tip. I don't look forward to telling my next partner I have herpes, but I certainly will. My biggest fears are transmission to a baby and/or a c-section, and cervical cancer. The up-side of this is that it makes me a lot more picky about who I date and I don't waste my time on people who aren't potential life partners anymore. And it was a huge wake-up call about how easy it would have been for me to get HIV. I have more understanding for HIV+ people now.

It has been very hard dealing with the stigma of having this disease. Each time I think of showing interest in anyone, I am just reminded that I could possibly infect that person and I just think it's best to stay uninvolved. The good thing is that I don't cry anymore because I don't have anymore tears left. Also, life could be worse and I have to look at my life differently. I have remained abstinent for almost two years and it makes me feel cleaner somehow remaining from any act of sex. I have been married and divorced already, so I don't feel I am missing out on that...been there done that... I have never really wanted children, but having this disease has definitely squashed this thought altogether. Life goes on and I am living it to the fullest that I can. I cannot predict what's going to happen months and years down the line, but I know how I feel right now.

I am a single mother of a beautiful 5 year old boy. I have always been a one at a time type of girl in being so, this would help me narrow down the villians. I have had herpes for a year but did not find out until just 3 days ago. (May 19th) My doctor's office failed to inform me that I was a carrier of herpes. Of course they played it down to, "you canceled your follow up appointment and I did because I had my cycle when they wanted me to come in. At that point, they should have told me but they did not and I lived a year not knowing that I was infected. The man that gave me herpes was very near and dear to my heart. He is in denial that he gave it to me but you know how that works. Now I am a firm believer in God so I understand cause and affect very well. I decided to have premarital sex and this is the affect. I except that but to those of you who contracted this itchy, painful, irratating desease from your spouse, my prayers with you. To those of you who contacted it from someone whom you thought loved you, my prayers with you. To those of you who gave freely of yourself, my prayers with you. Now that we know that we have it, let us be mindful of those who do not. I feel ashamed, dirty and out right filthy but I fight a good fight and so should you. God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

I'm not sure I have been of help for this survey. I am not aware of having HSV-1 or HSV-2 but I guess that means I could still potentially have the virus. The reason I am checking this site out is that the guy I am dating has been exposed to herpes (not sure which type) from a mate who cheated on him. He has never had an outbreak that he is aware of. I am curious to know more information in case we do decide to become intimate.

I contacted herpes through a friend that I was stupid and slept with. He has never told me that he had it but his ex-girlfriend came forward and told me that she contracted it from him. I was so angry and hurt that someone would knowingly to this to me. I just past my 1 year mark and have a break out at least once a month, usually around time for my menstrual cycle. I hate it bit there is nothing I can do. I have since met and married a very wonderful man that is very accepting of it. He told me that it didn't matter what I had all that mattered was who I was on the inside. So everyone needs to keep in mind that there is someone out there that will love u regardless of the herpes. Not all men r jerks. Just keep on living and keep in mind that instead of getting herpes u could have gotten AIDS. I thank God every day that it was something that can't kill me and u should too.

i never knew that i had sexual intercourse with someone who was infected with herpes. i just discovered that i have this not too long ago. i am very upset with this.

hing I was having sex with partner number 5, and i told him in the middle of sex that i had herpes(and we wernt using protection) then he quickly pulled out and started punching as hard as he could in the nose over and over and over and over, until i was passed out.

It's not that bad. I've had herpes for over 15 years, and although I get outbreaks every couple of months, it has not significantly impacted my life. At first, I was ashamed and mortified. But once I started taking prescription medication, the physical symptoms became almost negligible. The key is to keep the medication with you to school or work and start taking the pills and applying the Zovirax cream at the first sign. If I catch it early, it's no problem.

It's better to be safe than sorry,After I found out I had HSV2 I gave up on life and let everything go. I went down way far, I met a pimp and let myself work for him. I am now barely startin' to realize that I still do mean something and that I am a beautiful person and I am capable of being loved by a real man and by others. I now realize I have much more to offer than my body. I have been tested for other stds as well, and I've had chlamydia as well... but the funny thing was that didn't hit me as hard as herpes did. I'm happy to say that I've been practicing abstinance for a month now (which is long for me especially in the line of work I was in!) and I feel stronger by the day... no man or disease will hold me down!

I was 42 years old and dating a younger man. He did not tell me that he had herpers. In fact he denied that he had herpes, but I know that he did because he kind of screamed in pain when he urinated. It took a few days for my outbreak to develop but when it did I was in hell for 2-3 weeks. I was scared to death that I would suffer like my girlfriend. But I attended a support group meeting for Herpesites. They suggetsed that I go to a bland diet and keep a diary of what I ate. Soon I learned that caffiene, tomatoes and other acidic foods triggered an outbreak. So I eliminated them from my diet and was able to control the outbreaks. With time, I was able to add these foods back into my diet without having an outbreak. Once I was at work when an outbreak began and I did not have any medication with me. So I closed my office door, turned off the lights and began to meditate. Within a few minutes, I could feel the lesion disappearing. I am sure that I would have transmitted the disease had I had intercourse, but I was no longer in pain. Seems like I like have it all together, doesn't it? But I don't. Unfortunately, I have not dated that much. I'm afraid ... of rejection and that I will meet another dishonest person. It's a major step for me to be on this website. My daughter read about it in the newspaper. I signed up months ago but today is the first time that I have actually participated in anything. Next Stop Chat Room. I'm trying to move forward. Take Care

Thank god that I found a women that believed in me and was educated on herpes. Speaking with doctors, they informed us that having a baby is not problem and my wife is in her 21 week or pregancy and she is okay. I do want to say that the Valtrex medication has definately surpressed my out breakes to almost 0 outbreaks a year taking one pill a day.

Since i am experiencing my first outbreak, I can't answer too many questions concerning this. I will say that my symptoms began last month as intense itching immediately prior to my period and a couple of days after having sex for the first time with this guy I will call Eddie. I will leave out most of the details but will say that so far for me, my outbreaks look like tiny white heads with intense itching and I consider myself lucky in that my symptoms have been minor. I have noticed my leg aching a bit the last day or so though. I can understand how this infection can easily be overlooked by a person when their symptoms aren't severe. It doesn't always look like you think it would. What makes my situation even worse is that a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with genital warts. I really hit the jackpot this time. I don't feel like dating anymore. I can't see myself having sex with someone and taking the risk of transmitting it to them. I am heartbroken though because through all of the men I have been with, I have only wanted to find the "right one". I just never did. I guess now I probably never will. Final thoughts: 1) condoms give you a false sense of security and 2) out of all of the 11 guys I've slept with, I have to say that not one of them was worth this! However, even before I caught this, if I had fallen in love with a wonderful man who disclosed to me ahead of time that he had herpes, I truly believe that I would've continued a relationship with him anyway.

Well I hate herpes very much. It is very embarresing and I wish there was a cure, but unfortunetly they're is not. I would do anything to be able to drink off other people, use my best friends lipgloss and her to use mine, but most of all, I wish I could be able to kiss my boyfriend. I got herpes from my aunt. She was, I guess you could call her "friendly" with a lot of guy over her years. I wish I could go back and never kiss her. I never thought that somehting like this would affect me so much. And the worst thing is, there's nothing I can do about it.

Anyone who passes herpes to an other person should be taken to court and punished . To have an impact on anothers whole life as this does costs too much in a persons life. We require harsher stronger laws to stop and punish the gulity who spred this diease to victimize others.

I just got herpes ( a birthday present) from my boyfriend of several years. I thought it was a tear gone wrong. Bottom line, wait until you are married to have sex. But if you must, check everything everytime. Your partner may not have any visible problems and may not know he/she has something but check always. I have been with one man for years and I have never had sex without a condom. Now I am HSV-1 positive for the rest of my life and although I love the man who gave it to me and want to be with him, I cant know if he will stay with me and now i am tarnished to anyone else I could possible date. In fact, make your partner show you up-to-date test results from his/her doctor.

I found out I had herpes when i was pregnant with my last child. I had been seperated from my ex-husband for a year and had been dating someone for a year. I broke out in sores and did not know what they were. I went to my OBGYN and he told me and also did a test to comfirm it. i had been with only two people after my husband and I split so I'm not exactly sure who i got it from. I am now dating a new man and I waited three months into our relationship before I told him. I was afraid he would run for the hills. He has stayed with me even though i waited to tell him. He hasn't contracted it yet and he has been very open with me about it. He said we will take care of it and be careful. I'm glad he has decided to stay. He is a great guy.

Just that I wished I would have listened more to people about ones that they know are carriers, and yet those people who are still lie when they tell you they are not, they tell you that they love you but won't tell you they have a virus. Needless to say it ruined my relationship. I will get over that with time. Then it will be the hard part of finding someone that I can share this with and have a healthy relationship with without having the fear of rejection.

yes I have herpes and i know it but i cant get to my doctor and I cant tell any one and I cant even tell my mom.

I was extremely depressed when I was first diagnosed. It has taken me several years to finally start accepting this condition. It's been very difficult to tell the few partners I've had since being diagnosed. Two have been very understanding about, but two others have rejected me because of it - or at least that was their excuse. This has led me to shy away from relationships altogether. I'm extremely ashamed to admit that I've had sex with a couple of people but have not told them of my condition - rejection because of the disease hurts too deeply when you like someone. I've taken extreme care not transmit the disease. Today I've learned that I might have given it to a recent partner who I did not tell about it. I was not symptomatic when we had sex and used protection. The guilt is killing me. I need to find a support group in my area as I would like to share with others the experiences of living with this disease.

First: VASELINE- white, not perfumed. calms down instantly. from beginning of the feel of tension in the lips´ skin (may avoid outbreak), over building vesicles (don´t grow as much), till reconvalescence (disappear much faster from the lips). Experiences with "zovirax": doesn´t help me at all. As I caught it at the age of 8 I investigated on its way to my lips, as I was far away from kissing anybody. Later on, as it started killing me, I detected that it is not only transmitted by contact with carrier. The virus "herpes labialis" or "herpes simplex" survives for an unknown period of time. Most transmitters are NOT THE CARRIERS, but glasses in bars and restaurants. How about that? Carriers with open sores uses glass. Glass is taken back and simply rinsed with not hot enough water. Glass is refilled and given to another guest who gets infected. As I was at the age of 8 or earlier. Give bars and restaurants minimum temperatures for the cleaning of glasses, forks and spoons and you will wonder how progression of herpes in the population is slowered. Second: Vitamine A may support. Its protecting character protects any skin: from lips to nucleus. Third: Cool down! Taking care of the own bodies temperatures in the peripherals. Taking shower change between warm and very cold. When its not time taking showers put your arms (from ellbow to fingers) under fluent ice cold water, moving the jet over the skin. Several times a day. This will activate your complete circulation of blood, lymphs and oxygen. Forth: take care not to live anaerob. means make sports that higher the contrentation of oxygene in your blood. sametime you will burn your beloved fat depots. Fifth: avoid fat in your nutrition. Reduces sametime your chance to get cancer. Take care not to get powered out. Test your panchrias. Get to know about your diabetic status. Be gentle!

It makes me so sad to read the majority of the comments on this site. I have had herpes since I was 18. I am now 35. I contracted it from my second partner who said I couldn't get it if he didn't have an outbreak. I was young and trusting. At first I was scared, but I have had several long term relationships that included great sex. I rarely get outbreaks and we are safe. I have chosen real men who have adored me for me. Two of the men had it themselves and it didn't even seem to phase them when I finally got to the point of telling them. It's unfortunate and I wish I didn't have it on my otherwise perfectly clean bill of health, but everyone has to deal with something and it could be WAY worse. Believe me, if someone really cares for YOU they will love all that you are and will not think lesser of you for having a skin condition. I've known several people with herpes who are married and have children. The worst thing is you can't have spontaneous casual sex. Well, I was never that type in the first place. Sure, I have a few fantasies and it is a real bummer to know that will never be an option. On a positive note, if you meet someone you really like, take a little time for them to get to know how wonderful you are and for you to decide if they are good enough for you then you can have an honest conversation that many times, with good judgement, can have a very positive end result. How wonderful to find someone who really loves you. I only had a few people react adversely and looking back they were quite shallow and definitely not the men I'd want to father my future children. So, for all of you who think your life is over you might try visiting a hospital or nursing home sometime to help get things back into perspective.

It took me a long time to get used to it and to be able to lead a 'normal' sex life again but over the years the attacks have reduced. I have always been honest with my partners and have explained the risks, howeve I have had far fewer partners in recent years and have teneded to have longer relationship. I associate this more with age than herpes. Eventually we all learn to live with it so don't let it get you too down.

I want to know how i got them. I am a virgin. i never had oral or anal sex before. It just happened. i have a couple white dots or marks on my penis. is this herpes? can i have sex?

This disease is very scary. I have no idea how or when I contracted it. It just came about one day. Now I have to deal with it the rest of my life.

Please use protection. I was in relationship with someone that I trusted and he ended up given me the virus.

I have been in a monogomous relationship with my very first boyfriend for eight years. Neither of us have been with any other sexual partners EVER! Yet this week we were both diagnosed with type 2 HSV. We are both devastated but have found this website to be useful and the antiviral drugs to be very effective. I just wish that the vaccine was available sooner to prevent this misfortune.

Well, i had known my "dream girl" for years. we got togeather eventually and began dateing and it was great, we both had clean bills of heath (or so we thought) and has unprotected sex many times without any issues, until the first time she was oral on me, a week later i was at the doctors... HSV-1, GREAT, so i tell her and she doesnt believe it, its shocking, but we both accecpt it, i had nothing before, i had been tested, so lets flash foward a year later, were living with eachother and she calls me and breaks up with me to be with another guy (hello matt i hope your enjoy the STD!) i guess what im trying to say is that herpes really sucks... now im living alone and have to tell my new crush what i have, we have kissed and held eachother, and i adore her and she does me... im so scared of rejection, i know it will be, you see shes a virgin and im why would anyone want to start off with a guy who has an STD.

I get outbreaks on my left buttock. The outbreaks seem to occur more frequently than the average amount indicated on this website. What helps, to some extent, is to apply pure tea tree oil to the sore with a Qtip. It reduces the initial pain associated with the outbreak.

MY NAME IS CESAR I AM 33 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE 13 YEARS WITH THIS HERPES AND SOMETIMES IT'S PART OF ME I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T FIND THE CURE ALREADY.

I've had Herpes since I was 17. I got it from my husband at the time. We are longer together and I'm single. I've had two partners since I found out and was very honest about this on our first date. I've only had one bad effect from telling someone and this person I knew since we were six. It just show's you who your friends are. I'm not pissed at my ex for giving this to me it's just lifes little challenges and I believe I'm passing with flying colors. I don't let this run my life. I am very careful who I date now and make sure they adult enough to be open and honest with me. I've gone from a break out evrey month two a break out about five times a year just when I get streed at work or my hormons are going crazy. So anyone reading this and you have just found out you have herpes hand in there you'll be fine and remember always be honest it will keep you from getting heart broken.

If I had know how horrible HORRIBLE herpes is.

I feel the need to completely change my life and that scares me to death. It was the third person I had ever had sex with. I feel so alone and I don't know who to talk to. I'm younug. This isn't supposed to happen to me. This is supposed to be a problem for someone else. It could be worse. I could be dead, but at times I wonder how worse that would be. In relationships I care SO much about the others enjoyment, and now with this over my head, I don't feel I can face another date again. I'm scared.

i hate that i have that i have this nasty desease because i am only 17 and it is not a nice thing to have to tell me b/f that i have this

I just found out 4 days ago that I have HSII. What a fun filled and lovely thing to learn of. It is unimaginable that in all of my adult life, I have NEVER had an STD and here I catch the granddaddy of them all, second to only HIV/AIDS. I was married for almost 10 years, and my husband even cheated on me, but I survived THAT with nary an itch. (beleive me, I had it all checked out) After we split up, I had alot of boyfriends, but I did take precautions. Recently I had a boyfriend for a while, he seemed like a long term thing, (like, I could hear wedding bells in the future) and twice we had unprotected sex. Then he started to act odd, and we broke up. (I don't put up with anyones shit, sorry, no drama) But even though I terminated our relationship, I was SO devasted, because this was the 1st man I really cared about since divorcing my husband. Another man I had dated and been intimate with took me out, and I ended up having sex with him. The condom broke! About 3days later, I noticed what appeared to be an ingrown hair on my vagina. Felt some itchiness and burning soon after. Then after checking things out down there, I noticed another small red flat sore IN my vagina. I flipped out and walked into Planned Parenthood the very next morning, they slipped me in as an emergency appointment. I heard back about a week later and I was devastated. Just broken up. It is either the "mister wonderful boyfriend" or my on/off lover. I did tell the ex-boyfriend and he has never had any signs or symptoms, but he is having all the testing done, as for the other guy, he is seeming more and more like a likely candidate after listening to talk from several people about him. (apparently he is the reigning MAN WHORE of our town here.) Nice. Figures it would be the one with the small penis, eh? So it wasn't even WORTH it.... I have spoken with a counselor at Planned Parenthood, and they have made me feel alot better. I am mad and angry and pissed about this, but I am just retraining my way of thinking regarding health, diet, relationship and men. I am taking vitamins and trying to eat well, and stay calm.I have only had the one outbreak and it was not that bad. I seem to have a constant tingling feeling in my vagina and it is weird, it does not hurt, almost feels "good", so I do not know if this is the beginning of another outbreak or what. I am just going to wait and see what happens and if I DO have another outbreak, take the suppression medicine to keep the disease in check. I hope they find a cure for this crap. Figure if they have vaccinations for Chicken pox, (same family)they should come up with a vaccination and subsequent cure for herpes. Just try to keep your chin up folks. It is hard I know. But at least we are trying and we are trying to inform people and trying to not spread such a thing...it is the people who KNOW and don't tell that are the true pigs. They deserve their lot.

I tookt his survey for my daughter. She was just diagnosed this weekend and we are looking for all the help we can get.

it's not a nice feeling wait to have sex.

Why isn't a Herpes test standard on the bloodwork that doctors perform on the annual physical exam? I believe mine could have been caught if this was standard practice.

In April I was diagnose with Herpes 1 & 2. I was dating what I thought was a wonderful oral surgeon. Beening that he was a doctor, I let me guard down and thought he was clean. I had sex with him one time. Then I became ill. He never return my phone calls or have seen him since.

I had contracted Herpes in Nov. 2002. I was dating a man and from start we decided not to use condoms. After him deciding that he wanted to see someone else. We went our separate ways. A few months later he started coming back around and we started to be intimate once again; after I questioned him about what he did when we was not together.3 A few days after we had sex I started feeling uncomfortable in my private area. Like other people have assumed. I thought it was a yeast infection. I called the doctor for a presciption. After taking the medicine for a couple of days my symptoms were getting worse. So I went to the hospital to see what was going on and that's when The doctor informed me that I had herpes. I was having 2-3 outbreaks a month. So my doctor put me on Valtrex the suppressive therapy. Since than I have not had any outbreaks, but i still due deal with having it. The hardest thing to dealing with Herpes is telling the guy you are planning to see that you have it. So people stay strong because this storm shall pass.

Sometimes I have itching and unusual tiny hard bumps which I don't really understand and am unsure if it is a herpes outbreak or something connected, or even something entirely different. At other times, I have the usual lesions / sores which are obviously herpes. I wondered if anyone else experiences this. On these occasions the area sometimes even feels a touch 'numb'.... pardon the expression but I can itch and itch to produce a touch of blood but no pain.

WELL I HAVENT BEEN TESTED YET, BUT ONE NIGHT I WAS JUST IN SO MUCH PAIN THAT I COULD NOT URINE. I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL WHILE MY BOYFRIEND WAS AT WORK AND MY RESULTS WERE A BACTERIAL INFECTION. THEY NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HERPES. WHEN I GOT HOME I GOT A MIRROR AND EXAMINED MYSELF. I SAW A FEW SOARS MAYBE ABOUT 4 OR 5. MY BOYFRIEND HAS NOT YET EXPIRENCED WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH. WE WERE SEPERATED FORA WHILE. I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH ANYONE ELSE, SO I WONDER IF IT WAS HIM?? I ASKED HIM IF HE SLEPT WITH ANYONE ELSE BUT HE SAID NO. HE FINALLY ADMITEED TO ME LATER ON THAT HE DID BUT HE SAID HE USED PROTECTION. I HAVE NOT YET TOLD HIM ABOUT THE SOARS. I AM SO SCARED TO...... I ONLY HAD 1 BREAK OUT AND THAT WAS WHEN I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL.I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND SO MUCH BUT HE TOLD ME IF HE EVER GOT A DISEASE HE WOULD KILL THE PERSON WHO GAVE IT TO HIM AND THEN HIMSELF..........I AM IN A VERY SCARY POSITION AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO? ONE THING FOR SURE IS THAT I AM GOING TOMMOROW TO GET TESTED AND I WILL FIND OUT FOR SURE IF I HAVE THIS DISEASE.

Hi, I have had herpes for about a month, but I have only known for sure that I've had it for about 2 weeks. At first, I was devestated, and I am fighting with bouts of depression. Some days are better than others. My parents know, and I have a few very special friends who also know, and all have been very supportive and kind to me. They don't blame me for what has happened. I have a strong belief system as I am Pagan, and that has really helped me get through this. I don't like the word "herpes," so I have termed it a "sacred wound" for that is what it is. It has changed me, in some ways for the better, in some ways for the worse, but I will never be the same again. I believe I know who gave me the virus, and we didn't even have sex. We did do just about everything else, though. After we made out, I only heard from him once after that, so I have a feeling that he knew. I hope his dick falls off, and I hope it happens before he does this to anyone else. The first outbreak was aweful -- I had fever, itching, muscle aches, and I couldn't sit. I was very swollen and in constant pain. It was torture to urinate, and I would sing to myself quietly like a lullaby to give me something else to focus on. The first outbreak lasted about 10 days, and I am currently health. I am afraid of being alone for the next 30-60 years of my life. I am afraid of never having sex again. I am afraid of never being loved again. I'm young, I'm beautiful, and I used to have a very high sex drive. A very special part of me was raped from me. I don't know what the future will bring. I have had only one outbreak, so I don't know when I'll have another. I don't know how bad it will be. I do feel lucky in a way, though, for at least it wasn't aids, and it is controllable. It has made me appreciate the other facets of life more. It has made me appreciate friends more. Close your eyes and think of all of the millions of others who also have herpes. They are your brothers and sisters in spirit. They are your support. They understand what you are going through, and know that you are not alone.

i feel this is a minor irritant in ones life affected by hsv. however thank god we have only hsv not hiv or aids comparitively and thinking positively.however we all have to face death at some point of time(its only matter of time, nobody lives permanently in this world), beconfident andlive the rest of your life happily with out continously thinking of this deasease andtaking health precautions.

Contracted the virus w/out having intercourse, probably through oral sex or close genital contact w/ a partner I did not know was infected...was misdiagnosed for 3 years, no sores present but all other symptoms...was only ever asked by a doctor if I was "sexually active" which I asssumed meant "vaginal intercourse" which I was not having, was never asked about oral sex...Sores appeared a few weeks after I was married and was then vaginally sexually active, passed the virus on to my husband immediately, who was thankfully cool about it. Was on Zoverax for 6 months which did nothing, valtrex for the next few outbreaks but now I just endure for the 3 or 4 days I have outbreaks, ususally 2 or 3 times a year. My husband has never taken meds for his outbreaks and also has them 2-3 times a year. They have lessened in intensity in the 5+ years we've been married.

my boyfriend never told me he had herpes and i got it... when i asked him he just laughed... now we never talk

I found out i had herpes 3 months ago, the person that i got it from was a guy that i had only known for 2 months. My boyfriend of 3 years,and i had just split up a couple of months before. I thought that my relationship with my boyfriend was completely over until he wanted to start things back up when i was with the new guy. After the new guy and i had sex a couple of days later i had my first and only outbreak. I never thought that i could have herpes, i even joked around with my friends before going to the gyno that i had it. After finding out that i had herpes i was devasted. i couldnt eat, drink or even think straight. I told the guy who gave it to me and he swore that he had no idea, i also told the ex boyfriend, who had just wanted to get back together. The exboyfriend was devasted as well, he told me that i dont deserve anything like that but he was also very mad and now he doesnt trust me and i know he thinks im dirty. Herpes has put my life on a serious hault. i have only had sex with 2 people and now i have this disease. I feel as if no one will want to be with me now that i have herpes. but after reading through all these experiences i realized that alot of people have herpes and that it could be worse.

I used a condom with the person I had sex with which had herpes but I did not know he had herpes and I still caught it I wonder how.

I told my husband before we ever had sex. He did not care and it meant so much to me. I knew he was the one!

I almost married the guy that I got herpes with (I say with, because we were both diagnosed basically at the same time) Neither one of us has slept with someone that we know has herpes. Many of my close friends know, and alot of my family, but I've only had to tell three people (that guy, adn two others) The first guy I told was cool with it, but our sex life was over. The second guy was also very understanding about the Herpes, but a general jerk otherwise. Now I'm about to tell my new boyfriend, and I'm scared.

i don't even know how I got it. I remember going to the doctor for my pap test because it was time for it, and once she entered the machine thing in me it hurt. So she did a culture exam thing and told me what it might be but she would not know for sure what it was until the results come bck. They came back the next week and I had type 2.She said that I would always have the virus and it is usually spreaded through sexual intercourse.And if i ever got pregnant I will have to have a c-section. Also that I will always have to wear condoms and that I was a carrier.It was panful but not a lot.I started taking the medicine she prescribed me and the outbreak did not last long. I havent had another one since. So some of the questions on the survey I cannot answer because I ahve not had a recurrence unless I have and dont know.But since that awful day, I have really slowed down. It scared me because I was thinking that I will never be able to get married and have children.Im so young and and already in a sense, my life is over.And I cant do anything about it.

I contracted the disease when i was married. I was 8 and 1/2 months pregnant when i found out. There was alot of concern about the health of my baby. I had the outbreak starting when i was 8 1/2 months pregnant and had it untill i quit breast feeding, which was 8 weeks after i gave birth. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy who is now 2 and i have only had 2 outbreaks since.

I knew i had it at the age of 18 but i made up excuses of what else it could be and i was also so scared to know the truth.I wished i got tested back then instead of being a chicken.I just got diagnosed this March and it wasn't a big shock to me.My partner at the time was and still is the love of my life and told me it was a friction blister and i believed him.He was only my second partner and i was so inexperienced about everything.Just remember if someone really loves you for who you are they wont mind if you have herpes,but also wear condoms so you don't give the virus to them.

When I was first diagnosed, I was told I had Shingles - on my left facial cheek. It was one huge lesion. I did not have another episode for several years, but the older I have gotten, the worse the illness has gotten. I have always had it on the left side of my face, near the eye, one the cheek itself, near the corner of my mouth, and the last time on the inside corner of my mouth. I was told the virus settles in a nerve but can travel as it has done all over the left side of my face. Thanks to the new meds out, if I feel a tingle, I started medicating and usually within 7 days everything is back to normal. I was married for 20 years and never infected my husband. As far as I know, I have never infected anyone. I am concerned now that it has broke out on the inside of my mouth if I now have oral herpes, and if I will somehow infect someone else.

Well I first got herpes just after i turned 19 years old! i had sex with one of my family friends and i didnt know he had it but i asked him and he said hwe was clean but guess what! he wasnt!i was not happy at first but now im living with it and i have to say it's not easy! i was afriad to tell people that i loved the most like my family but i finally did it and they still love me but the hard part is telling your partner and i have done that but he left so that was the right choice but he was not the one!! i have to be careful of who i tell you never know!! well my advice is you guys be careful and use protection!! i have told my closest friends and they are still there for me no matter what!! i wish i can turn back time but i cant! it still hurts me cuz i never waited and i thought i knew this guy and well i should of used a condom! we all make mistakes and i learned from my mistake!! just dont make the same mistake i did!!

my daughter got herpes in utero, my waters started leaking and I was left for 9 days - otherwise her lungs would not have been developed. Even though I had no lesions during birth, or for 3 weeks afterwards, she still got lesions on her back and eyeball. She was 6 weeks prem. She is now two and quite healthy apart from the herpes. Recently we have been told it is likely to be confined to her skin and no longer be a danger to the brain. However her eyesight is endangered each time she gets an outbreak in the eye. Blood tests/cultures show she has absolutely no immunity to the infection.

I have had 2 children and didn't have an outbreak. I had a normal vaginal delivery with no problems. I've just started to have outbreaks (due to stress at home) and I only have one sore that usually last 2-3 days. I didn't have a test when I was diagnosed, the doctor just stated that what I had. Since then I have never really had an outbreak like I did on the day I was diagnosed.

Hello all, I have not been to the doctor yet to be diagnosed. I contracted herpes (eithor 1, or 2?, Not to sure yet what the difference is) 3 days ago. I contracted herpes from having protected (condom) sex with a stranger I met at a club. Within 3 days I could feel something growing in my lower lip. Low and behold two days later and I have 4 or 5 blisters on my lip. This does suck. I suppose it isn't that bad as I can pee and sit without problems, however those of you with the affliction on the nether-regions can go out in public without a lable on your face. Anyway, I am curious about how my body will react to this desease in the future. Hopefully I will not get episodes often or severely like some unlucky individuals. I guess on the positive side this will make me turn over a new leaf, I could have contracted HIV. This really will be tough lesson learned, but a lesson learned. I don't feel like having sex again until I am married. I must say that I will not be looking forward to telling potential mates as I am single currently. Maybe it will help weed out 'the wrong ones'. It does make it a little easier knowing that so many people share this virus. Thanks for the info. for those of you who have shared your experience.

When I first got diagnosed with herpes I cried. I thought that it was just an ingrown hair. I found out that the people that I was sleeping with had a bunch of std's so I got tested for everything. My first outbreak was very painful. I was bent into a ball because of the pain and I couldn't move hardly at all. I finally cried enough that I went to sleep. The pain was incredible. I thought that I was going to die. My school counselor researched herpes for me and helped me through it. I don't have as many outbra\eaks as I used to and they aren't painful anymore. They itch though. I was afraid that I would never find anyone that would except that I have herpes and want to be with me anyways. I have though and I am still worried about having kids but I know that God will take care of it in his own time. To whoever reads this keep your head up. It may be hard at first but it gets better. I am very open about it now. If you can't except what I have then that is your problem is what I think. Just becasue I have her[es doesn't mean that I am a bad person. It just means that I wasn't as careful as I should have been. Ii now know that I need to be careful about who I sleep with.

One year ago I read about a medicine which could prevent herpes from occurring at the same place. Could someone provide me with more information about it? I would be very thankful. Neal

I was misdiagnosed with my first severe outbreak. I was first told I was suffering from a bladder infection and given antibiotics, 2 days later I was back, barely able to walk, to be told it must be a yeast infection. I asked if they needed to LOOK at me and noone seemed too concerned. More antibiotics were given. 2 days after that I was in Emergency, delerious with fever and pain and unable to walk. Every time I peed I shoved a towel in my mouth to stifle my screams. Finally I was tested and 24 hours later diagnosed with herpes simplex 2.

Take STI's serisoully. I was with my boyfriend for 2 years before he gave me Herpes. Choose your partners wisely!

Take STI's serisoully. I was with my boyfriend for 2 years before he gave me Herpes. Choose your partners wisely!

It has made me really depressed, and it makes me feel insecure because of myoutside appearance. I can't bear to look someone in the eye knowing that they are staring at my lips.

My first outbreak was at college. I had a skin lesion which the doctor diagnosed as Impetigo. I was told to wash the lesion several times a day and expose it to the sun. Well it was herpes and the sun made it much much worse. My entire forehead and chin was covered with ulcerated lesions. But I can say it's not as bad as having AIDS! (I also have that.)

I'd only like to comment that the frequency question of the survey needs more options. My outbreaks are usually only twice per year...roughly every 6 months. I have more irritation from monthly "cramps" then I do outbreaks.

I have had no out breaks its hard to believe I have it. Is there a chance they tested me wrong?

I still to this day do not know who I got herpes from. I was really promiscuous when I was 16 so it's my own fault for not using protection. I've had a couple partners who understood and it didn't bother them, but for the most part, it has kept me from being in serious relationships.

Hi. I just read a bunch of stories and want to share my own in case it helps someone who has recently been diagnosed. A few tips: Do your research on the medications and try both Famvir and Valtrex because you may have a better results to one over the other. (Famvir never worked for me, but I took it for a few years because it was cheaper!) Also, some doctors do not know the proper dosage, so read up on it. If you are on Valtrex, ask for 1 gram perscriptions that you can break in half. 1 gram pills are much cheaper than the 500mg, so you will save money this way. Take the medicine as soon as your first symptoms occur! My first sign is a swollen gland. I can often catch the outbreak before any lesions occur by starting a three day course of Valtex right away. Don't second guess your symptoms, if you feel something, better to take the meds. For some, outbreaks do go away. For the first few years I had at least 5 or 6 outbreaks a year, now (6 years later) I will maybe get 2 a year. I am positive that in my case, the outbreaks lessen over time and I am confident that this trend is going to continue. My sister has herpes and had a few terrible years and now, about 8 years later, she literally never has an outbreak and has been married for 4 years and never passed it to her husband. Though it is always said that there is no cure for Herpes, it is a fact that some viruses do "burn out" and will lay dormant. The "Cure" for herpes is learning how to manage your symptoms and take care of your body. Get to know your body and your body will take care of you.

Contracted it from a long-time lover. He probably did not know he had it.Here is my remedy for Break-outs. When you feel that tingling take 4 L-lysine tablets and ONLY 1 zinc with 8 oz cup of H20 or more. Make sure you take ONLY 1 zinc tablet because more than one will TEAR YOUR STOMACH UP! 4 hours later take 4 more tablets of L-lysine with H20 (take only the L-lysine and NO ZINC!) Repeat the 4 L-lysine tablets and H20 again 4 hours later. This will keep the break-outs down to a minimum both with time duration and intensity. I make it a practice to take 2 tablets L-lysine as a diet supplement because of this virus. If you have frequent break-outs take 3 tablets daily. Steamed flounder is another source of L-lysine that can be eaten when you feel a break-out coming. Also (and this my sound crazy)but meditating and "telling" this virus in your body to "go back and do not come out" will help also. It works for me. Your body is capable of a lot of things! BE BLESSED! Jesus is my Saviour! Read the Book of James - It is a short book but with a lot of good knowledge! Take Care

WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG, BE SMART. THERE ARE MANY DECISIONS I WOULD CHANGED IF I COULD ABOUT PROTECTING MYSELF FROM HERPES. IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR ANYTHING AND NOT PUT IT OFF. I FOUND OUT BECAUSE I HAD A HORRIBLE RASH THAT WOULDN'T GO AWAY AND THOUGHT IT WAS CAUSED BY A YEAST INFECTION BEACAUSE I GOT THEM QUITE A BIT. I WAS PRESCRIBED A CREAM AND THE RASH WENT AWAY BUT RETURNED SHORTLY AFTER AND THE NEXT TIME I SAW THE DOCTOR SHE SCREANED ME FOR HERPES. IT'S NEVER SOMETHING YOU WANT TO FIND OUT BUT IT IS GOOD TO KNOW. I CHOOSE TO USE VALTREX SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY, TAKE THE PILL ONCE A DAY TO PREVENT OUTBREAKS, BECAUSE THEY WERE REOCCURING A LOT AT FIRST. I THINK IT WORKS REALLY GOOD, UNTIL YOUR BOYFRIEND FINDS THE PRESCRIPTION IN YOUR PURSE, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE OTHERE STORY. NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE SAYS HE STILL LOVES ME NO MATTER WHAT, BUT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE SOMETIMES. ONE THINK I LEARNED ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE IS NOT TO BE ASHAMED AND TELL THE TRUTH. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH EASIER TO TELL HIM 8 MONTHS AGO THEN TO LET HIM FIND OUT THIS WAY AND KIND OF MAKING A SCENE IN FRONT OF ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS (WHO DIDN'T KNOW) AND THEN HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO HER WHAT HAPPENED AND PRAY SHE DOESN'T FEEL THE NEED TO TELL ANYONE ELSE, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THAT'S ONE LESS PERSON YOU HAVE TO KEEP A SECRET FROM AND THEY STILL CARE ABOUT ME. I READ AN ARTICLE THE OTHER DAY THAT 1 IN 4 WOMEN HAVE HERPES, SO WOMEN OUT THERE - PROTECT YOURSELVES.

I have been married 17 yrs and got herpes 2 months ago.Both my husband and I have only been with eachother....ever, and I have NO idea where I got this. Neither of us have cold sores. My family understands and supports us but none of my doctors believe we have only been with eachother. They make me feel ashamed. I know I have done nothing wrong and don't deserve it. I have had 9 outbreaks in 9 weeks, 3 on longterm antiviral med. It sure is painful. It actually has drawn us closer together and proved our committment to eachother but I am afraid for him catching it. I am learning about diet and herbal suppliments for help.

My boyfriend, the only person I've ever been with, got a cold sore. Fearful I would contract genital herpes I refused to let him perform oral sex on me. Instead, I chose to let him finger me, thinking I couldn't get it this way. I was wrong I am now active with genital herpes. I've cried for several days. I am embarassed and dont' know how to tell him. I don't know what to do. I'm scared. I'm infected. I just wish i would have known more. I don't know what to do.

I didn't get herpes from sexual intercourse. I contracted the virus from sharing a razor blade, used for shaving, with my roommate. I found this to be an eye opener for sharing personal products with other people- even if they're related to you.

I WAS DIAGNOSED WHEN I WAS 7 MONTHS PREGNANT W/ MY 3RD DAUGHTER. IT HAS BEEN DEPRESSING AND FRUSTRATING AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF INFORMATION I RECEIVED. I WAS EVEN MORE UPSET TO NOT KNOW HOW LONG I HAVE HAD YTHE VIRUS IT COULD HAVE BEEN AS EARLY AS MY FIRST CHILD, HOWEVER THE OBGYN NURSE TOLD ME THAT MY FIRST 2 CHILDREN WERE PROBABLY @NO RISK, EVEN THOUGH I HAD THEM NATURALLY. ONE THING I CAN SAY IS THAT I HAVE ONLY BEEN W/2 MEN SINCE I WAS DIVORCED AND THOSE 2 MEN I WAS UPFRONT W/ AND TLOLD THEM THAT I HAD HERPES.

I contracted herpes type 1 (but in the genital area) from my ex- boyfriend. At the time I was eating poorly, very stressed out with school, had already had shingles when I was 16 (which is apparently related to herpes) and my ex boyfriend (who neglected to tell me he had it) was insisting on a lot of sex for long periods of time, all the time (whether I wanted to or not). I remember the exact moment when I think I contracted it- he had been penetrating me for a good two hours (way too long for any normal female) and yet he continued. Needless to say it turned into a pretty abusive relationship but even after realising this, I remained with him because I felt like damaged goods- I felt no one else would ever find me desirable and I feared giving it to someone else. It took a long time to break up with him and I have come to realise that herpes is simply a physical problem. It makes us no less human, or beautiful or smart. I am now dating a wonderful man and yesterday I finally told him. He was so incredibly sweet. He just held me while I tearfully told him about it and then he told me to turn on the lights so he could point out all of his own physical imperfections... He told me that my sense of humour, intelligence and kindness were what made him attracted to me in the first place, my physical attractiveness was just an added bonus and the fact that I had something as minor as herpes just reiterated that I was human. Ladies and gents, never let this ridiculous idea of being damaged goods keep you in an unhappy situation. Being a good person is way more important than having the occasional cold sore!!

I remember first getting it when I was about 10 years old. All the little kids on the block had an outbreak of cankor sores, and while babysitting my friend's 2 year old brother, I got it too. But I don't remember the doctor every saying it was actually Herpes. But I was sick and had sores in my mouth for days. Over the years, I have had only about 3 cold sores, but lots of cankor sores. When I was 20 years old I gave it to my college boyfriend without ever realizing it. He got sick, but we thought it was just the flu. And then he gave me oral sex for the first time, and I got it genitally. It's basically like I gave it to myself! But he and I never really talked about it, and we had sex, and to my knowledge, he never got it genitally over our 1 1/2 year relationship. Over the last 10 years, I've had only a few genital outbreaks and didn't have sex during them. But I admit I've had many casual sexual partners and I never told them I had it. I never thought it was a big deal. Even my gynecologist always said "it's nothing". Well, I finally got a major wake up call this week. I met a great guy and after a few dates, we had sex -- orally and vaginally (with a condom). On our second date, he asked if I'd been tested and I said I had and was clean, and so was he. But I never thought of herpes. I thought of HIV and all the other big STD's. A few days later I got a cold sore, which is very rare for me. I realized then that I hadn't told him about my herpes. And when I did, he ended our relationship. Actually, he just ended it a few hours ago, so I'm still in shock. I came to this website for a reality check. I can't believe I've been so careless and stupid. I'm an otherwise intelligent person, but I've lived in denial of herpes for 10 years, and now I have to start all over and learn how to tell my partners. I'm so scared. My sex life, and romantic future, have been changed forever.

HELL. I married the man I got it from, but sometimes , especially when I am having an outbreak and he is not and he wants sexual contact, I really resent him. This causes a rift in the marriage and I wonder if he truly understands what it feels like, as he is male, and has only had 2 signifignat breakouts in his life.

My ex-fiance would get huge cold sores on his lips whenever he was stressed out. We were together for a full year before we started having sex without a condom. He proposed to me that year and the night of our proposal we had sex and he performed oral sex on me. He was just getting over a cold sore; it was practically gone. Three days later I started experiencing this itchy burning sensation up inside of my vagina. I thought it was a yeast infection and bought some Monistat-7. When I applied the Monistat I thought I was going to die! The burning sensation only worsened and the next morning I woke to find open sores all over my vagina. I was petrified and had no idea what the hell was happening. I was mortified when my doctor diagnosed me. My ex-fiance was the first person I ever had intercourse with. I felt dirty and unwanted, even though my fiance was supportive. I was angry wth my fiance for how he slutted around when he was in the Air Force (years before I ever met him). How could this happen to me?? While all of this was going through my head, I was immediately put on Valtrex and I was sick for about three weeks and out of work. I couldn't get out of bed, I couldn't walk, and I could barely go to the bathroom. I hurt all over. My lymph nodes were swollen and ached and I couldn't sleep at night because I hurt so much. After the initial outbreak, I had mini-outbreaks on and off for two years, only because my fiance and I didn't use condoms and passed it back and forth to each other. It took me about 4 years before I finally came to terms to what happened to me. Sure, I heard the old standby 'Herpes is SO common" but it still didn't help. Now, I'm single and I have to deal with the stigma all over again when I explain to new partners about the herpes. Some run away with their tail between their legs; others stick around for a little while but, ultimately, they move on. It's hard. I didn't ask for this -- herpes. The whole reason I waited to have sex (until I was 22) was because of how prevelant STDs were. And here I was -- with herpes. People need to educate themselves and REALIZE just exactly how contagious herpes is. They need to understand that a cold sore is a strain of HERPES -- not just a cold sore, and it can cause genital herpes if the person performs oral sex on his/her partner. They don't understand how easily it can be passed on, even when there aren't any symptoms. People just don't get it -- or rather, they DO, but they'd rather take the "out of sight, out of mind" stance.

I just found out I have genital herpes type 2 ..I know I got it as a punishment for my crazy sexual life.. I have been dating a guy for 2 months now... I have very strong feelings for him, we haven't had sex yet...but the thought of telling him breaks my heart...I don't want to harm him.... and I don't want to loose him... I am so scared and confused ...I guess I'll just have to find the courage to tell him

Avoid un-necessary pills. especially antibiotics. They upset the balance in your immune system,which should be kept in good condition to abort outbreaks When you discontinue antivirals, you're right back where you started and a flat pocketbook

hi, i'm turnin 14 in a couple of months....i am not sure if i have herpes though....i seem to have the symptoms but i do not kno....i do not really want to go to the doctors because that would mean that my parents would also have to kno....i also do not kno how i got them if i do have them....but if i do have them i have a question....how do i tell my boyfriend?...he is 17 turning 18....we've been together off and on for about 6 months......he is a virgin like me.....but i kno that i want him to be my first...i love him and in return he loves me.....i kno that u might think that u cant kno who u want to be with for the rest of ur life at age 13 but i do....i want to marry this guy.....things are already complicated in our relationship because of the fact that i am not allowed to see him....my parents would kill me if they knew about him....but i see him anyways.....how would i go about tellin him?.....cuz i dont want him to be hurt if he gets it too and i never told him....but i dont kno if i could tell him.....someone plz respond to this A.S.A.P....thanx Concerned + Hopeful

I was with my boyfriend for four and a half years, we loved each other and even talked about marriage. One night I found these sores on my private area and I confronted him. He admitted to cheating about three months prior with some girl, it was only meant to be a one night stand. Well, that one night stand made me rethink our relationship and I broke up with him for fear that something worse could happen. I am 25, working as a waitress, a full time college student, and a full time mother of a wonderful six year old son. I was so depressed in the beginning, but I won't let it stop me. I have too much to do and I want too much out of life to give up.

I am eighteen and I contracted herpes from a college guy I dated. I had had sex with him many many times before...then one night I felt an irritated, almost swollen feeling...itchy...immediately after but it was miled and I never thought a thing about it. The next time we had sex I felt this rash type of thing on his penis...I had a bad feeling but I didn't say anything...I hesitated but was afraid to say anything and did it anyway. I feel so stupid for doing that...I should've followed my gut. I never told him because I didn't want it to ruin my reputation at school...he was a football player. I have been living with herpes for about six months now and haven't yet been to the doctor. I'm positive that this is what I have. The odd thing is that I never had actual blisters...just a slight uncomfortable feeling. I know that this is herpes though because now I have oral herpes too through oral sex. Before I actually realized that I had it, my b/f and I were having oral sex and he performed on me and then kissed me I am guessing later. Since I did not have actual blisters or even really noticible lesions, neither of us knew. Now, not only did I get it but I gave it. I feel so bad about myself...I hate myself and when I look at myself in the mirror, I feel like a whore. Don't worry...I'm not suicidal or anything...nothing like that...I'm still dealing with it I guess. I'm ready to go to the doctor and receive treatment...wish I would have sooner. 6/19/03

In the beginning some 22 years ago; I was very depressed about having herpes as I had frequent breakouts ie. one a month and would last for about a week. As time has evolved; hopefully so have I; in today's world I have an occurance about 1 time a year for about 3 days. I also recognise the warning stages as a combination tingling/aching in the muscles in my right thigh. Am currently living a norman life and though aggrivating as a nuisance it really doesn't affect my life. I have reduced my stress levels and meditate most daily and this has helped greatly.

I am coming to the end of my first out break. I was in a serious committed relationship with a man who turned out to be an asymptomatic carrier. It's been incredibly painful. Physically, because I got zapped with the full range of symptoms, lesions, pain, fever, headaches and on and on. Emotionally, because the man I was with became enraged when I suggested the cold he recently had, with the leg and back pain and the headaches that he insisted were not sinus related, could have been a herpes outbreak. He has essentially used that as an excuse to exit my life, though he insists is because I accused him of being a liar and doing this to me on purpose. So, it's been a kind of sad time as well as physically awful. I am sort of glad to know that when the going got tough he disappeared (or I will be eventually), but I wish I could have discovered it without the disease.

just because you ask the doctor for a check up doesn't mean that it covers everything, like Herpes they have to give a seperate test and it's expensive reguardless if you have medical,and they don't tell you that you need a seperate test, so if your entering a new relationship it really is worth paying the money because your partner might not know they carry the herpes virus for you can have herpes and not have an outbreak and not know you are a carrier. this is scary i was with my first partner for 5 months and 2 months unprotected and I have genital herpes now I was devestated i got it when i was 18 and im now 19 with the same person if i leave this relationship what do i have to look forward to next, it's hard being this young with herpes I cry all the time I feel like im stuck. and if this helps anyone it's worth it! well not worth it but you know what i mean! Ps. theres nothing so good as your health,So look after yourself,Good things are worth waiting!

i contracted herpes as a result of rape, which makes it even harder to deal with as i always made sure i had safe sex with any partner, the symptoms are getting less but at the moment it is one of the consequences of the rape that i have found most difficult to deal with.

Being a fairly flirtatious girl, I should have known that this would be a problem. My sixth partner gave me the virus. My first outbreak came at Christmas of 2001. I went to a Christian youth event I attend in my home state just after Christmas. I couldn't walk. There was this shooting pain running from the middle of my left shoulder all the way down to my left knee. I had to be carried a good deal of the time. I was so embarassed that I told people I had fallen and broken my tail bone. I stopped eating and drinking so that I didn't have to deal with the agony of going to the bathroom. It was the worst experience of my life. After I was officially diagnosed, I became severely depressed and started to perform self mutilation on my hands with anything sharp I could find. I never talked about it. I blocked it out. How could I tell them I was diseased? No onw would want me. I felt so alone.I became very promiscuous, yet never told any of my partners. As far as I know, no one has contracted it from me. I have no way to deal with this. No one understands how it feels. I'm a leper. I hate this, but I don't know any other way. I cut myself everytime I sleep with someone new.I usually feel like dying most days. Be careful with yourself. Always use protection and never ever let your gaurd down.

wear the fucking condoms or you will get it. And dont let any of your partners tell you, you cant get it unless there is an outbreak.

Lifestyle changes can help. Get enough rest. Tell that dirtbag relative that drives you crazy to F&*%* off. You don't need any undue stress! Avoid sunburn. If you feel an outbreak coming on avoid all nuts, seeds, whole grains, cereals, wheat germ, corn, oatmeal, alcohol, especially beer and microbrews in particular, red meats and rare beef in particular. "Good foods" include dairy at the top of the list with yogurt and frozen yogurt being very rich in lysine, apples, tomatoes, margarine, sherbert, papaya, beets, butter, pineapples, applesauce, celery, summer squash, peaches, plums, greenbeans, bananas, strawberries and cucumbers. Supplements like Lysine and Eccinecea are very helpful, so load up on them, so are Acyclovir & Valtrex, and I just discovered Abreva, an over the counter remedy. Reduce your core body temp by drinking lots of ice water, cool showers, and icing the site can help, too. Tylenol, Advil, and Vicodin can reduce the pain. Wash your hands with soap and hot water after treating an area. You don't want to inadvertantly get this shit in your eyes, or anywhere else!

I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD HERPES THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, IM MARRIED AND I KNEW THAT MY HUSBAND DIDNT GIVE IT TO ME . I WAS VERY SEXUALLY ACTIVE WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. BUT I NEVER KNEW THAT IT WOULD CATCH UP TO ME IN THE FUTURE. IVE NEVER HAD A OUTBREAK BUT I DID TEST POSTIVE ON BLOOD TESTS FOR HSV 1 AND2 IT FELT LIKE MY WORLD ENDED AND LIFE WAS OVER. I TOLD MY HUSBAND ABOUT MY DIGANOSIS AND HE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE ABOUT IT HE GOT TESTED AND WAS NEGATIVE. IM OKAY WITH THE FACT THAT I HAVE HERPES. I SUPPOSE MAYBE BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER HAD A BREAKOUT.

I'm 26 and have had herpes for 3 years. I was diagnosed with Herepes Simplex 1 in which I received from oral sex. I always knew how genital herepes was transmitted through sex but I never knew it could be transmitted through oral sex. I guess I missed that lesson in sex ed! I did find out the hard way. I received it from my boyfriend at the time who is now my husband. He does not have gential herpes since we try to use a condom as much as possible during my outbreaks which recently have jumped from a few times a year to 1-2 times a month !! I think stress has contributed to the jump in occurances. The outbreaks are usually very painful with lesions but I have never experienced the flu symptoms. My advice to anyone recently infected is try to live you lives as normal but with a new awareness of what is happening to your body. You can monitor the trends in your outbreaks and can try to prevent them as much as you can. Also, watch what you eat and try to be as stress free as possible since, at least for me, this is what brings the little guys on.

can u get it from blood transmission?

This is the worse pain I have ever felt in my entire life. Unbearable and very distressing. My diagnosis was given to me two days ago and I was given Valtrex and Lysine to help treat it.I'm in so much pain I cannot sit down, I cannot go to the bathroom, and I cannot walk. I've been with my partner for over a year and a half, and he and i intend to get married. We're sure that he passed the virus to me from his ex-girlfriend. He's never had an outbreak and has been faithful throughout our relationship. Just recently I had a sunburn and him and I had rough sex, a few days later- I thought I was getting a urinary tract infection, and my doctor sent me out the door with a perscription for CIPRO. By the next night I broke out in sores all over mt genital area and anus. Yesterday I managed to get in to see my doctor, and thats when I found out the news. My boyfriend has been very helpful and very sorry for giving me this horror. I forgive him, but at the same time, this virus has been between us for over a year and a half without any signs.We are both healthy active people. I just don't know how much longer I have to deal with this pain, but good news, today is the first day I actually got up and stood at the computer long enough to tell this story. I can only pray that things will be better andcaught before they blow up like this again.

I would like to know that when the time comes that I'd like to have a baby, how can I get one without infecting my partner. Does he just have to take the risk to get herpes as well, or are there other ways?

PLEASE HELP ME. SEND ME ANY INFO YOU CAN. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THIS. MARK SMIT 216 OGDEN AVE DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS 60515

I wasn't going to write anything but after reading an hour's worth of comments I decieded to because it helped me alot and I hope I can do the same for someone else. I don't know when I contracted Herpes but I have a good idea. I have had casual sex protected and un-protected.I have also been involved in long term monogamous (only on my part) relationships. I had my first "noticed" outbreak 2 yrs ago. I went to the doctor and she visually diagnosed me and sent me for blood work during the outbreak. I was nervous for 2 weeks. The results came back and proved what I had feared. Since then I have had 4 out breaks...2 a year. Not very painful and only on my inner thigh...swollen glands that feel hard like tiny pebbles and they take about 1 week to go away. I have felt dirty, confused, conflicted, sad, angry and depressed....But I also feel happy and content and succesful...My point is you will not feel this way forever or all of the time...Having an outbreak is a sure reminder of your consequences of your actions and you will of course be reminded of these feelings but I am in a wonderful commited relationship of 4 yrs and have been engaged for a year and planning a wedding very soon. He is a keeper for real ...When I told him I was crying and very visually upset and he was so calm and held me and said DAMN I thought you had cancer or were fatally ill....I can live with this. So there you have it.. the good,the bad and the ugly. The best advice I could give someone is to be strong and don't take other things in your life for granted...life is far to fragile....learn from your mistakes...don't be ignorant and spread this virus....read up...become informed. There is so much information of the Internet..All of it has helped me find answers and I hope I could do a little of the same for you! Much Love To You All....You will get through this.

I am a lesbian but I am not a virgin. I have no clue how I contracted this but I know that it started around 2 weeks after I became sexually active with my current girlfriend. I have just found out what this is in the past few days. I have told my girlfriend that we need to get tested and she said she would go with me. She did say that she has never had any symptoms, so she thinks I must have got this from my ex-boyfriend. Well I thought the mouth sores were perfectly normal. I even went to my doctor and he looked at them and he just laughed and said 'Oh these won't be anything you will need to worry about' So I didnt think anything of it until they started showing up on my genitals. Now ever since I have noticed and realized what it is, I have been completely distraut. I am going to the doctor and get the medicine and all that. This all is very hard on me. I don't know much about the illness but I'm just wondering that since I have type 1 and 2 is anybody that I kiss going to contract the illness? I keep on telling myself that this is not an uncommon problem, but I mean there is no cure and I will have it for the rest of my life. I just feel very dirty and it's like a big blow to my chest.

I was one of those people who never thought it could happen to me. I never was with anyone I was not dating and had only had intercourse with a few serious boyfriends. One night after too much alcohol had been drank, I slept with a friend who did not know he was a carrier of the virus. After one week I started to get symptoms and was tested immediatly. The test came back positive and I had to confront my friend. He was completly shocked and felt very guilty for what he had done to me. Unfortunatly he has never had any symptoms and had been tested regularly except for the six months before we were together. But like my doctor told me, it only takes one time and although it is ashame that it had to happen to me, who is normally very careful, it happened and I have to learn to live my life with the virus. I have only had one out break and have only been diagnosed for about two weeks now. It is still very new to me.

when you have herpes, you often feel like you want to die.so seek professional help before you kill your self, you feel unhuman and lonley because no-one knows how you feel.

no. i wouldn't like to share mypersonal information and deformancy. I dont tell my sexual one night stands but they often ask and leave you for it. try to get treatment

my ex-boyfriend had hepes and i caught them off him. He said they were normal i thought otherwise but trusted him. Dont let people fool you! I have lost a lot of boyfriends because of them but now ive given up all hope.

hey; here is my experience in a few sentences. I haven't got genital herpes but am terrified of getting it. My boyfriend cheated on my a year ago and contracted herpes off the skank he slept with. Everytime we are about to get intamte i check before we do anything! it annoys him a lot but i need to be sure and i dont tell him this but i still dont completely trust him he has worked so hard to earn back my trust, but he still hasn't fully got it back. Herpes look disgusting i was so mad he told me that i gave them to him and i checked myself worring sick and then he came clean. The morral girls is always check dont make it ovious but offer to give him "head" and look while your down there and if he does then just pass out or something. Sex feels too good so when he had them i cheated on him. Thanks for reading!

i've been with my wife for 41 years, and cheated within the first year of marrage becouse of stress resons, so i kept on doing other people at random and ended up with herpes, she still doesnt know and thinks she got herpes from masterbation. DON"T CHEAT ON YOUR WIFE, it will screw up everything.

Well i first found out i had herpes when i was 19. i was so scared when i was at the clinic getting tested. when i found out i cried so hard. i felt so dirty. i got it from this guy i've known for about 6 months. we both liked eachother and hooked up one night and didnt use a condom. now i'm stuck with this. i feel so dirty and used. because after that one night we havent talked. i dont kno if he knew he had it or not. i havent been with anyone since i found out. i'm too scared to pass it on.

My transmission was from a divorced woman of 17 years. She was leagaly seperated and we had been seeing each other for 3 months. I contracted it on avacation with her at the end of the 3 months. She claims she did not know but admitted to several affairs and one night stands. I thought I would be safe with a woman comming out of marriage with two children. It goes to show that people do not take responsibility for their actions. I have informed both my partners since and they were receptive to the information I provided and one serious relationship went to the doctor with me for first hand info. It has changed my outlook on life and my trust in others. But it is not the end of the world, and every day I am able to forgive her a little more.

I had the initial outbreak of lesions 14 months ago which took about 10 days to heal. Since then I have had no further outbreaks - not even slight. I did start taking a lysine supplement shortly after the initial outbreak. I apparently got it from a woman with no symptoms except occasional cold sores.

about 6-7 years ago i broke up with a girl and some time later she emailed me saying she had herpes over the last 6-7 years i never noticed anything wrong no breakouts no urine problems nothing anyway i had unprotected sex with someone else about a year ago and she found out about the one who possible had herpes and as far as i know she too has not had any breakouts or anything now has hew current lover what are the chances in having sex with 3 others females in the last 6 years and none of them or their lovers have had symptoms do i have anything to worry about? i haven't worried about til recently had no reason to really with no symptoms and all what's it usually cost for an exam should i have it done?

i contracted herpes 4 months ago. i am a 48 year old female. the person with hom i had sex - we have been involved for a number of years. he gave it to me, unbeknownst to him or to me until i had the culture taken. i was out of town on business. i had nausea; severe pain in my vagina; inability to urinate withou intense pain; flu-like symptoms - a complete nightmare. i was away on business. at 2 a.m. i had to find a hospital. my first presentation was at 8 a.m. the next morning. after waiting for 2 hours in the hospital - the doctor finally was able to see me. he took a culture - needed to wait 3 days - he gave and prescribed to me famvir. which as you may know is a drug for herpes. for the next 72 hours - it was worse than giving birth. i was in severe pain when i urinated, vaginal pains --- i had to urinate in the bathtub at the doctor's advice. he thought the warm water would ease the pain. it didn't. he said to dilute the urine - i drank more - the more i drank, the more painful it was to urinate. barely got through my presentation the next morning. i cried and was in extreme pain. finally i was able to take a flight home. on the plane i vomited and wet my pants. as humbling this entire tale is --- it was a complete nightmare. the out of town doctor called and told me i had herpes. sad. anger. pain. within hours of returning home, i admitted myself to the hospital. my gyn doctor - was very concerned about my condition. my bladder was distended; extreme pain; 103 temp; nausea; he placed a catheter in me, put me on morphine for 48 hours; 500 mg of famvir; 800 mg of ibuprofin. needless to say, it was a terrible experience. the man with whom i am involved - was quie shocked at finding out that i had herpes - he had not known / nor remembered that he had it many, many years ago - they thought at that time that he had shingles - he was 5 or 6 years old. never an outbreak since. it is now late june - and i have not had any other outbreaks. though because the culture wasn't taken in a timely fashion - because i didn't seek treatment soon enough - certainly not thinking i had a sexually transmitted disease - the culture whenit came back - did not indicate if i had herpes 1 or 2. how am i now?? somewhat sad. it is something i will have forever. i don't live in fear of another outbreak - i understand it will never be as bad as the first one - which lasted 4.5 weeks. i eat right; exercise and only have sex with one man. i have accepted this situation. he and i can talk about it openly. he has felt much, much guilt. we have worked through it together. everything is one day at a time. my gyn doctor said it was the worst outbreak he had ever seen. life goes on.

I just found out I have herpes. I have no idea who I got it from. I had been seeing a sore there for a while but I had always thought it was from shaving. I only get one sore but it seems to be there almost all the time. Now that I know for a fact I have this disease I feel completely ashamed. I also don't know how I'm going to tell future men about it. I should have known I was going to get something with how many men I have slept with in my past. I guess this is what happens.

Tell your partner BEFORE intercourse, in order to maximize trust and minimize impact on relationship.

I didn't want to believe this could be happening... Although my partner for the last two years did tell me that he has Herpes 2 (although it was later in our relationship, all the while telling me that he had never given it to anyone (he has been H2 positive for 20 years). It just is really diapointing to me that someone I care so much about didn't give me proper warning and let me make more informed choices about protection....but too late now.

I spent an hour reading stories on this site looking for someone that would give some info, maybe I was foolishly hoping to find a cure. I was 26 when I found out my partner gave me (H). We dated off and on for over 10 years. This last time we had been dating for 2. We were intimate the night before his birthday and then 3 days later I experienced my first breakout. I went to the doctor got my diagnosis. The boyfriend was real supportive, he denied that he had it and stayed with me till I broke it off 9 months later. I was nieve about the disease and its symtoms. I trusted this person which was foolish. After my diagnosis I realize the signs that I saw in him that he denied, after I confronted him. It has been more than a year since I first found out. And now its seems that I am falling into somekind of depression. I think more and more about settling down and having a kid or two. But I sometimes feel like I will never find someone that'll accpet me with (H). I use Valtrex when necessary which has only been 5Xs in the last 13 months. I try to control my stress which I think is a big factor for me. One of my biggest fears is that I will not have what most of my friends have which is marriage and children ( a family of my own). I am well accomplished with my education and my travels, which I am very proud of. I have not let myself meet anyone new yet but I just hope to find someone, one day that I can tell and he wont run away. +++++ to all readers out there have safe sex and be honest which I hope to be one day++++ I will keep searching this net till I find a cure somewhere.

Herpes affects my life no more than getting a cold once a year. Once the shock and emotional craziness is over, you can move on with your life. Be straight with your partner and always use condoms. My advice is to have a prescription on hand in case of an outbreak. Since I have learned to control the stress in my life I have not had an outbreak in 4 years.

Yes--I think the most devastating thing that could have happened to me when I first was diagnosed with genital herpes was my Doctor telling me it was the SAME as chickenpox and that I would probably NEVER have it again---I took that information to heart and didn't seek out information on genital herpes for far too long. That little bit of information caused me alot of heartache, grief, regret, and guilt!!! Due to not seeking out information in the beginning caused me to make alot of wrong decisions. Only after my condition worsened did I really start to investigate more----By that time I believe the virus replicated, and now I have a more severe case of it than I did when I was first diagnosed. I'm sorry, but in my experience over the past 5 years with this virus I find that Doctors are poorly educated about the subject, and they need social training as to how to approach and handle their patients. ALL of my Doctors have been misinformed, and I even had one tell me I didn't have it and that it was all in my head, even though I had told him I had been tested!!!! What a shock that was!! These are the same people we go to for proper treatment and absolutely for information!!!!!!!! I've very disheartened with the medical community, and even though I know I should receive yearly paps, and other types of physical's I'm very relunctant to even go--I wonder if they will even be able to properly treat me?The biggest problems I'm having right now have to do with my oral problems caused by HSV-2-----NO Doctor will put me on suppressive therapy, and I can't for the life of me understand why---I'm very healthy otherwise---I'm so tired of begging Doctors for a prescription, that now I've gone to the internet and am willing to pay much, much more for it over the internet just so I don't have to deal with the Doctors. It just gets to be very frustrating, and it disrupts my life drastically--I need to take Valtrex every day just to feel semi-normal. If I don't take the Valtrex I experience Allergy like symptoms---chronic sneezing, sore throat, runny eyes, pain in the inner ear, swollen sinuses, and severe migraines---I'm afraid to kiss or even get near another person without Valtrex, and because I haven't been able to afford it lately I've become a hermit, and I feel cut off from the rest of the world---Don't get me wrong---I'm a happy person now, but only because I've tried very hard not to let this disease "define" who, or what I am. I am NOT this disease, but sometimes it's as though this disease has total control---Thanks for listening---

please when u thimk about laying on urback females bring your own condoms please take care of ur self u are the only one who can. I regerit evey second of the day because of this ill ness

I contracted herpes while shaving in the shower. I'm still a virgin. Sucks right.

You never know when something like this will happen. I think I got it from my husband. he told me about a sore once, but didn't say it was herpes. I just figured that he was my husband, we had already had sex, what was the big deal. I didn't know I had herpes until about 10 years later. Talking about stupid. I hardly had any symptoms, only before my menstral cycle. Now I feel as if I can never have a relationship again. I have someone interested in me and I am scared to death to go any further. How could he ever understand? I feel like filth.

After the pain herpes causes, the next hardest thing is explaining to someone that I want to be intimate with about this disease. But I have been blessed to have met a wonderful man that is understanding and really cares for me. That makes it easier for me to be able to communicate with him when I have outbreaks. I am doing everything I can so I do not infect him with this disease. I will be glad when a cure is found!

I recently obtained herpes from someone that did not know that he had them. It has been a trial but I am thankful for resources like this.

I remember when I first contracted herpes was when I noticed a pain in my lower regions, the only kind of way to discribe it was like someone had kicked me in the balls. I went to my local clinic and they knew what it was straight away. They took a sample and said it was going to be cultured for 3 weeks and then they would tell me what kind of herpes I had. I went home and sat on my bed and cried, not only had I contracted a sexual disease, but one that would be with me for life.It took me a long time to come to terms with what I had, I found it hard becuase I felt dirty and low, who would want someone who is infected??? Then, when the tests came back it was confirmed I had herpes type 2, THE WORST ONE! I have only had herpes for 8 months and, it comes up maybe once a month, sometimes really bad, and at other times not so bad, usually when im tired and haven't been sleeping in a regular pattern. It is very hard and I have found it difficult to talk to others about having it, maybe becuase people will find it hard to understand, the general reaction of people when you even mention herpes is of disgust. Since contracting herpes I have not found anyone else who has it except for me, so I felt really alone. The only people that know are my closest friends, they have all stood by me. Life does go on, so to speak, it is hard to want to carry on, but I feel I can't let this get on top of me, that I want to enjoy my life how I should, becuase I'm young. When women come along, im safe I wear a condom and only do it when im not 'up' and take any other precautions. I feel a little bitter to the person who gave me herpes, but only becuase she knew, and didn't tell me.

Confusion, sometimes feeling "dirty". Guilt - the feeling that relationships are hard enough to deal with, I don't need this to deal with as well. However, I needto hope and keep going. Maybe once day there will be a cure.

this is the most awful disease to have. I try to tell myself I'm lucky I didn't contract something worse. Having this disease makes me feel so bad inside, and out. I wish it would just go away and that I didn't have to deal with it.

my boyfriend lied about his ex having it and didnt come to tell me he could have it until he had broken out and got scared.after we had had unprotected intercourse

I am 17 years old, and I have herpes. I started living with my friend and her parents. Unaware of anyone haveing std's in the house I wasn't percautious. My friends mother has herpes, and was taking pain medication. I never was aware that she had herpes, all I noticed was that she took a lot of medicine. One day I asked my friend whats the deal with her mom taking so many pain pills? She told me that she had herpes, I was shocked. I was freaking out, I kept on thinking to myself that you would have to have sex to get it, you can't get it from other people. I was wrong, after about a week went by I started getting painful blisters...I was hurt, I was depressed, still being a virgin having herpes. I took baths after my friends mom, well there are several ways how I could have caught it. I am more hurt inside, because she could have told me, so I would be aware. My whole family knows, I care about them enough to put my shame to the side. If you have loved ones, or partners that you love, tell them first. You would hurt yourself more buy hurting someone else in the long run.

YOu know, when I first found out I was unbelievably depressed, for some reason I was just so angry with myself for acquiring the virus that I could not even think straight. I even at one time wanted to kill myself simply b/c I thought that I was worthless all because of this little virus. With time and support from my best friend, I was able to realize that I am a good person no matter what. Now I am a happy successful woman who is in a healthy relationship with a man who does not have the virus. I owe my newfound happiness to the fact that I stopped beating myself up, assessed the situation for what it was really worth, sought emotional support, educated myself and my new partners about the disease, stopped believing in the negative sterotypes associated with the disease, and I finally learned to appreciate myself (herpes virus and all) for who I am: I beautiful, successful, smart, wonderful woman who has too many important things to do in this world than to cry over a little virus that will not kill me. The first step in overcoming your diagnose is to accept it. Well, I guess I am off for now. Please, to those who are newly diagnosed, never stop loving yourself or believing in yourself over this virus. Much love!

Alright, it's 3:14am, I live in Indiana, in this little hick town. It's notorious for partying. Me? I've been a well preserved guy. I mean I've been with 2 girls my entire life. I thought my chances of getting even jock itch were slim. I've had this girlfriend for 2 years, I've known her for 5 years. Well she got an offer this summer to go to Spain as an exchange student. Naturally, I was depressed. One night I heard there was going to be yet another keggar, drugs present, women present, booze plentiful. You know. So I popped a couple xanex bars and washed them down with a fifth of Jack Daniels Whiskey. I came to the next morning in my buddie's bed, My pants unbuttoned and my shirt off. I blacked out. I don't remember that night. 48 hours after that I experienced a burning like no other and bumps along the shaft of my penis. My first thought? I got something. Was I right? Yeah. Now I'm raw in my thighs, the burning gets unbearable in times of stress, I have bumps, and 4 sores on my scrotum. It's a minor outbreak for my first and is healing quite fast. I guess it's not to bad about the physical part of it all, but emotionally? See I was engaged to this girl, I still am. She is scheduled to arrive back in the U.S. in a month. Now when I see her I get to sit her down, the girl I've loved for 2 years, the girl who I love more then breathing, the girl who wears an engagement ring, and tell her I have herpes simplex 2. It's going to break her heart, and the worst part is, is she really going to believe me when I tell her how I got it? I got trashed one night, blacked out, and now here I am wondering if this girl loves me enough to deal with this? I'm only 17. I've never really been sexually active before. So I screwed up one night and now I'm losing the light of my eye for that one night, and have my whole life ahead of me. The worst part I live in a small town, and the social stigma of an STD is horrible. If someone finds out, the town knows within 48 hours about it and you're looked down upon by all of them. So one night, losing my girl, unbearable burning below the waist, and my parents don't even know yet. How can I live with myself? One day at a time, one day at a time.

I am on the pill/ My boyfriend has had no oother sexual partner other than me. I had a cold sore on my mouth, and without thinking, gave him oral sex and then we had sex. this was on a wednesday, by sunday, my area was swollen and it was hard to urinate and a yellowish, clear pussy discharge was oozinf out of me... i thought i had a urinary tract infection or a bad yeast infection.... turns out all the bumps, sores, and pain i had was from herpes/

I was diagnosed with Genital herpes last fall. I am not sure where I contracted it from. My fiance has only had one partner before meand they did not have unprotected sex nor did she exhibit any symptoms. Before my fiance I was in a relationship for 3 years and neither me nor my ex partner exhibited symptyoms. My fiance sometimes gets cold sores so we are thinking that I got it from him performing oral sex on me. Either way I am no different from the person I used to be.

Any Law to prevent sex parter to hide his/her STD history?

I wish that there was a cure

Very annoying. I got it 6 years ago and only had one outbreak. My new girlfirend does not have it, but if she were to get it, its unknown what her situation would be like - maybe a horror story, maybe nothing . For me its this invisible threat that I feel is very common yet most people either don't admit to having it or they don't know it. I wish I new how many people really have it. 1 out of 4? or 2 out of 3?

I just want to thank god that I contracted this horrible disease after I had my three beautiful kids, but I still hate that I have it with a passion. My husband is in denial and refuses to get tested, I know that I have never been unfaithful, so it leads me to believe he was the one. We have been together for nine years, I can't see myself with another person intimately knowing that I have the big "H". I hope someday they find a cure or atleast a vaccine for our young generation. The lesions are a killer, I take valtrex and it starts relieving the pain around day 4. I think there are just to many people that are so uneducated on this disease, which is really sad because b4 you know it the victims will keep getting younger and younger.

I don't know when or who from I got herpes. After I had been with my second husband for about 10 years,I had the first outbreak that I know of. the Doctor never told me anything but he perscribed an anti-viral cream. I thought he had mis-diagnosed me and I never returned to see him,but a year later I had another outbreak and went to see my regular doctor. He received the resultes and told me I had herpes. I was devestated! I could not believe it. This was the beginning of the end of my marriage. My husband didn't trust me anymore. I was hurt because he no longer believed or trusted me after 10 years of never lying to him. Soon after we parted,I married a wonderful man who didn't care if I had herpes and we've been together now for 15 years.

Labor Day Weekend.... my friend invited me to camp out at his uncle's house and party the weekend away. At least 60 people showed to this camp-out. Everyone was partying hard and not sleeping much! During the weekend attractions for this girl intensified. As I partyed more, the attractions turned to feelings....as she was feeling the same in return. At a certain point she started kissing me and made me feel wanted. After consuming mushrooms, extasy, marajuana,alcohol I lost control and wanted to have sex. The female and I return to my tent directly after her passionate kiss and had sexual intercourse for hours. By the time we were tired and past out, I wanted more. She refrained and decided to join the camp-out the next morning. The next morning she had planned for a guy friend to join the big camp-out. To make a long stroy short she winds up sleeping with him also. We coincidently hear them having sex during midnight and decide to gossip about her. Finally,I find out some time later through a friend who knew both about her virus and us sleeping together that uncontrolable evening also sleep with that she has a small case of Herpes I. I personally knew I had something a day later. I was very frieghtened because this time I knew I pushed my luck. Therfore, I decide to do research on herpes and got tested. Sure enough I was diagnosed with Clamydia and Herpes I. I never told the female she had transmitted the virus to me. I nevered learned how to confront her. I try living everyday positive and stress-free. I try to work out whenever the motivation is present. But I never foregave the female for what she had done to me. Oh how I dislike her so much! I wish I never slept with her!

I really think that I picked up my case from working with laboring women. Despite taking many precautions we have lots of warm moist contact with the genital area. Fluid sometimes splashes all over the place and sometimes we are up to our elbows changing bed linens under women who are almost immobile from epidurals while at the same time leaking blood and amniotic fluid from the vagina. I had many sex partners in my 20's but then I settled down in my early 30's and have had the same partner since 1982. We have 2 kids. Neither one of us ever had even a hint of an outbreak of HSV2 during all that time. In 1999 my partner and I were separated, I did not engage in sex with anyone else (no time, no energy, no inclination). He states that he did not either. One day I woke up with what I thought was a spider bite on my forearm - It was painful and red and stinging badly and it had a blister in the middle. I work as a nurse in labor and delivery and I showed my lesion to a bunch of co-workers. None of us could tell what it was. We are familiar with herpes lesions in the genital area in pregnant women but not with genital herpes on the arm. I just kept the "bite" covered with a band-aid. I didn't go to a doctor as I didn't feel as if I was at death's door. (I now shudder to think of the patients I came into contact with but have no way of going back and finding out who they were). Subsequent to that episode I got another "bite" on my buttocks. I couldn't believe it! I vacuumed the bedroom and washed all the bedlinen. Finally after many more lesions I figured I must be getting impetigo or some kind of boils. My partner and I reconciled some time later and about 3 months after that he broke out with a very painful but invisible sore spot on his penis. He went to his doctor and was told that he had developed HSVII, confirmed by blood test. My doctor tells me that one of us may have had the infection since our early sex encounters in our 20's but I find it hard to believe that we had it all those years and never got lesions and that my husband got his first ever lesion only after our reconciliation. I can't believe how ignorant I was about this topic despite working in the reproductive health field.

A few of my exboyfriends are ok w/ the fact that I have herpes. I've only had it for a yr and I've only had one outbreak. I'm hoping that I'm one of the lucky few that doesn't get outbreaks a lot. I will be honest and say that it has made life not so peachy due to the fact that everyone in my high school found out. So people do act like I have the plague. But my friends are caring enough to know that it's nothing to worry about. And in dating situations I do worry alot about rejection when I tell. Sometimes I'm not honest w/ the guy and I know that it's a horrable thing to do.

I've just found out that I have herpes because I had symptoms for several years that I didn't realize were herpes, I have dermatitis and thought that I had gotten it on my genitals since the only symptoms I've had were cracks in the skin of the labia. My last partner was cheating on me with various women, this is just one more thing to add to the list of why I'm glad I dumped him and how I wish I had never gotten involved with him in the first place, he had a reputation as a womanizer. I'm sure he has infected many people, he had oral herpes and I never had symptoms until I hooked up with him. Now I have to deal with outbreaks right around the time I get my period and also if I do any kind of strenous activity, I just got back from a stressful road and camping trip and I had a nasty outbreak. Having herpes really sucks, it's painful and not to mention it's going to be hard to tell my next partner about it since my outbreaks are rather frequent and it's definitely going to impact my future sex life. All I can say is that people need to be very careful about who they hook up with and if someone you are interested in has a bad reputation as a womanizer or cheater, don't get involved, you can't change people and taking risks with your health is just not worth it. I'm grateful for all the websites, and am now taking Acyclovir and hope that I can get this under control.

Doctors I have seen don't help at all.

I feel as if my life is over. I am so scared of everyone not excepting me due to myself not acceping me. I feel alone, scared, and dirty. I am not a bad person and wish I had only known more about my disease. I wish I could help others by warning them of my situation but, I can't tell. Do not misunderstand me I will not spread my disease and cause others the pain I have had to endure. I thought I really cared for the guy who gave this to me and we would share alot of time together, I was wrong all I was able to share with him was this dreadful disease that he gave me. I wish he would have only sent a Hallmark!!!

Got herpes the very first time I had sex, with a man I later married. That was 22 years ago. The first few years I had an outbreak with every menstrual cycle. Then they wound down to once a year for a few years (and each time, when I travelled, so something about the stress of travel for me). Then I didn't have an outbreak at all for over 14 years. At that time I had a serious health issue, which lowered my immunities, and although the hospital had me on an anti-viral drip, I woke up from surgery with a horrible attack. That sort of started the cycle again, and that first year after surgery I got an outbreak with every menstrual cycle again. Then, none for the past three years since. My other partner, of ten years duration, never caught it and the only protection we used was abstaining when I felt there might be tinglies coming on. I've had many, many sexual partners between my early marriage and my long-term partner and many, many since. I've always told every single partner before sexual contact and have only had one person decide not to go through with it. As far as I know, I have not given it to anyone and I'm pretty sure I would have found out if I had. I do feel prodomal symptoms, a certain kind of tingly itchiness, for a few days before I break out (and sometimes even when I don't break out) and I feel confident that I know when I am safe. As evidence, the number of sexual partners I've had who have not been infected. I am surprised to read some of these narratives and hear your gloom and doom. I have never felt self-conscious about telling a new partner and, after the painful first year, it's been only a MINOR nuisance. I have tried the anti-virals and feel like they work equally as well as 1000mg of lysine a day as a preventative, for special times when I don't want it.

It was 2 months after i got my first child that i was diagnoised with genitalherpes. me & my husband had sex on the 25th day of the bleeding i.e after my delivery i think that was the reason i got this infection. I keep getting this infection queit often sometimes thrice a month. 4 years passed, me having herpes still its recurrent. Every one around me say me to plan for next baby but i fear the child might get infected. Dear friends we all know herpes is not curable atleast for the time being since we have undergone the pain & agony we know what it is to have herpes so lets not spread it, not atleast to our pleasure. lets take the utmost precautions to keep our partners riskfree let us not ruin the whole life of loved ones for the sake of our 5mts desire.Have sex but please with safety.

When I was 13 I was raped by an aqcaintence of 2 weeks. I didn't know he had them at the time. He was 21. I have had gential herpes for almost 2 years. It doesn't bother me now. I used to get all depressed about it cuz i felt gross inside and like I didn't need to live but i got over it. My lil saying that got me out of it was constantly saying "Shit happens life goes on." You should try it and remember it takes time.

I wonder how where and when I got infected. I never had any properly active sexual life except for kissing with two different persons (as boyfriends) many years ago. I believe my triggers might be either stress and probably some food I have not yet discovered.

I am 27 and have been with 4 men all but one were long term (over 1yr) The short term one was against my will, I may have been given something all I know is I blacked out. My 3 serious boyfriends including my now fiance swear they never had anything, and I believe them. I got my first outbreak in march, I have had 5 out breaks since and it is now July. My doc is going to put me on daily valtrex. I hate this, I hate drugs of any kind! After reading it seems I have an extreamly high rate of occurances. I really want to know why WHAT is it that makes some people have 1 outbreak in a lifetime and others have tons??? I have been researching and it could be stress, I am a grad student so I can not change my stress level. I eat well, I am a vegitarian and quite health concious. I may have a mild dairy allergy so I wonder if that could be a trigger. Also sex seems to be a trigger sometimes. I am still trying to narrow it down. This is one more hassle I really do not need. I know lots of people have it, but each outbreak has been very annoying. I tried a few natural remedies and it only helped once, otherwise it just get worse till I take the drugs. I still have a lot of questions I fell my Doc does not really answer!! BE CAREFFUL a person can have this and never know or not find out till it is too late and you get it. I was 20 when I lost my virginity I was going to wait till marriage... I should have!

I contracted genital herpes from my boyfriend through oral sex, although he had no sores on his mouth at the time. i will have this for the rest of my life, but i go on and try not to let the negative thoughts take over, because i know that there is nothing that i can do about it. my boyfriend has not been as supportive as i need him to be, he went to the dr. to get tested a few days after i was diagnosed, but they told him that he does have herpes because he has coldsores, and wouldn't test him. but he came from the dr's office with a large folder full of information on herpes and handed it to me and tells me to read it. so this is basically my problem. after all he is not the one with painful sores on his genital area!

I've contracted herpes at 18 years old, at that moment I thought that my love life was over. "Nobody will want to be with me now, that's for sure". I was so ashamed and I started concentrating more on my career to forget everything about it, not interrested in meeting no one, little flings here and there (always protected) but no relationship.I met someone 6 months ago and I knew he was THE one so the dreadful moment came: I had to tell him, but it was still too diffucult for me to talk about it, so I wrote him a letter, wrote everything down and since then it's so much easier. Everything is out in the open now, I've told some of my friend also and I am a lot more comfortable talking about it. I realized also: IT'S NOT THAT BAD, you can still be happy, you can still find love, and believe me, you can still have a terrific sex life! I just had an episode and my boyfriend has been more than understanding and helpful. We even joked about it saying that I hade my period twice this month! Just be careful and protect yourself but for all of you who just discovered about it and feel ashame and alone and not worthy, PLEASE DON'T, believe me I know how you feel but trust me life will get better as time will go by and you will learn to live with this disease. Don't hold a grudge to the person who gave it you, it's useless, it will not get rid of the disease and you don't need the stress anyway.

I have just been diagnosed this week. There is no way of knowing if my partner gave it to me or if I have been a carrier. The experience is painful physically, emotionally and socially. I wonder how I can ever enter another realtionship knowing that there is risk. I know that it's not the end of the world and it could be worse, but it still feels overwhelming and difficult to deal with. I just pray to God that he helps me to have the strength to live my life the way I'm destined to. We are not alone!!! Many don't even know they have HSV and innocently transmit it. It's ONLY a virus...we all have had chicken pox, it's the same type of virus ...it's herpes too.

One of the questions you asked was how many outbreaks that I had, this is my first and it is very painful emotionaly as well as phyically.

I first was diagnosed with herpes three days ago...I went to the Emergency Room because I couldn't urinate. That was such a painful process. It took me for over an hour to pee and an hour to feel better. I went in and they wanted to use a catheter. I couldn't even bear them touching me down there because it hurt so bad. Every time they would, I would scream. I not exactly sure when I contracted the disease but I am just glad that I have an understanding man by my side. He says it doesn't matter and it's a good thing I have it. He says now I can be with him forever and he loves me unconditionally. I am taking medication for it now. Valtrex. It it expensive it you don't have insurance but I'm glad I have parents that understand as well. And thats my story!

I contracted herpes when My mother, her friend, and her friends three boys, and I all went camping for the weekend. I had alot to drink that night. It started to rain pretty hard, so everyone went to bed except one of my mother's friends sons (who is 16) and I. We sat in my mother's truck listening to music. Around 3:00 am, He raped me. I found out by his brother about a week later that he knew he had genital herpes. My boyfriend's and my anniversary was only 3 days after the camping trip, so we also engaged in intercourse. I was diagnosed with genital herpes a week later. My boyfriend is now showing obvious symptoms of genital herpes as well. I explained myself to him and my mother, and they have given me so much support.

nothing yet. i just feel embarrassed. i feel lonely and sometimes when i have a relationship with a guy, i don't feel like telling him that i have herpes. i know i should but i had a relationship with someone long time ago and i didn't tell him till later. we're not together anymore, though. i was glad he was understanding but i don't think i can get a true relationship with i guy if i have this disease. i also want to get pregnant but somehow it will be dangerous for the baby after what i have read about herpes. i don't know how i will tell my family and how it will affect me on the long run it. maybe, i should find someone that has the sickness to. is that the way to do it????

I do not know where I got this from since Ihave had many partners in my life time. I just found out that i have this this year 2003. I fear that me not knowing has made the transmission from simple bathroom things such as using hte same wash cloths that my child uses that I have transmitted it ot her, she is only 8 years old but shows some signs of having it such as little blisters under her arms or a "pimple like" sore aboveher mouth. If I have transmitted this to her in this seemingly harmless way, I won't forgive myself for as long as I live. I am taking valtrex now and my simptoms have subsided but I still have little white bumps on my inner thighs. I don't have those horrendous prodomes anymore but I will have to take medication for the rest of my life and I heard that one can only be on meds for a period of five years. If this is true, I will be once agian having outbreaks in 5 years.

make sure you ask your partner questions about his or her sex life.

I wish i didn't have it and it's like why did it happen to me. I got it from my boyfriend and he still denies having any thing and he refuses to wear condoms.and for all u young teens please if ur going to have sex wear condoms.

The biggest fight with this infection is the social Stigma

hi, im a single white female, I knew a little bit about herpes, but not a lot, I received this pleasant disease from my ex boy friend, who i guess at the time did not know he was a carrier.I have had only 1 outbreak since 1999. I guess im the lucky one, I have not givin to any other partners, We use non-latex condoms due to the fact IM allerigic. I have lost potentail suitors due to me telling then abt the herpes. IM an unfront and honest person, so I felt I had to tell. IM with someone now, who it does not bother him, he loves me for me and well ILL take that. All i can say is I hope young girls and ladies in these times of days make certin they know who they are going to bed with.. good luckStephanie

I notice diet and stress can set it off. Vigorous sex to a point when you are sore can set it off also.

i feel that this matter is very important to me especially in the future. i don't let this get me down i just move on and hope and pray. i believe i caught the virus around 14 yrs old but didn't find out till later on i had herpes. i know who my partner was when i was infected. i think he knew he had someting if he didn't he knows now. i do have a child she is 5 years old and healthy. to those who are walking this line of health it's not a game so please make sure you keep it wrapped tight or nothing at all. cause it will be with you forever.

I was 16 when i got it. Like a lot of girls I trusted the guy I was with and I was on birth control. Little did I know he had this. When I found out I told him and he said he didn't know he had it. I was so hury but I stayed with him. One reason I stayed with him was because I thought noone would want me if they found out. Well I am now 22 and am happyly married. (not to the boyfriend) I found a wonderful guy. Before we slept together I told him I had it and so we held off sleeping together for a while. We talked a lot and got married and he said he loved me ALL of me and one little thing like that was not going to get in the way. So needless to say he now has it too. But it doesn't bother him. So if you think it is the end and you will never find someone, you just haven't found the right person yet! Keep your head up. It is not the end of the world.

I am 28 years old and I am married. I have had my 1st outbreak of gential herpes a week ago and my doctor confirmed. I haven't been with anyone other than my husband in 10 years. We also have a beautiful son that is 2 years old. Now I am facing a divorce. rachel

My story is just something to keep in mind for everyone else who believes the myth that HPV is no longer a threat because they are either married or in a long-term monogomous relationship. It happened to me. My husband & I are very faithful to each other, but a few weeks ago he had a fever blister. Thinking nothing of it, we proceeded to have somewhat of a "honeymoon" weekend (which was a miracle in itself considering that we have 2 kids--they were both gone & we decided to make the most of our time alone) To make a long story short, I thought I had gotten a yeast infection within a few days after our "weekend", so I took my usual stand and treated it as one. When this didn't work, I researched and researched on the Internet to try to figure out what on Earth could be causing the burning pain that only progressively got worse & worse after the YI treatment was finished. I couldn't decipher anything positive from all that I read, so I made an appointment to see the family physician. I explained my symptoms...which by this time included the same burning pain, but was accompanied by a few small blisters, and swollen lymph nodes. He checked me out, and sent my specimens to the lab. When he returned to the room (after what seemed like an eternity of doomful waiting) he had in his hand a sample box of Valtrex. I immediately assumed the worst and burst into tears. The one thought that consumed my mind was, "How could he do this to me?" I, of course, thought that my loving husband had been cheating on me. But after discussing things with my Dr., I learned to my surprise that HPV-1 can indeed be transmitted genitally through oral sex. This is what happened in our case. Not a nice surprise to either of us, but we are definitely a lot more informed now. I just needed to post my story for anyone else who might be as uninformed as we were...good luck to everyone & remember that HPV diagnoses don't make you "dirty"--you're still the same person you were before, just with a pesty little inconvenience that won't ruin your life unless you allow it to.

im a statistic. i never thought i'd be here. but here i am. diseased.

I am actually in a situation of trying to start a serious relationship with someone... I have printed out most of the in information on this site to hand over to my partner and discuss my disease before we become sexually active... I feel this person has a right to know and I have to take that chance! This person will hopefully accept me with this or could break it off, but at least I feel I am doing the right thing... This is very nerve racking thought! Sincerely, Basketcase...

I THOUGHT THAT HERPES WAS JUST BUMPS OR BLISTERS BUT i HAD LITTLE NICS ON MY VAGINA, CLITTORIS AND LIPS. i REMEMBER THE DAY AFTER i HAD SEX WITH MY PARNTER MY VAGINA WAS ITCHING VERY VERY MUCH. i THOUGHT IT WAS JUST HAIR GROWING BACK, i THEN FOUND THE LITTLE ROUND CUT ON MY VAGINA, i WENT TO GET A PAP TEST AND FOUND OUT i HAD HERPES, i WAS VERY DEPRESSED AT FIRST , BUT i LOOK AT IT AS A BLESSING IN DISQUISE, MAYBE BE GETTING HERPES SLOWED ME DOWN FROM BEING SO CASUAL WITH SEX THAT IT SAVED ME FROM GETTING A MORE SERIOUS DISEASE LIKE AIDS.

i dont know if i have it because i havent slept with anyone who had it im not sure if i have it

I didn't even know I had herpes. I was dating a guy for about a year and one day he developed two little bump like things on his penis and went and had them cultured. a week later he found out he had herpes. I had never had an outbreak or had any symtoms that might lead me to think I had herpes so i thought he had cheated on me. Come to find out it was me who gave it to him. A ex boyfriend of mines had it and didnt tell me so I got it from him. I was devestated. I thought my whole world had ended. I just want everyone out there to know to just be careful and don't ever think it wont happen to you cuase it can.

I contracted simplex one when I was a child from my mother. I contracted simplex two from my current girlfriend. She claims I gave her simplex two through oral sex and I recieved it back through intercourse. When I first contracted simplex two I did not have many outbreaks of simplex one. Now I can have both outbreaks at the same time. I have not seen a doctor. For the past two years I have really worked on my diet and health but a prescription may be my next option. Thanks

I just want to tell all the people out there that experience the same thing I do that your not alone.

I caught it from a married man.

Sex before marriage is not such a good idea.

I really am not to sure how i got this. The last sexual partner I had was 2 months before my first outbreak. From then I seem to just get over it and another outbreak begins...and in a different place. I began taking 500 mg valtrex daily and hopefully this will suppress it. I had just started seeing somene new at the time of my first outbreak and unfortunately gave it to this person without knowing. We are not seeing each other anymore and he is pretty bitter. That is the worst part about this, the part where you have to tell. It is comforting to me that 1 in 6 people also have it and I am not alone. 2 of my friends throughout the years have contracted it and never had it again. i am not that lucky. I don't think this is as big of a deal as many people are saying on this website, "H" is almost a wakeup call to take better care of yourself. Make sure you really do know the person you are sleeping with and their history. This is just herpes...it could have been HIV.

do not trust any body i made the mistake of trusting someone that was i thought a close friend!!!

i have had 2 healthly babyboys after being affected10 years. so don't let fear control you..

Sometimes I feel like this disease is ruining my life. I am on a one pill a day medication that so far has worked but I think it may be causing other problems down there. I recently told my boyfriend because I could'nt hide it anymore and he did some research and is OK with it. Having herpes has caused me a lot of pain though, physically and mentally. I used to feel dirty because of it. But now that I'm on medications and going to a phychologist I have been feeling a lot better. And I met my understanding loving boyfriend!

My ex contracted it in the Airforce, while over in England. He had mild outbreaks for 4 years or more and didn't know he had it. I contracted it through oral sex with him.

Here's a good one..I gave herpes to myself. I think. I have have cold sores since I was very young. I honestly think that it either spontaneously appeared genitally, or I spread it from my mouth to my genitals with my hands. I think there is a lot about herpes that is not understood completely, and I think that everybody has their own herpes experience that is not identical to others. I had two outbreaks in 1997, the first ones ever genitally. They were completely devastating, physically and mentally. I had a fever, very swollen neck glands, headache and generally, I felt sick! I had blisters that were so huge and excrutiatingly painful, I cried every day and thought that my life was over. My husband put up with my antics and my depression over the matter and married me as planned, six months later. He's never had a cold sore or herpes symptoms. After that, nothing. Just the regular cold sores a few times per year. I thought, Hey, awesome. I'm cured without a cure. Just recently, an entire six years later, I have an outbreak. My kids and husband get a yucky virus that includes headache, sore throat and fever and I do too. But mine lasts days longer and I am much sicker. I get a cold sore on my mouth and a few lesions vaginally. They are not really painful, just sore. I'm bummed. I feel depressed and really, mostly, overwhelmed and exhaused completely from being SO SICK for days on end. I have figured out that herpes is sort of mysterious, yet there is a lot of information. And it can be unpredictable. You can't always put a finger on it or blame a specific person. It becomes a fact of life and it's ok to be bummed about it when you have an outbreak. But in between, you have to continue with the happy moments of life. Right now, I feel like crap, but a week it will be like it never happened. Feel better, everyone, your story is one of many and all of us are alive, isn't that nice?

Having herpes has not been easy for me. Especially now that I have a boyfriend.I really dont know where or why I got the disease. It might of been a time when I was seven years old. My mom took me and my sister to a friends pool. I really dont know. Can you actually get herpes by going into a public pool?

I got the H this past memorial day weekend! I had broken up with a perfectly good girl, not becuase I had found someone else, but simply because I wasn't happy with her. Well, to make the long story short, six months after I broke up with her, I was out living it up smoking pot, high on coke, and I slept with a random girl, because that's what I wanted, the freedom to do what I wanted, and well, the next morning I felt a pain in my groing and a couple of days later, I had the blisters! I rushed to the emergency room where the doctor took one look at the blisters and said that it was the h! Now I get about 2-3 outbreaks a month, Im currently having one now, and Im getting muscle pains, it sucks, but it just means that I need to rest and take better care of my body! I'm learning to deal with it, I used to love to go out, and drink, party, stay out late, and just simply have fun, now I know that I no longer can get too crazy out there! Im not the kind of guy that is out looking to get laid every chance I get, but now Im definitely not going to even try.....its very easy to get HIV, while breaking out, and I certainly don't want to take a risk like that. I believe this happened for a reason, and Im looking at this in a positive light, life is too short to do anything other than be positive! It's so ironic! Im 31 and have only slept with 4 women in the last 12 years!!!!! Then all of the sudden after being a monogomos man.......bang!!! the irony!!! Just the other day I had the most beautiful girl in my place, nearly throwing her panties in my face, and I had to tell her!!! As bad as I wanted to get with her, I could not live with giving it to someone!!!! All I can do is laugh!! God definitely has a plan for me! Im a professional, and have a good job, Im going to focus on my career, making money, and try to retire at an early age, and hopefully get married and have childern. My days of being out there and partying like a rock star are over, Im off to living a more holistic, stressfree life! I hope that one day someone finds a cure, or even that this somehow goes away! I'm looking for a deeper meaning in my life, I know Ill find it, as Frost put it I'm "taking the road less traveled"!!! Be positive people and be strong, we have been chosen for a reason, its our job to find out what it is!!!! I love you all!!!!

I first contracted herpes at the age of 18... before I was sexually active. The doctor told me that my outbreak may have been caused by stress or my flu-like illness that I had been experiencing. I was devastated... I felt like a predator. A few days ago, 5 years after my initial outbreak, I experienced my second. Again, I was left with the immense feeling of being alone- and again feeling like a 'predator.' The most important thing to remember is that you aren't alone - as cliché as that sounds - and don't give up. The pain is awful and excruciating, but others share it... please remember that, for my sake as well as yours.

My boyfriend of 15 years ago and I were having frequent sex and he had not told me he had herpes. When I spotted a lesion on his penis and asked him what it was, he explained that he had herpes but didn't think it was necessary to tell me since there was no outbreak. Needless to say, that relationship did not last, because that wasn't the only thoughtless thing he did... Oh the sweet memories of him every time I have an outbreak! I now must tell any guy ahead of time because sex will bring on more sores - all over my body - the torso even - very strange to see how this disease pops up anytime, anywhere - and most often just prior to my monthly flow. I am about ready to get some medicine because the diet/nutrition and herbs/vitamins aren't that effective. It has definately put a damper on my sex life, due to the embarrassment factor. Maybe someday I will be free of this?

I contractd herpes in early 1989 from some guy I met through a scandalous neighbor. After a whole bunch of alcohol, we had sex, not great sex, but just regular old sex - WITHOUT a condom! I knew it was a one night stand before it even happened. This is what I believe - I have had so many sexual partners, too many to count, before this happened, so I can say that it slowed me down. I guess it was my angel keeping me from killing myself. If it wasn't herpes, it probably would have been HIV at the rate I was going. I am not completely honest with all of my partners, maybe I'll burn in hell for it I don't know. There were two significant relationships I did have since I found out - I did let them know and they still want to have something to do with me. That makes me feel so good!! Well...I got married about a year ago and haven't told my husbband. He told me that his child's mother is HIV positive but didn't tell me until after we were sexually active. AND she told me that he allowed her to perform oral sex on him. I was and am still so hurt! But I guess I don't have a right to be since I'm keeping secrets from him. I'll probably never tell him. And people, if you do tell someone that you have herpes, make sure they are trustworthy! I told my supposed best friend and less than a week later, I was hearing it from other people!! What a bitch!! Also, get counseling, individual or group, it doesn't matter. I wish I had. I might have gotten over the social stigma sooner. It has taken this long for my self-esteem to re-surface. (and it still ain't all the way there)

extreme heat and cold set it off more...when i would take a break at work sit on the beches outside i always took a towel if it was too hot or cold it would set off an out break. sometimes the scented pads when i had my menstral, mostly ...just the plastic of the pads rubbinng, if i sat for along time...i had surgery on my knee when i returned to work i had to use a wheelchair it got hot sitting on the pillows this caused an out break...when i tore a muscle in my shoulder the pain caused stress to my body made me have an out break, too much sex without water base lubricant...don't use oil. i lived with a guy for 7 weeks before he told me he had it ...when if he had been honest from the start we could have prevented it. i am single and scared to date because i'm aafraid to give it to someone else... i tell most guys right from the start i have it so if they want to leave i'll understand....sometimes it is very hard to deal with.

I was just diagnosed a month ago after returning from South America. My doctor says that my immune system was weakened after returning to the city (too many people and pollution) and I could have contracted H (i still can't say the whole awful word!) from anything - a swimming pool, a toilet seat, god knows what else, but certainly not from sex! I have only been with one person who has never been with anyone else, and this was years ago. i could count the number of times we had sex on my hands. I am practically the poster child for abstinence, I knew volumes about STDs before becoming infected and after reading many testimonials i have decided that it is ridiculous for this to be labeled an STD! who is with me on this?? And I swear, if I see one more Valtrex commercial I will go mad. My life was never that peaceful. I suffer from depression and it was very hard for me to deal with the diagnosis initially. I am still depressed but I have hope, i have told a few of my friends and feel much better about it, and this disease can only help me stay on the right track. After the pain we have all gone through we can conquer anything. you are all strong.

I feel like killing myself. My initial outbreak made me feel like my life was over and i still feel like that. I'm falling behind in school (i've missed a lot of school) and i'm going counselling (victim support) I've been raped and it is affecting me so much, i can't eat, sleep or think straight. I'm going through soo much. I'm happy i'm finally opening up because it's about time. I want these boys put away for what they have done

Life does go on, i assure you. When I found out I got it, my life caved in on itself. But, through education and lifestyle changes, i have not had one outbreak in over two years. It was rough letting partners know about it, but if they aren't intelligent enough to educate themselves and love you for you, then you don't need them. If anything, this has made my self-confidence higher, because I can do everything that everyone else can do, and better. Herpes can be a horrible disease if you let it. Don't let it. As one person told me, herpes and you are sharing the same body. Learn to get along. I hope all who are out there and have this find inner peace, because it is there, and there is hope. If I found out tomorrow they came up with a cure, I don't think I would want it, because without this setback, I would never have become the self-confident, wonderful, sexy and intelligent person I am now. Enjoy life and all that it has to offer you, because it will only make you stronger. Peace out and God Bless!

When I first was diagnosed with HSV, I really thought at the time that it was the end of my world. I was in a committed relationship...at least I was when this happened. It took time time to see that HSV was just a part of me and that it was not the focus of who I am...My self-esteem and self-worth really took a nose dive...it was really tough. My best friend was the first person I confided this too and her support saved my life that day. I didn't think that I could get over feeling that I was damaged goods and that no one would ever want me again, unless thay had it too. Over time i have come to accept that I have HSV and have released myself from the shame and stigma "I" had attached to it. There is life after Herpes...get informed...you are still a person of worth and value. Don't let herpes or someone's ignorance tell you different!

It gets progressively easier to live with (thanks to presecription meds) & discuss with prospective partners. I find that it actually deepens the level of intimacy in the relationship because, by necessity, the two of us have to be able to communicate in an adult manner. It's scary to bring it up, but it's mandatory to me, and it never goes as badly as I think it will. And my partner then realizes the level of respect I have for him, and that leaves a positive feeling on the whole thing. It's *definitely* NOT the end of the world I thought it was when I was first diagnosed... :-)

I contracted Herpes from my son's father after a 4yr. relationship. He slept with a girl who he knew had herpes. They said they used condoms. I guess condom's don't protect, do they?

I wish I knew how I got it exactly, but the first symptoms seem to have started right after a trip last year I took to Australia and I had slept with this lady there unprotected. As soon as I found out, I asked her to get tested and she said she has it. Who knows if I gave it to her or if she gave it to me. I have been reading a lot about it on the net, and it is great that there is a vaccine for women who do not have it, but lousy for the rest of us, i.e. people that already have it. Is there any hope for them? I have bought two creams on the net in the distant hope of help. I am supposed to marry this lady and move to australia...I feel confused and scared now. If things don't work out between us and I come back, how do I tell any new partner about it? No one will want to sleep with me now. John

Im 16 and i found out i had herpes 2 weeks before my 16th birthday and i only had sex with one person and he never had it because he was tested before he went into the marines. I have no idea how i got it and it deviststed me, to be i was 15 and had herpes, what would people say especially in my generation of kids. I found out and it ruined my 2 year relationship with him even though he never actually said it i know it did. I never had sex with anyone else or ever fooled around with anyone else. I really would like to know my source of how i contracted it for my own personal reasons. When i found out i told my very best friend or so i thought and he told eveyone and because of my age everyone called me names and horrible things and i lost many friends because of it but i guess they were never really my friends to begin with if they thought horrible things like that and instead of asking me about it they just made matters with additional friends even worse.It hurt me so much to hear things about myself and i am so depressed and angry because i am not any of those things people call me and say to me. Now i am a 16 year old girl with herpes and no friends and i dont even know how i contracted it~ its horrible!!!

Well i only have herpes simplex 1, which effects my mouth. I usually get about 3-6 outbreaks a year. I am sexualy active with my boyfriend. However i am educated about it...When i have a coldsore and im around him i have rules. No kissing and definetly NO oral sex.

I just found out I have Herpes II. I went to my doctor for my annual exam and full physical. Due to the fact that my exfiance was exposed to two women who have H2, I decided it might be wise of me to get the new Herpes blood test. 7 days later, I have Herpes 2I myself have never been exposed to the virus, but I got it from someone who had. Please use caution no matter how much you trust and love someone. You will have to live with it for the rest of your life. Jen

its first time with me today is i think 9 or 10th day feeling ... pain n very distrubing i had on waste .....

I am just having my first outbreak. I was not sure what it was at first so I scratched it and it spread all over my hands, arms, and feet. It is very painful and I am very scared it will spread to my face. I have ordered a product by the name of H-Balm in hopes that it will heal this problem quicker. I am also taking prescription drugs as well.

like everone else im lost and scared. i only found out i had it 4 days ago & i have no one to talk to this about. i cant even tell my best friend, which i should cuz she rarely uses protection. i dont know who i got it from & i donmt know how to tell future partners or the guy i was recently with. ive just been crying all the time.

I haven't actually been to the doctor yet, but I am 99% sure that I have herpes. I used to get an itchy cunt, and now I have these horrible blister things. I also used to get, what I thought was a urinary tract infection, nearly every time that I had sex. Now I suspect this is also to do with the herpes. Even though I am married I have not had sex for many, many months because it only ends in pain. This is the most depressing thing. Now I suspect that I'm some kind of sexual retard. Luckilly my husband is a very kind man who never gets angry at me for refusing to have sex with him - though I worry that he will be disapointed and eventually cheat on me if this goes on for too long. I really would like to get back to having sex like a normal person. My husband does not have any symptoms. I'm going to go to the doctor tonight and get us both tested. Hopefully the doctor will give me some wonderful drug which will make these blisters go away and stop me from being scared to have sex. The blisters aren't actually that painfully - just embaressing and scarey (who wants blisters on their cunt?) but the urinary-tract thing I used to get all the time was truly terrible (that's why I stopped having sex). I am actually starting to hope that I do have herpes - then at least my cunt problems will have a name, and hopefully a cure, and I can stop being paranoid and embaressed.

When I was diagnosed with herpes I just wanted to die, the pain emoitionally and physically was unbearable. The guy that I was going out was the one that gave it to me. I tried to make myself believe that it was an accident even though when I did tell him he said," well at least now I know you won't cheat on me". I broke up with him three days after he made that comment to me because he made another comment where he said to me that after I get over this out break then I have to have sex with him. He told me this when I was in so much pain that I couldn't even cross my legs. fter that I knew that he did it on purpose and if I were to stay with him it would be like I was letting him get away with ruining my life. But I was afraid that he was the only one that would accept me like this. My mom was there for me the whole time while I was screaming in the bath tub because of the pain that I would have urinating. I would just look at myself in disgust of my body. It just seems like I can't have the fairy tail ending any more. I wouldn't ever want to put anyone through my pain. I am currently dating a guy and he treats me like a princess, I just hate not being able to tell him because I feel like there is a wall between him and me because of my secret. I haven't had any type of sex with him at all and I am worried that he may think that it is because of something that he is doing wrong. He has also made the comment that he has never waited this long for someone, but part of me thinks that if I didn't have my disease then we would have already had sex and he probably wouldn't respect me the way he does. I'm just worried that if I do tell him that he'll eather accept it and want to have sex ( but I don't want him to get it) or he'll get scared and leave me. I'm just not ready to deal with any more pain. If I could have one wish then I would with that I never would have had sex until I was married because my only wish in life was to have the fairy tail ending.

If people don't know they have it, may because of poor diagnosis. A dermatologist told me I had it when I went to her for something else. She used microscope and was able to say that yes, it was herpes but could not tell more and sent sample to lab. I am been unable to get appointment when I have an outbreak for diagnosis.

I always thought that having sex was a huge commitment and i wanted to stay a virgin until i was married. I met this guy and fell completely in love with him, and i decided to wait about 5 months before i had sex with him. I went to planned parent hood and got on the pill and was tested and everything came out perfect. He had had numerous partners in the past,and i was very worried so i asked him a number of times to please get tested. He kept putting it off and putting it off, and i was upset. I had heard many things about his past partners and how they were not the cleanest people, and i was worried. Making probably not the smartest decision i did have sex with him,and a few months later i got really sick and went into the hospital. (actually christmas day) It was the absolute worst pain of my life. My doctor did some cultures and told me it looked like herpies, and initial reaction i cried! I called my boyfriend and freaked out. He had no clue and felt horrible. I was going through some major depression problems when i found out for sure it was herpes2. I was so angry and couldnt begin to understand why i deserved that. I felt soo mad at him and myself. i hated him for sleeping with so many people in the past, and i just have sex for the first time, and it felt as though it ruined my life. I was so upset that i made the decision to sleep with him knowing the consequences of him not getting tested. He felt soo bad and i was so cried out that i came to the conclusion that i had to deal with it because its not going away. He had tears in his eyes when he saw me that day and he said he was sorry. I told him it wasn't his fault and inside i was a complete mess. I thought in my head that i knew i would resent him for his past, and to this day i do. We recently broke up after a year and five months for some reasons that still are hard to understand, but the hardest part of this is trying to move on knowing that i have this virus. I will never want to sleep with anyone again, and never want anyone to feel the pain that i feel everyday. The worst part of this situation is that when we broke up he had slept with a girl and did not tell her, and i ended up telling her myself. His response to not telling her was that he still was unsure that i got the virus from him, and he doesnt think he has it becuase he has never broken out. Hearing this hurt so bad and still does. I slept with one person that i truly and honestly love and i feel soo betrayed, and hurt. I resent every person that he has ever slept with and mostly i resent him for giving this to me. If there was one peice of advice i could give to every person it is to wait until you are married to have sex (its not worth it), and get tested PLEASE.

ok so now my world just flipped upside down only 8 days ago when my results came back in, i got my results over the phone to come down and pick up my new medication that will be apart of my life for the rest of my life, after a lil over a week of crying and confusion and my emotions going everywhere, ive done nothing but search the internet for a cure of(GH) well guess what i came to find out after reading there is nothing but a healthy mind over this, the guy that gave it to me has held his dr visit off for now a week he goes tuesday..when i thought maybe i had this was when i looked at him after we had sex and seeen two spots healed over and we had just stopped cus i thought he tore me cus of his size and come to find out..ya he did tear me and passed the virus to me at the same time..but as far as a outbreak i only had some itching and buring..no sores or anything so i thought ok well i have a yeast infection but his spots still forced me to go to the dr..when i approched him with my results ...crying and so sad and destroyed ...it was amazing he was so educated on it already..." imagine that"...oh and he dumped me when i told him that i was sore from sex and we needed to back off a lil.. he knew what he did..and now i sit here everynite reading stories trying to move on in such a short time just learning that im now living with the virus..its been hell each time i go to take my medication i cry and hide the stupid packets it comes in in fear of my oldest reading the name cus of the commerical..oh and seeing the valtrex commerical on tv after learning i have this..blew my mind..when i use to laugh at it and think quietly..ill never deal with that! you look at it in a totally different way now ....i cant wait til the first person touches me that knows i have this and then ill feel like the monster i carry with me everyday isnt so scarry

When I was diagnosed with genital herpes, I was in a new relationship(I contracted it from a previous sexual partner). When I told my boyfriend, he was upset and wanted time to hiself to think about it. Well I was very lucky because he was willing to look past it and continue our relationship, even though we were only together for about a month. I'm soo glad I found a man that could except this and still want to be with me. And what a perfect time to find him too. :o)

I got herpes when I was 19. I havent told anyone about it, not my closest friends, not my family. I found out I had it when i was with my last boyfriend, but I didnt tell him either because I figured we had already had sex so what difference would it make; plus i dont know who i got it from- whether it was him or not. I let him treat me like crap but stayed with him anyways because I didnt want to deal with the stress of actually finding a decent guy and then having to tell him about how i had an STD. Eventually we broke up but I know im going to end up with another loser because I have given up hope on looking for a decent guy that will stay with me knowing i have herpes. Plus I cant even begin to think of how to explain to a guy that I have it. Moral of the story: dont get herpes cuz it sucks.

I have just been diagnosed with herpes type 2. When I seperated from my husband I had a sexual relationship with a co-worker, who was unaware that he had it. He has never had any outbreaks that he is aware of, and I have never seen any outbreaks on him, but I know that he gave it to me, because I have only had sex with two people, my husband and him. I didn't realize that you could pass on the diease to someone else, without any symptoms. I guess thats really where I was naive. If I can get it, then anyone can. This is my first outbreak and it is horrible. I have 4-5 very painful, and itchy blisters down there, and it burns when I pee. Since this is my first outbreak, I'm not sure what the future holds for me. I'm hoping that my future outbreaks will be few and far between. My doctor has started me on Valtrex. I'm going to try not to let this get me down, and try to move on with my life the best that I can.

I just found out I have genital herpes and now my boyfriend wants absolutely nothing to do with me and has asked me to move out. I had a blood test that came back positive and his came back negative. I have always had the sores in my mouth but other than that never had any other signs. This has put me in a severe depression!

My partner (who is not infected) of over ten years always washes his genital area with soap and water immediately after intercourse. I wonder why no one else ever mentions this precaution--for instance, this site suggests that washing hands after touching a sore is an important practice because soap and water destroy the virus fairly easily. Why not tell all men to wash after intercourse? Of course, this is not practical for women.

When I found out that I had them I thought I was nasty and dirty. But the more I studied about them I was a little more at ease. I know that is was not my fault that I contracted this. I may have had multiple partners, but I was using protection. How I got this was the man I was going to marry, gave it to me, I stopped using protection cause he was going to be my husband, and that is when I got it. I was upset, and thought I would never find anyone who would want me. But Now I am married to a great and wonderful man who is very understanding about it. The bottom line, be very careful, and don't trust, always use protection.

didn't know i had herpes until after i was divorced from my wife of 14 years and then infected my new girlfriend. now i hate myself for hurting her with this and it doesn't look like we're going to last, although not because of this. i worry of how i will live a normal life after her. how ii will find someone else when i have this and that i will never have a normal sex life again. who's gonna want a 33 year old divorced guy with herpes? i will not however transmit this desease to another innocent person!

I am just getting over my first outbreak, which has been incredibly painful and have found the rest and relaxation is the key to reducing pain. I found peeing in the bath the most comfortable and found that a blend of aromatherapy oils, bergamot, geranium and tea in a base of almond oil seemed to reduce the lesions and calm them. I am taking l-lysine 1000mg daily and am cutting wheat, chocolate, peanuts and high arginine foods from my diet and avoiding caffeine and alcohol so hopefully this will prevent further outbreaks. I was recommended lemon balm tea too so been drinking a lot of this! My boyfriend gave it to me and obviously feels very guilty but does not seem to want to take responsibility for a disease that he has too so time will tell...

I'm only 16 and I've been in and out of the ER for a few days now. I'm in a great deal of pain. I'm currently on 4 different meds including Lortab to try and numb the pain. I'm not sure where I got this, maybe my current boy friend. I've had cold sores all my life, but never till now did I know that they weren't normal. My whole family gets them. I have a catheter in my body, it's been in for 3 days now because the pain of urination makes it impossible to pee. The test results haven't come back yet, but 3 doctors have already told me it's herpes. I've never felt so devestated in my life, i don't want to hurt anyone, so i feel like continuing sex isn't an option. I haven't told my boyfriend yet, not until the test results come back. I don't know what he'll do, I don't want to lose him. I believe that my future will be ok though. I'm gonna graduate with honors, go the college, be a dance major, just like i always planned. I'm gonna be more careful about my health though. And I know that when the time is right, I'll find that someone who accepts me and loves me, and I'll have my babies and fairytale ending. God is watching over me.

i have a friend that has it. she has full blown herpes so i know a little, but i would like to know more for myself.

I JUST FOUND OUT I HAD HEPES LAST WEEK. NOW I REMEMBER THAT I HAD A URINARY TRACK INFECTION THAT WASN'T THAT AT ALL. SINCE I'VE READ SOME OF THESE STATEMENTS ON THIS SITE I REALIZE THAT IT WAS REALLY AN OUTBREAK. RIGHT AFTER THAT I GOT SORES. I ALREADY HAD LESIONS ON THE INSIDE OF MY GENITAL LIPS THAT LOOKED LIKE A SHAVING ACCIDENT. EXCEPT I DON'T SHAVE THERE. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME. I FINALLY WENT TO THE DOCTOR AFTER I GOT THE SORES. HERE'S THE THING, HOW LONG CAN THE VIRUS STAY DORMANT? I'VE BEEN WITH THE SAME GUY FOR EIGHT MONTHS NOW. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS TILL ALMOST A MONTH AGO. AND I KNOW HE HASN'T CHEATED ON ME. IT'S JUST NOT HIS STYLE. HE DOESN'T DISAPEAR ANYWHERE. HE IS ALWAYS WITH ME AND THE KIDS OR JUST ME. THAT'S WHAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND, I STILL DONT KNOW HOW I GOT IT. AND HE HAS IT TOO. WE FINALLY HAD SEX THE OTHER DAY AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF FOREPLAY. HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T THINK I WOULD EVER WANT TO MAKE LOVE AGAIN. HE SAYS HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT IT. WE WILL DEAL WITH IT TOGETHER. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE DYING HE SAYS. IT WILL BE OK. I DID FIND THAT USING ALOE FROM AN ALOE PLANT APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE SORES CLEARS IT UP IN THREE TO FOUR DAYS. MY DOCTOR RECOMMENDED IT. IT REALLY WORKS. GOOD LUCK TO ALL.

Nothing that I can think of. It seems to be that the older I become the less frequent I have outbreaks and the lesions last for approx. 3 days. I think and pretty much know that my outbreaks occur due to stress, so therefore I try to refrain from letting unnecessary things upset me and my body.

I don't know who or when I got this, but do you know what the worst feeling in the world is? To know that you've given it to more then one person. All I want to do is cry and cry I feel like the lowest peice of crap in the world I don't know how all of you deal with it, but I can't. I have known for 2 weeks today Yippie! it's my 2 week anniversry! Just freaking great As you can see I don't know how to get over this I think about telling my old partners because they should know then I think of everyone I know in my small town looking down at me like a leper (can't spell that) I just want to say if the person who gave this to me ever reads this I hope they rot in hell - Jessica from jersey

I am not sure how or when I contracted Herpes. I was 18, and had 2 sex partners at that particular time with whom I was having unsafe sex with. Although they were the only two that I had had in life, I was not being honest with neither of them, nor were they with me. I ended up having to go to the doctor for what I thought was a yeast infection, however I found that it was rather gonorrhea and chlamydia. I was also 7 weeks pregnant. I was cured of those STD's and I regret to say that I had an abortion. I had a hard time dealing with the emotions that comes after having an aboortion, having had not one, but two STD's, and dealing with the fact that I really didn't know who gave them to me, because neither one of us were being honest with each other. Time went on, and I began to get stronger. I had been dealt a hard blow and I had learned from my mistake. (So I thought!) One night some girlfriends and I decided to go out, and I met the sweetest guy a girl could ever dream of... After 20 days on the dot of knowing him, not only did I sleep with him, but again it was unprotected. 3 days later I realized that I had made a mistake. I was feeling real "uncomfortable" down there. But I passed it off as nothing, I didn't want to got through the embarresment of getting treated for an STD again. About 4 months later, I began to get sick. I was diagnosed with having mononucleosis. They really didn't know what was wrong with me. I was actually showing symptoms of my first outbreak. However, my "boyfriend" claimed that he had been faithful to me. I am quite positive that I had to him! When I went to the doctor again I found out that I had Trich as well as Herpes. Please, practice abstinence, it is the only foul proof. If you must have sex, have safe sex, and only be with one person. Don't let my story become yours as well.

they hurt BAD... i just had a baby in july 2003, and then a month later i found out i have herpes. and im only 15. the guy i got it from (babys father) slept around with this girl who had it. it's hard to know that you'll have this for the rest of your life. i can't believe i have this, i mean i thought i was gonna have a normal and happy life, and now nothing will be the same at all.

When I discovered I had herpes it was too sureal. I contracted it during foreplay before he put on a condom. I figured I was safe because we were going to use a condom. The worst part about it all is that I got it the night I lost my virginity. Right now I am still trying to deal with the emotional pain. I always wonder why me, expecially because we did use protection and it was only my first time. I hate him now for doing this to me and not telling me he had herpes. I plan on not having sexual intercorse for the second time untill I can deal with having to tell my partner that I have herpes. I feel like he has taken my freedom and chance to grow up away. I am only 16 and he was 19.

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