Overcoming Herpes Shame & Stigma

What I've learned in 2 1/2 years of herpes infection (HSV2)

A real conversation from the Herpes Opportunity community. For over 13 years, the H Opp forums were a safe space where thousands of people shared their most vulnerable moments. The forums have since sunset, but these stories live on. More in Overcoming Herpes Shame & Stigma
forgivenessandpeaceCommunity Member

1. The initial outbreak can be very painful and debilitating. It gets better eventually.

2. The medical professionals who "treat" us are often extremely poorly informed and ill-suited to truly care for us.

3. The socio-psychological component to this infection can be devastating. Some days can be very dark. It passes.

4. Now I hardly ever have outbreaks and men (well at least the one man I've been with!) still want to have relationships with me, despite the risk.

5. Suppressives give me headaches. Fuck suppressives.

2Legit2QuitCommunity Member

They gave me headaches the first couple weeks in then and then go away. That's usually why I took then at night, so as to sleep through it.

How long have you and your partner been together w out passing? How did you disclose and what was his reaction!

forgivenessandpeaceCommunity Member

Thanks for the feedback about suppressives headaches going away @2Legit2Quit. Maybe I'll give it another try.

As it turns out I ran away from that relationship for other reasons so we were not together very long just one month.

I should really write a separate post about disclosing because I was so afraid and it went really well. We were talking about past relationships and lessons learned. I just told him that my ex had not disclosed and given me herpes, and that I didn't want the same to happen to him. At the time I was taking suppressives and told him the stats. He remarked that he may well have been exposed already (crazy post divorce sex life) and maybe he was immune. He also took the opportunity to share some of his "secrets".

2Legit2QuitCommunity Member

Yeah, the headaches at first can be a bitch. Even after a week or two if I up my dose, it will happen. I just take motrin every four hrs for that week, until it goes away. Taking it at night before bed helped too.

WCSDancer2010Community Member

I should really write a separate post about disclosing because I was so afraid and it went really well. We were talking about past relationships and lessons learned. I just told him that my ex had not disclosed and given me herpes, and that I didn't want the same to happen to him. At the time I was taking suppressives and told him the stats. He remarked that he may well have been exposed already (crazy post divorce sex life) and maybe he was immune. He also took the opportunity to share some of his "secrets".

The "Talk" often helps us to open the relationship to levels of vulnerability that either take much longer to establish, or may never establish at all. That's that "Wingman Effect" that I talk about .... because you get to see if the person can open up to you, and THAT is pretty damned sexy :)

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