Hi, I’m Lazy-Rich4170, and I have herpes.

There was a time when I thought my life had ended. Not in the literal sense, but in the way where your world shifts so drastically that you can’t recognize the future anymore. When I was diagnosed with herpes (HSV-2), I truly believed that everything I had dreamed of – love, relationships, intimacy, even simple happiness – was no longer in reach. But I was wrong.

I want to share my story because I know I’m not alone. Maybe you’re reading this after just being diagnosed, feeling like your world is falling apart. Maybe you’ve lived with herpes for a while, but the weight of the stigma still crushes you on some days. Or maybe you don’t have herpes at all, but you want to understand what it’s like for those of us who do. Whoever you are, I hope you take something from my experience.

## **What was the first thought that crossed your mind when you got diagnosed?**

Honestly? It felt like the end of the world. No exaggeration. I sat in the doctor’s office, and everything else went silent. My future disappeared in an instant. I didn’t know anyone who had herpes – at least, not that I was aware of. All I knew were the jokes, the shame, the disgust that people associated with it. I couldn’t see a way forward. I was mourning a life I thought I had lost.

It took time, a lot of research, and connecting with other people who have herpes to realize that my initial reaction was based on ignorance. Herpes is common. It’s manageable. And most importantly, it doesn’t define me. But that first moment? It was suffocating.

## **If herpes were a person, what would you say to it?**

At first, I would have screamed at it. I would have blamed it for everything that went wrong in my life, for the nights I cried myself to sleep, for the way I flinched when I looked in the mirror.

But now? Now, I would say:

“*I’m sorry that I hated you. I accept that you are with me for the long run now, but I need time to learn how to live with you. You are not my enemy, but you have changed my life in ways I never asked for. I’m still grieving what I lost, but I’m trying to move forward. So please, be kind to me.*”

## **What does grief look like for you in this experience?**

Grief is not linear. It doesn’t follow a neat five-step process where you check off each stage like a to-do list.

Some days, grief is anger – rage at myself, at the person who gave this to me, at the world for making me feel like I’m unworthy because of a virus. Other days, it’s sadness, an unbearable weight pressing down on my chest. And then there are days where it’s physical. Like I’m carrying a backpack filled with stones, and every step forward makes it harder to move. But grief also evolves. The weight lessens, little by little. Some days, I even forget it’s there. And those are the days that remind me that I am still me, even with herpes.

## **Do you believe your partner truly didn’t know, or do you think they avoided knowing?**

I think it was both. When I first told him, he seemed accepting. He acknowledged that he might have given it to me, even apologized. But then he got his “negative” test results and never looked back. He never showed me the results, never got tested again, and eventually, he disappeared.

I will never have 100% certainty that it was him, but I’m 98.9% sure. And I have made peace with that. Holding onto resentment won’t change what happened. Forgiving him was not about excusing his actions – it was about freeing myself from the anger that was only hurting me.

## **Has this experience changed your definition of honesty?**

Absolutely. Before, I thought honesty was something you expected from others. Now, I understand that honesty starts with myself. The first night I was with my partner, something in my gut told me to say no. But I ignored it. I lied to myself, telling myself I wanted this. And that lie changed my life.

## **If society treated herpes like the common cold, how different would your life feel?**

I can’t even imagine. It would be like herpes wasn’t even there. No shame. No fear of rejection. No late-night Google searches wondering if I’ll ever be loved. It would just be… a skin condition. Something you mention in passing, like “Oh yeah, I get cold sores sometimes.”

That’s the world I hope we get to someday.

## **If there were a cure tomorrow, do you think people would still judge those who had it before?**

Yes. Stigmas don’t disappear overnight. People still judge things they don’t understand, and herpes has been demonized for so long that it would take generations to undo that damage. Misinformation is powerful, and unfortunately, so is shame.

## **Do you ever feel like you’re being too hard on yourself about this?**

Sometimes. But other times, I think tough love is necessary. I am responsible for my own well-being. If I don’t take care of myself, no one else will. That means allowing myself to grieve, but also reminding myself that I can’t stay in that place forever.

## **What’s one thing you’re still learning to accept?**

My decisions. The “what ifs” and “should haves” haunt me. But the past can’t be changed. All I can do now is move forward.

## **If you could snap your fingers and have everyone in the world understand one thing about herpes, what would it be?**

That is not the end of the world. That it does not define who you are. That you can still have love, happiness, intimacy, and a fulfilling life.

Herpes is a virus, not a death sentence. And the sooner we stop treating it like one, the better off we will all be.

If you’re struggling right now, please know that it gets better. I won’t say it happens overnight, and I won’t pretend that the pain disappears completely. But it becomes lighted. You become stronger. And one day, you’ll look back and realize that herpes did not destroy you.

You are still whole. You are still worthy. And you are still you.

Much love.

<p>Herpes doesn’t define me — self-love does. This is my journey of acceptance, healing, and reclaiming happiness.</p>

Herpes Is Forever — But So Is Self-Love

Herpes doesn’t define me — self-love does. This is my journey of acceptance, healing, and reclaiming happiness.