What better way to turn lemons into lemonade than to take a herpes diagnosis and use it to help your friends. We hear this a lot, at The STI Project, that once someone shares their experience with their friends, they become the resident STD guru, and we think that’s awesome. Most people don’t know who […]
HSV2 – 3 of My Friends Have it Too – STI Interviews
Thank goodness for interviews like this! All of the perspectives shared on The STI Project are anonymous, authentic, and absolutely necessary, but I love to see the progression that happens after the initial shock and shame. While every experience in our life alters our perspective and changes how we view subsequent related events, that change […]
Genital Herpes – I Was Accused of Cheating and Then I Accused Him – STI Interviews
This interview has me feeling all of the feels. Herpes, both HSV1 and HSV2, are well-known, but they are not known well. What I mean is, most people are terrified of contracting herpes, somewhat understandably because of the stigma, but most people have it – either strain, orally or genitally. It’s one of the most […]
HSV2 – I Never Told Him He Gave it to Me – STI Interviews
One of the first questions interviewers ask me is if I know from whom I contracted herpes – HSV2, for me. And the answer is always the same, “No, I don’t, because when I was diagnosed, I had already been sexually active with more than one person, and I was too afraid of asking the […]
Herpes – Showing that Vulnerability Can be Difficult – STI Interviews
Telling someone new that you have a long-term STI, in this case, herpes, can feel like the most raw of conversations you could have with a potential partner. That conversation doesn’t necessarily get easier as time passes; rather, you get better at delivering the message. Even so, inherently, you’re always going to be worried that […]
HSV1 – I Don’t Think the Conversation Gets Easier – STI Interviews
Quite frankly, interviewee, after 16 years of living with HSV (HSV2 for me, HSV1 for you), I think you’re right – the conversation sucks all day errrr day. I’ve had it so many times, I can’t even count without some effort, but I still feel the same dread, trepidation, and overwhelming fear I did when […]
Genital Warts, High Risk HPV, HSV2 – Just a Skin Condition – STI Interviews
Naturally, when anyone is first diagnosed with HPV or HSV2, their first thought usually centers around how they contracted the infection, with the second most common thought following shortly thereafter: who is going to want to date me now that I have a long-term infection? While some people will choose to date someone else, there […]
My Herpes > Your Self-Loathing – A Love Letter to a Family Member
Angry rant/train wreck commences now: So, without naming names, it’s been brought to my attention that, 3+ years ago, when I launched The STI Project, a family member called my employer to ‘tattle’ on me – they wanted to make sure the Fortune 300 company I was working for knew what I was doing, because they […]