It’s always a bit disheartening when I read that partners are having a hard time being intimate with someone who has an STD, in this case, HSV2. I’ve been lucky to find mates who were both interested in being sexually healthy while also keen on enjoying all types of sexual activities together. However, that is not always the case. […]
Herpes Never Scared a Man Away – HSV1 Genitally – STI Interviews
People with STDs are often characterized as villains – individuals that should be avoided, because they’re bad people or they will only intentionally infect someone else. What’s silly about that portrayal is everyone with an STD was once someone without an STD. Rarely, does the other side of the story get explained or does a […]
Seek Positive Influences – HSV1 – STI Interviews
Submitted anonymously via the contact form, this interview highlights how an STD diagnosis, namely, HSV1, can be a blessing in disguise. While the stigma associated with contracting an STD is definitely no Saturday morning walk in the park, it seems that, upon diagnosis, an individual almost always finds themselves doing some much needed personal reflection. […]
HSV2 – Don’t Waste Time Being Depressed – STI Interviews
This reader, having initially submitted her interview via the contact form, was so inspired by her experience, she wrote a rhetorical essay about STD stigma for her college English class as well. She’s also allowing us to post her essay as part of The STI Project, and we’re stoked! We’ll be showcasing her work in […]
HSV2 & HPV – Learning How to Deal with a New Type of Anxiety – STI Interviews
This interviewee reached out to me directly via the contact form. After exchanging a couple of emails, she asked how she could help and/or support The STI Project, so we asked her to share her story. What follows is a remarkable and insightful look into dating with an STD, the mental battle one undergoes when […]
HPV & Bacterial Vaginosis – I Trusted Him – STI Interviews
Aside from the experiences mentioned below, this interviewee also recently had an encounter with a friend who had been exposed to herpes. She says she understands first-hand how confusing STDs still are to a lot of people. Her friend found out she tested negative, but this latest occurrence enforced for her how important continued awareness […]
Herpes – I Didn’t Want to be Thought of as a ‘Slut’ – STI Interviews
Women of all shapes and sizes, from all backgrounds, and who identify with all sexual orientations contract STDs, and this interviewee’s story is no different. What’s most remarkable, or maybe more accurately, most disheartening, however, is the similarities in fears one experiences upon initial diagnosis. They are nearly identical in all of those who are […]
Living with Herpes – ‘God Changes One Life at a Time’ – A Short Story
This short story was submitted semi-anonymously via our contact form and is written by Mario, a 59-year-old who’s been living with herpes for 30 years. My name is Mario, and I would like to share my story. I am 59 years old. I know that might seem like an eternity, to some, but it is what […]