Most folks assume that when they ask for STD testing they are being tested for everything. That’s not actually possible, but they don’t know that. Then when they’re diagnosed with an infection, they are shocked and left scrambling for answers, because they weren’t told that they could only be tested for a few of the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Recognizing STI Symptoms: A Guide to Five Common Infections
This feature article was written by Dr. Wayne Osbourne, a GP and the Head Practitioner at Treated.com. I’ve been working in general practice for 13 years now, and I can tell you that STIs are just as much of an issue here in the UK as they are in the United States. Permit me to […]
HSV2 – Going to be Forever Alone – STI Interviews
The number one concern we hear when someone is first diagnosed is that they’ll never find a partner who’s willing to accept that they have a long-term infection. While we never say never here at The STI Project, that fear is not at all unfounded. Getting diagnosed with an STI – in this case, HSV2 […]
HSV2 – I Have Lost My Confidence – STI Interviews
Interestingly, STI stigma – and in this case, HSV2 stigma – often transcends intimate relationships and can trickle into one’s public, professional, and social personas. Contracting an infection carries such immense shame that it can deteriorate confidence in all facets of life, not just the intimate ones. As this interviewee points out, she’s not only […]
HSV1 & HSV2 – I Refused to Accept It – STI Interviews
Few things cause more trepidation about the future and situations that have not yet or might never take place than an STD diagnosis. The most common fear among those who are living with a long term infection is that of telling new partners and the rejection they assume is inevitable. While I cannot promise those fears […]