Why it’s NEVER ok to share someone’s known or suspected STI status without their permission…
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
HSV2 – I Cry Behind Closed Doors – STI Interviews
Relationships and living with an STI/STD – in this case, HSV2 – can be complicated. No one wants to be rejected by a partner, even though it happens to everyone. However, a rejection or what feels like a rejection as a result of an infection can truly erode your self-worth because of the incredible stigma associated with […]
Genital Herpes – Finding Forgiveness – STI Interviews
From the interviewee’s doctor accusing him of cheating on his wife to the years of being unable to talk to her about outbreaks, this interviewee’s story speaks to the turmoil that can exist internally and within an intimate relationship after an STD diagnosis – in this case, genital herpes. 1. How old are you? 56 2. What do […]
HSV1 – I Feel Like I Have this Flaw – STI Interviews
One of the many reasons we post others’ stories is to help erode the idea that an STI (whether temporary or long-term, and in this case, HSV1) should be looked at as something a new partner needs to get over or accept – a flaw, if you will. Sure, no one wants a cold, the […]