Herpes and Dating

There are some conversations that change your life. If your doctor has ever told you that you have been diagnosed with herpes, you remember that conversation as one of them. Herpes is a frightening diagnosis for many people. Society may have exposed them to messages suggesting that people with herpes are dirty or somehow flawed. However, herpes is just a disease like any other--a disease, in fact, that affects approximately one in five Americans. The first thing you need to do after you've received a herpes diagnosis is sit down and take a breath. Do some research and learn all you can about the disease. You were probably diagnosed because you experienced an outbreak of the virus. Although the outbreak may have been scary and painful, this is not the time to panic. Since you have had one outbreak, you will probably have several more over the next year. Over time, however, your outbreaks will become less frequent. There is medication that you can take to help relieve your symptoms and drugs can be used on a daily basis to reduce the frequency of outbreaks and lower the amount of virus in your system. Dating with herpes can be stressful. But when you are open and honest about your infection status, there will continue to be people who love you and want to date you. There are also dating services specifically for individuals who have been diagnosed with herpes and other STDs. Remember, one in five adults is infected with the herpes virus. Herpes dating, and finding someone to love, may not be nearly as difficult as you think. However, even if you have both been diagnosed with herpes, it is still wise to practice safer sex.