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[gsciar]

Hey guys.. I'm a 19 year-old college student who was just diagnosed with herpes. I thought I'd share my story and get some things off my chest.

Back during the spring semester of last year I had protected sex with someone I thought I could trust. Yes, it was a one night stand but I figured I'd be OK. Like everyone else, I didn't think anything would happen to me. Being a college freshman I had been a little reckless with girls but I was fine up until that point. Well, 5 days after sex I went to sit down and I felt a sharp pain on my scrotum. Alarmed, I went to check it out and found out I had a bump. I started to freak out for awhile but figured it was probably just an infected ingrown hair and tried toughing it out. A week later, the area was still infected so I went in for a culture test. The doctor said he didn't think I had it but did the culture test anyways. After worrying for a couple days the test came back negative and I felt free. I thought I had learned my lesson and was just gonna take it easy for awhile. I only had two partners who I could trust since that point and I thought everything was going well.

Fast forward to mid-August: I noticed my groin lymph nodes starting to swell up and started to worry. I thought maybe i was just getting another infected ingrown hair and kept about doing business. Well, the lymph nodes became swollen to the point of being in excruciating pain and then the blisters reappeared in the same spot. I thought for sure I had something this time. I went back and got re-tested and it came back positive. I remember I had slept very little the night and then had to go to the doctor's early in the morning for my diagnosis. Before he could even tell me it was positive I saw the result of "positive" on the computer screen. He proceeded to tell me and I remember getting the worst feeling in my stomach ever. I leaned over the trash-can thinking I was about to hurl. Managing to get my act together, I walked backed to my dorm thinking, "Wow, I'm just another damn statistic now." I skipped my next class which would have been right at that moment. I took a nap and got myself ready for the rest of the day. I made a pretty quick turnaround as to how I took it.

Although I haven't had trouble getting girls in the past, I've never had success with relationships. Adding this to the pile will only make it even more difficult from a relationship standpoint and psychological standpoint. Yet, this is not what bothers me the most. I'm an extremely active person. I lift, I run, I played lacrosse. But it's really frustrating that when you want to do those things, you can't, because of a couple blisters in a horribly inconvenient place.

I never felt angry towards the person I contracted it from because she didn't even know she had it. She's never had any symptoms and even had blood tests done before. She's going to get re-tested and we'll see what happens.

I did feel kind of lucky that it wasn't in the worst possible place and the first two outbreaks were spread apart by a decent amount of time. But now it seems the second outbreak spread to surrounding areas and a few days after clearing the second outbreak, I'm already having a third outbreak. I just started acyclovir so hopefully that helps.

Anyways, sorry if that was long and a little too detailed in some places, but it feels good to get it off my chest. Just gotta come to terms with something that will be with me for the rest of my life.

[hope4me]

I just joined this site, and I just found out too. And for the past 3 days it seems I just cant not come to this site. Everytime I come here I feel a little better about things. You seemed to have taken this a lot better than myself. Im 23, and I just kept thinking, I am so young and my life is ruined. But like you said, you need to come to terms with something that you will have the rest of your life. And this is exactly what I need to do.

I recently had my first OB. And it was pretty much done.

Until this morning I have 2 new bumps. I only get them in the rear area and Im praying they dont show up anywhere else. I dont have anal sex, so Im also confused on how it showed up there.... But I know that you can transfer HSV 1 to other areas. Last night I started on Valtrex, the doctor wanted be to take it for this first outbreak, to help get rid of the endings of this outbreak. But it made me really sick. So sick, I stayed home from work. My husband wanted me to go to the hospital, but my body isnt use to this yet so Im thinking its just that. Im waiting to take it again to see if it makes me feel the same way again. Last night it didnt, just this morning.

Ive never heard of what you are on. But then, Ive only known Ive had this for 2 weeks.

Well, Ive babbled enough to you. I hope that you are feeling better.

And that you come to terms with it. I keep telling myself that life is too short to let this get me down. Like everyone here says, its just an inconvienance... Take care

[pookieface]

Wow, someone that's almost in the same boat as me.

I'm 19 and was just diagnosed a month or so ago. The person who I got it from didn't know that they had it. I know who I got it from, but when I told him, he got pissed and denies it to this day...so in that respect I do harbor resentment towards them.

I felt terrible after I got diagnosed but now I'm taking medication to keep my outbreaks under control and I'm trying to keep my health in good standing so I don't have outbreaks as often.

I felt like the only person my age to have ever contracted this and I feel so alone...but now I don't. Thank you.

[gsciar]

Thank you both for replying .

hope4me: The meds I'm on we're the first to be FDA approved to fight herpes. Valtrex is more expensive but more efficient in preventing outbreaks and viral shedding. The Acycolvir I was perscribed was just made for controlling outbreaks when I get them although it can be used to prevent them too, I think. The downside is, I have to take it 5 times a day.

pookieface: Yea tell me about, I know I'm basically the only one out of anyone I know that has it. Granted they could be keeping it secret from me but my friends (guys/girls) alike always talk about their sex stories or girlfriends/boyfriends. The stats say that 1 in 5 Americans have it but that's gotta be misleading and include all age groups. I walk around and you look at every fifth person and you're like, "there's no way they have it too."

I'm just gonna completely abstain until I get into a serious relationship and had many talks with the girl about it. It's gonna be pretty difficult, haha. But oh well. It's just gravy it didn't catch anything more serious.

[pookieface]

Yes, I read that too, about 1 in 5 americans having it. However, knowing that so many people have it does not make me feel much better, or detach the negativity surrounding HSV2. I kind of wish that everyone wouldn't look at genital herpes as a terrible thing, however, when you're 19 years old and trying to find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with things are tough. I though I was the only young person out there affected by this, but now I'm not alone.