Scared

[kate17]

Well I have just been told that i have genital herpes im only 17 and im so scared I dont know what to do. I think that I will be alone for the rest of my life. I dont know what to do or how to cope. im just so lost

If anyone can help me please let me know

[hopingseeking]

I'm sorry Kate. I just got diagnosed at 22, only 6 months after I started having sex, so we're kinda both in the same tragic boat. I feel the same "alone for rest of life" feelings at you. It's a hard thing to deal with, no question about that, but... I'm told it will get better. Just stick with it. Message me if you want any help/advice/etc. Good luck!

[vita_min_md]

hardly alone

As a physician with HSV, and one that has treated hundreds of patients with various HSV infections..let me be the first to say you are not alone.

Studies show 30-50 % of all sexually active americans are infected with or at least exposed to HSV.

Only one third of those are aware of it.

This raises a lot of questions when diagnosing and treating HSV (if one third of patients already have antibodies to the disease, how can you reliably tell when they were exposed?) Only 5-10 % of THOSE patients are aware of the diagnosis. Most don't have outbreaks, have very mild outbreaks, or are women that have cervical outbreaks that have not been observed or diagnosed. So most of the time people with HSV continue on in blissful denial.

What does all this mean? Well I'm not suggesting you ignore your HSV status like the rest of the world does, its simply meant as education and to put the facts in perspective.

One point is that you are not alone and there are many people, good people like you, that are in the same boat, whether they know it or not.

Education would be the key to making the rest of the country realize that HSV infection isn't the burden that its held up to be if one looks at the real information.

Doc

[shocked2hear]

I am a 26 year old female and are single, but do not feel that I will be alone for the rest of my life. Constantly I have men chase after me, but at this time I am not ready for a relationship after two recent failed relationships, one of five years and the other for a month, which was too soon in the first place. Yes I know at one point I will have to tell the man I choose to peruse a relationship about my status, but if he cares enough about me, he will accept me for all that I am.

Life does not end here. You are only 17, your life is just beginning and I feel in a sense mine is too. First you have to accept yourself as a person, no matter what anyone is to tell you, it will not change how you feel until you are to feel better about yourself. This I know, having had men hit on me my whole life, I felt ugly and fat and like I would have no one, regardless of what anyone was to tell me. Then I started to love myself as a person and see who I was and my self-esteem got a lot higher than what it was. Good luck in your endeavors and concentrate on yourself now rather than anyone else, remember that you are what's important and that you will make it far in life, you are the one to make your future. I hope I could help.

[kernow]

I'm in exactly the same position. 17, been recently diagnosed. You won't be alone forever. My girlfriend hasn't given a rat's arse about it, as long as there are mature people in the world, you'll always find someone