Herpes topic at work

[Max_G]

While at with two of my coworkers. One mentions how a relative of another coworker has herpes and that she isn't the best person to get advice from bc she caught herpes. This kinda caught me off guard. I started giving them info about herpes and told them to research it. They did ask how I knew all the info on it, but it didn't share my status. It's crazy how they took it. It was very immature, they said they felt dirty having the conversation one mentioned the wold probably commit suicide if they ever got hsv or HIV. I really wish the media would start call to action campaigns like what they did when the hpv shot came out, or what they are doing with quit smoking or even getting tested. I don think I would ever disclose to them but I wonder how many other people I know would react like that.

[kaybee]

i completely understand your frustration. A few days a go a friend of mine mentioned to a group of us that she always always uses condoms and girls who get pregnant or an std are stupid and deserve it. I pointed out that condoms break and stds like herpes and hpv can be spread WITH a condom and everyone looked at me appalled. Its painful sometimes to see the scary lack of education on such a common virus...it also drives me insane how people use herpes as an insult or as a joke.

[Max_G]

I agree 100%. Unless you are having no sex you can be at risk to many things.

[Judith]

Hi Max,

i always used condoms and i have HPV and HSV and i never sleeped much around, your coworkers are really uneducated people.....sorry that you had to listen to that crap,we alI can imagine how horrible you have felt in that situation. Itold couple of good friends about my herpes but serously nobody really took my advise, they sleeping with their partners without protection .My friend told me that her new boyfriend only had 3 woman in his life,so no risk at all???????????What?????with how much people his ex girlfriend sleeped....this comments make me really said because they sould know now better , they see how much i am suffering with HSV and HPV.Another friend...well not more , even told me that they would never sleep with someone who have herpes.

Anyway we should give this Information to much people as we can ,that herpes loose that stigma .

Hsave a good day.

JUdith

 

[Beckie]

Hey Max,

 

I hear ya. The more neutral I get about having herpes, the more drastic and ridiculous the societal lens on this seems. It's a f**king skin condition! I really liked the article posted on the blog a few weeks back....it described exactly how the stigma around herpes was created (sorry I can't copy a link...the blog site is down right now). Just last night, I was out to see a movie that was just released, and once again, there was a jokey reference to herpes, made in a negative context. I'm not sure if Hollywood has any idea of just how perpetuating those seemingly innocent movie lines are to the stigma. Getting back to your post, I think you're wise not to disclose to those people, having a pretty good indication that they won't be supportive. You want to disclose to people you trust and feel safe with. Hugs and love, Beckie ;)