The Reality And The Myths Of Genital Herpes

Common Myths About Genital Herpes:

1. Only people who are promiscuous and irresponsible catch genital herpes so if I practice safer sex in a monogamous relationship, I won’t catch it.

2. Everyone will be afraid of getting intimate with me and I will never have a normal sex life again because I will have genital herpes outbreaks all the time.

3. Most people who have herpes lie to their partners because they are afraid of the stigma.

The Reality About Genital Herpes:

1. At least 1 in every 8 people between ages 14 and 49 have genital herpes in the United States today and the risk goes up as we get older (CDC statistics, 2022). Plus, according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 491 million people aged 15-49 (13%) worldwide carry the herpes virus that is most often associated with genital herpes (HSV2) and 67% of the world population carry the virus that is most often associated with oral herpes (HSV1) but can also cause genital herpes through oral sex (WHO, 2023).

2. Most people don’t even know that they have genital herpes because the great majority of people either have so mild symptoms that they mistake them for something else or they don’t even experience any symptoms at all. Also, when people do have symptoms, they are usually very treatable and won’t keep you from having a healthy and fulfilling life…INCLUDING a sex life!

3. Herpes doesn't define you, your morals or your values. The stigma is a real problem, often times, worse than the infection itself. However, if we all knew the facts and talked about sex more openly and honestly as a society, we would be more willing to focus on prevention, ALL sexually transmitted infection rates would go down and we would be less likely to judge and make assumptions about other people’s sexual behavior. You are an unique individual with singular qualities that only you can offer.

So what’s the takeaway? Genital herpes is a very common sexually transmitted infection that rarely causes any medical complications but can cause significant emotional distress or even trauma due to the stigma fueled by fear and ignorance surrounding sexual health.

If you, or someone you know have been affected by genital herpes and is looking for support and guidance; you found the right place. I offer both in-person and online trauma-informed individual therapy for people struggling with herpes and an online herpes support groups for women.

Contact me today for a FREE 20-minute phone consultation at: (858) 842-0234 or email me at: miriam@miriamchorfreitas.com I’m looking forward to hearing from you!