Question:
I stumbled across this site whilst researching about this irritating disorder I have recently developed. It was good to know I wasn't alone in my emotional turmoil.

I only got diagnosed 6 weeks ago, and have been distressed ever since. I have genetal herpes 2 - no more sex - and whitlow on the palm of my hand - career as a beautician and hairdresser over (skin on skin contact - eek!)

However, I found a helpline which put this entire chapter of my life into some perspective. The person I spoke to has the same problems, but made me realise that what we have is in fact just a cold sore on different parts of the body. Nobody seems to make a big deal about them when they are on the face, so why did I?

The words STD, for life, no cure and contagious, scared the holy crap out of me as did most of the research sites that I came across. I could cope with the physical pain - just - thanks to meds and painkillers, but I couldn't stand the thought of no love and no work. I wanted to become a hermit because I felt like a leper.

The helpline woman asked me the following questions: If your lover suffers from cold sores (obviously after they have cleared) on their face would you kiss them? If they had it on their hands would you allow them to touch you? Yep and yep was my answer? Her next question was, why are you so worried about them, or you, having it down below when it is exactly the same thing? Good bloody question?

Possibly SHEDDING and passing this onto my little one or the one I lust, is hardly a good thing in my book. In actual fact, she recommended that I rub my whitlow onto my son's abdomen so that he would get it and allow his body to build an immunity to it now - taking it a little too far for my liking - but I could see where she was coming from. Our white cells will fight longer than a duracell battery to develop it's own antibodies to supress the herpes virus.

Her flippancy to the whole situation made me try a new approach. I had not told anyone of my situation so I was terrified of the feedback I would get. I only say 'Cold Sores', never 'Herpes' and the response has been so different to what I expected. In fact 10 mins after I explained to a friend why my palm was covered in a large waterproof plaster, he asked me for a facial massage. I nearly fell over!

I have tried this approach on a few more friends now and it is always the same. No problem! No big deal! One colleague said I should be grateful I didn't have it as an STD. I said, 'If I did, it would still only be a cold sore!' True!!!!!

In my opinion and more importantly in my own mind, it is sorted! Having a cold sores is no longer a thing of great importance, unless I make it one. No doubt, I will have painful outbreaks, but I find psoriasis or thrush just as annoying and sometimes difficult to deal with. I am open and honest again and alot happier than I was a week ago.

Hope this helps.

Answer:
Isn't it amazing how just the stigma of the word "herpes" as opposed to "cold sore" can make such a huge difference? What you have and what i have are no different, but if i call it herpes and you call it cold sores, we would receive two very different reactions from the same people. Simply amazing...

Answer:
I agree it is crazy in our world to think the difference that one word or the other makes.