Question:
ooh my first thread...how exciting, here goes:

Wow, don’t know where to start. I have HSV-1 and was diagnosed with it over the summer. It’s continuously on my mind, in my dreams and I am being so paranoid about it all the time. I find myself tired all day, which is really annoying as I’m a really active person. But I am trying to crack on with normal life.:lol:

I have never had a boyfriend……I love being single and enjoying myself while I’m young. I get a thrill the first I sleep with someone and love one night stands…(not that often) but now I feel that I will never be able to do that ever again. But nor do I want a boyfriend. It looks like my sex life has hit a full stop. The fear of passing this onto someone else is unbelievable. I don’t know if the bloke that gave it me knew he had it or not. I was silly and in the excitement we didn’t use a condom….my fault.:oops:

I used to touch myself at least once a day…now I just worry about get herpes somewhere more visible. Of course I wash my hands afterwards. My symptoms aren’t very bad at all, therefore I’m never sure if I have an OB or not. I’m getting really paranoid. I have had a tingling sensation and needed 9 or 10 hours sleep a night for the last 3 weeks but don’t want to go to the doctor unless its serious. Plus I'm currently in another country and I don’t know the language well enough to explain everything.

I never saw myself using one of these forums…unless I caught something life threatening perhaps like aids or become an alcoholic…but I have recently moved abroad and don’t feel like I can tell anyone about this as I have only known everyone 2 months…Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I’m still a happy cheerful person its not going to kill me….just a bit gutted about my sex life.

Answer:
Welcome to the forum, Crazystuff. I understand your enjoyment of the dating (mating) game (I was young and single once, too ;-)), and there's really no reason you need to bring your sex life to an abrupt halt. Granted, it will be necessary to advise your partner of your condition prior to the fun and games, but as long as you're symptom free, chances are not that great of passing it on (only about 4%). And as for not using a condom, well, they're not very effective for preventing the spread of herpes. They don't cover a large enough area. They will prevent you from getting other nasty things, though, so don't stop using them.

I'm glad to see that this hasn't gotten you down. A good attitude is half the battle. In time, the paranoia about spreading it to other parts of your body will subside. Hand washing kills the virus, and it doesn't live long outside the body, so spreading it elsewhere isn't a common occurance. Relax. In time all these fears will disappear and you'll feel normal again. It just takes a little time.