Learning you have genital herpes can be devastating.That's particularly true when your love life is in flux. After herpes diagnosis, people may be worried about being judged.“I mostly thought, ‘I’m going to die alone, no one’s going to date me ever again,” she tells SELF.Although herpes is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases, it’s shrouded in stigma.Once I left that relationship I realized that he had been treating me in a way that was really inexcusable, and decided that nobody gets to make you feel worthless.It doesn't matter what virus you have or what decisions you've made in life, there's no justification for that.

I want an exclusive and totally loving relationship with a man who adores me and I him.

But all the self-acceptance in the world doesn’t erase the fact that a herpes diagnosis creates ripple effects of shame and social isolation, and the fallout is especially pronounced when it comes to your dating life.“It’s good to have the conversation because there is a potential risk of transmission,” Cherrell Triplett, M.

D., an ob/gyn who practices at Southside OBGYN and Franciscan Alliance in Indianapolis, Indiana, tells SELF.

When someone is first diagnosed, the thought of dating with herpes can fill them with horrible anxiety. They may be scared they could spread herpes to their future partners.

They may simply be terrified about how they are going to face the world.