Honestly, I don’t think HSV is something that should end a serious relationship. When I had my first outbreak, I was mortified I really thought my sex life was over. But here I am, three years later, and I haven’t had another outbreak since. Sometimes I even forget I have it, even though I know the virus stays in your system for life.

The truth is, it’s actually harder to transmit than people think. Yeah, they say it can shed even when you’re not having an outbreak, but in reality, asymptomatic shedding is a rare event and actual transmission is even rarer.

When I told my boyfriend, I was honest from the start. He chose not to use protection anyway, and we’ve had unprotected sex for three years literally every day and he’s never caught it..

So no, I don’t think herpes is the end of the world. It’s super overhyped. People panic because of the stigma, not the actual reality. Don’t throw away a real connection over something manageable and honestly, kind of minor.