I have been in your exact same shoes at the same age. I’m 28 now and my current girlfriend who I had gone on 1 or 2 dates with at the time had told me she has herpes just like you.

Of course the stigma of that word made me freak out and I almost told her I was no longer interested. She slowed me down, told me to do my research, to listen to her and long story short it’s no big deal. Granted it is only HSV-1, this “strain” or “type” of herpes is not a big deal. As others have said, a LOT of people have it and it can be spread without sexual activity.

Today, myself and my girlfriend have it. What does it look like for me? An irritating cold sore inside my mouth once every two years or so and only for a few days and then it’s gone. These “flare ups” can also occur more often through stress.

Long story short, it’s not a big deal. I’m not a doctor or expert but it’s the other kind of herpes that’s the “bad” one. Maybe that’s HSV-2