An increasing number of individuals and public health advocates are speaking out against the stigma surrounding genital herpes, aiming to foster greater understanding and reduce shame associated with the sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Melys, who has openly shared her experience after receiving a diagnosis, has encountered online abuse and misogynistic comments. Despite this, she believes speaking out is crucial. "Hardly anyone speaks about having herpes," she stated, noting a lack of accessible information beyond "scary Google searches and Reddit posts" when she was first diagnosed. Her goal is to be the resource she wished she had at that time.
Marian Nicholson, director of the Herpes Viruses Association, has lived with herpes for over three decades and observes that public understanding has not advanced in line with medical knowledge. "There is an awful lot of unnecessary fear," Nicholson said, attributing persistent stigma to public health campaigns from the 1980s. She emphasized that herpes is not a punishment and that many are unaware that cold sores and genital herpes stem from the same herpes simplex virus, with oral sex being a common transmission route. The virus can transfer from a cold sore to the genitals during oral contact.
Genital herpes is generally a manageable skin condition for most affected individuals. Many experience no symptoms at all, while others can manage recurrent outbreaks through antiviral medication and lifestyle adjustments. "Only one person in three is going to notice that they've caught it. Two out of three people catch it so mildly they just don't realise," Nicholson explained.
Dr. Olwen Williams, chair of HIV charity Fast Track Cymru and a former consultant in sexual health and HIV, advised that individuals with genital herpes can maintain sexual relationships but should avoid sex during active outbreaks. This is due to both discomfort and the increased risk of transmission when the virus is actively shedding.
Public health messaging often clarifies how genital herpes is transmitted, primarily through sexual contact, direct contact, cold sores touching genitals, or infection on fingers, and through sharing sex toys. It is important to note that it is not typically passed on through towels, swimming pools, saunas, or toilet seats.
