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Monday call Insights
Dating with Herpes: The Anticipation, the Pressure, and the Freedom to Choose
As you all know, I love our Monday calls. On Monday mornings, when I’m busy making my son’s lunch, getting him ready for school, and getting him out the door, I’m also getting excited thinking about our calls. As always, seeing familiar faces is the best—and I love welcoming new people. If you’re thinking about joining and you’re scared or concerned about speaking up, please know that we are all here in the same boat. We’ve all been diagnosed with herpes. We’ve all been in your sho…
What to Do If You Receive Both a Positive and Negative Herpes Diagnosis
Getting tested for herpes can stir up a rollercoaster of emotions—fear, shame, confusion, relief—and sometimes all of them at once. But imagine going through all of that and then getting two completely different results. One test says you're positive. Another says you're negative. Now what?
This exact scenario came up recently in one of our Secret Society Support Group calls, and it sparked an emotional and eye-opening conversation.
“I was diagnosed with HSV-2 fifteen years ago a…
Addressing Common Concerns When You're Newly Diagnosed with Herpes
As many of you know, our Monday calls and community support are a constant reminder that you’re never alone on this journey. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by your diagnosis or uncertain about what the future holds—relationships, outbreaks, or even the risk of other STIs—I’ve been there too. Today, I want to share insights on some common concerns, debunk prevalent myths, and offer practical advice to help you navigate this new chapter in your life.
The Emotional Impact and Stigma of a…
From Hookup Culture to Real Connection: How Herpes Changes Dating for the Better
Our support group call this week was incredibly meaningful. It allowed us to dive deeper into our beliefs and boundaries when it comes to dating and relationships. Before I get into today’s discussion and my thoughts on it, I want to take a moment to celebrate our community. I absolutely love our space, and I love welcoming new members (hi, new members!). I love seeing familiar faces from those who have been joining our Monday calls for years. I love hearing life updates, whether they are herp…
It Is What It Is
Wow, what a week! Our support group had the absolute pleasure of welcoming a surprise guest speaker—one of our members’ moms, who happens to be a retired OBGYN. Her presence brought a fresh perspective to the medical side of living with herpes, and the opportunity to ask her questions was invaluable. But before we dive into all the incredible insights she shared, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the beautiful energy in our community this week.
I was thrilled to see new faces joining our c…
Breaking Down the Scapegoat: How Herpes (or Any Challenge) Can Help You Face Your Truth
Life has a funny way of forcing us to face the truths we’d rather avoid, doesn’t it? Sometimes, those truths come wrapped in challenges we didn’t ask for—like a herpes diagnosis. It’s easy to let that challenge become the scapegoat for everything else that isn’t going right in our lives. Trust me, I get it. We all lean on something to avoid digging deeper. Whether it’s substances like drugs or alcohol, or behaviors like binge eating, compulsive shopping, gambling, gaming, smoking, or eve…
Embracing Every Part of Your Life: Including Herpes
Wow, friends, it’s the first week of 2025, and it feels so good to be back with you all! Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays, but I’m definitely ready to know what day it is and maybe cut back on the pumpkin pies and cookies. (Although, if you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen I just baked another batch of chocolate chip cookies—oops!)
As many of you know, I had a baby in early November, and life’s been a bit of a blur. But now that Conrad is two months old, I think we’ve ma…
Timeless Dating Advice: Wisdom from Every Season of Life
We're back—or more like I’m back—writing weekly blog posts! If you’ve been following along, you know I had my second baby in November, so it’s taken me a little time to find my rhythm again. Last night, I managed to snag a solid three-hour sleep chunk and hit a total of seven hours—so, I’m feeling surprisingly chipper today! Let’s dive into this week’s topic, which was inspired by one of our incredible support group calls.
If you’ve been here a while, you know how much I love our Monday cal…
Wondering If You’re Experiencing a Herpes Outbreak? Here’s What You Need to Know
As you all know, I love our weekly support group calls. It warms my heart to meet with people from all over the world, with different upbringings, cultures, and demographics, and to see us unite on one topic. We are all going to get through our diagnosis, and we're going to be able to live our lives with herpes.
When I was diagnosed in 2011, I felt so alone, scared, and lost. I would cry daily, sitting in my sorrow and misery. It was isolating and terrifying. As you all know, there are so m…
Exploring the Connection Between Women’s Health and Genital Herpes: A Personal Journey and Community Insights
This week’s support group calls were deeply impactful, with both familiar faces and new members joining from all over the world. Witnessing everyone’s transformation over time has been heartwarming. We covered some crucial topics, particularly female health and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like herpes, and I’d love to share some insights from those discussions, along with personal reflections on my own health journey.
My Personal Health Journey: From Infections to Herpes
Looking …