I was diagnosed with genital herpes about a month ago. My boyfriend of four years and I had just broken up. I slept with two different guys in the first month. I made both of the boys use condoms. I then slept with my ex but we didn't use a condom. Two days after we had sex I noticed that it started burning when I would urinate. I thought I just had a UTI or bladder infection. After two more days the symptoms didn't go away. I then noticed an intense itching and some bumps appear on my genitals. I knew then that I had herpes. I went to my doctor's office where they confirmed my fears. I'm still single, and have not been intimate with anyone because I do not want to tell them that I have herpes.

I have so many questions. I try to find the answers online, but seem to get conflicting answers. I feel like I've coped with it pretty well. I was really angry and ashamed at first, but have realized that there is nothing I can do about and this is something I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. I'm still feel ashamed but like one of my friends told me, it's not written on my forehead. Herpes is very common and being able to read the posts on here helps me not to feel so alone. I guess I am lucky because herpes is not a death sentence, it's just another hurdle in life.