We have a lot of opinions about how Herpes is portrayed in the media, the stigma and bullying that people with Herpes undergo, and how purveyors of products conduct themselves. Here’s where we’ll get real and pull no punches.
Stop the Herpes Bullying & Hate-mongering!
Bullying is getting a lot of media attention lately. But at the same time, there are hundreds if not thousands of instances of name-calling, fear-mongering, and hate speech about people with Herpes every day. And using Herpes as a slur. Check twitter and you can’t even count the mean, hateful, ignorant remarks.
Given the statistics, many if not most of the people promoting Herpes Hate have it themselves.
Herpes – HSV 1 and HSV 2 – is just a virus. It’s extremely common – as many as 75% of the population of the WORLD has Oral Herpes. Call it “Cold Sores,’ “Fever Blisters,” or whatever you like, it’s still HERPES. And nothing to be ashamed of. And as many as 25% of adults have Genital Herpes. That’s 1 out of 4 people. Some studies show 1 in 6 but that’s still a huge number!
Why the stigma about Genital Herpes?
Why the stigma about the *word* Herpes? Just because something is connected to our sex organs? If Oral Herpes is not a bad awful thing, then why is Genital? The virus doesn’t care which mucous membranes it hangs out on, so why should we?
It’s time for the stigma, the hate, the bullying to stop. Herpes is just a temporary rash caused by a virus. It’s an annoyance, a tiny snag in the fabric of life. It is what we make of it, so let’s start making it No Big Deal. Be kind, be compassionate, be fair. Stop judging people because they have a common virus!
