Aw, hang in there. You're smart to go to the doctor — she will be able to tell you what's up. Good luck with the doctor, and try to stay calm. (Don't Google images!)

I don't have herpes, but I have some close friends who do. We've talked about The Herp, as we call it, and here's what I've gleaned from their conversations:

The bad
- It can be upsetting to be diagnosed. No way around that. But if you have a trusted friend or therapist to talk with, that can help you sort out some of the feelings.
- Herpes breakouts are not really fun.
- Yes, there will be some jerky guys who won't want to date you. This kind of rejection can be upsetting.
- Some people think there's a huge stigma surrounding herpes, and they can be pretty crappy about herpes jokes and the like.

The good
- Your life is not over. Yeah, herpes stinks, but it won't ruin your life. And it's better to know that you have it, so you can manage it, right?
- Herpes is not the big, scary thing people make it out to be. Seriously. One friend says that after her first outbreak, she has a herpes spell maybe once a year, and that the sores often just look like tiny papercuts. It's not as terrifying as the internet pictures would have you believe.
- The outbreaks aren't fun, BUT they are often preventable. Eat well, sleep enough, learn how to manage stress, take a herpes medication and you will probably wind up having an outbreak maybe once a year.
- Sometimes it's helpful to know that the jerky guys don't want to sleep with you. It weeds them out. The GREAT guys will be mature enough to talk about your health openly, and hey — some of them might have it, too.
- One of my friends has been with her boyfriend for about five years. She has herpes and he doesn't.
- More likely than not, you will find that when someone finds out you have an STI, he or she has one too. They're very common, and while nobody really *wants* to have them, having one doesn't mean you're a freak or a bad person. It happens. And sometimes friends can be the best support possible.

So, hang in there. If you don't have it, yay. If you do have it, know that there are tons of resources and support groups (check out ASHA for info). And know that while herpes isn't fantastic, it also doesn't mean your sexual life is over. It just means you've got some complications to work with. Hang in there. xo

My experience: I was diagnosed with herpes several years ago. I was extremely upset, to say the least. And I was in a monogamous relationship. I had a horrible first outbreak. Then I had frequent outbreaks for about a year. My GYN gave me Valtrex, and it was a blessing. It's rare that I get an outbreak now. If an outbreak does show up, I feel incredibly tired about 2 days before it happens, and increase my dose of Valtrex. Valtrex also helps to cut down the possibility of your partner getting it. And I make sure to pick a good time to tell my partner that I do have herpes, so that he can make an informed decision on what protection he might feel like he needs. (I haven't been in a relationship for 5 years now, but thats not due to herpes) Everything is cool now. Good luck! Your life is definately not over.

Know that it feels like a really big deal at first, but it is not in the long run. Yeah, it sucks, but don't blame yourself, it is very common: I think it's 1 in 4 women have it. I am not really understanding why your family would need to know about your medications, that information should be private! As for telling your ex boyfriend, it is very likely that he is the one that gave it to you, so I would not be too scared about that. He could have it and not get any symptoms, or very mild ones. I think that the symptoms (if they appear at all) often show up quickly after you contracted it, so it is probably the guy you were with right before you noticed symptoms (not sure if this was your ex or not). If this person does not know they had it, they should get blood tests to know for sure, which I believe run at about 200 dollars, although they may be able to get them for free if they inform the doctor that is very likely they have it and passed it on to you. You might be surprised at how understanding a potential partner can be about it. It is just very important to get as much accurate knowledge as you can about it first, so that you can answer their questions. The symptoms you described could also be genital warts, but only your doctor will know for sure. It's not easy news to hear, but your dating life is not over, and even if you have it, it will feel terrible at first but things will get much easier as time goes on. Good luck to you!

just because you're on your parents' insurance doesn't mean they have a right to know this or will find out. it's not like they get a bill every month that says "Sally got some Herpes medication on 3/12/07." i was on birth control for well over a year when i was on my mom's insurance and she had no idea, not that it was something i was trying to keep from her.

Her parents insurance actually should show the tests, probably not the results but her itemized prescription statement should show what she's been prescribed.

First, I have to say this doesn't sound like a real post. It feels like a plant from the good people at Team Sugar. Seriously - who links to previous posts?

But just in case it is, the best you can do is relax until you see your doctor. Then make sure you get all the information you can get your hands on regarding dealing with it, if you have it.

Contrary to what above posters (and Valtrex ads) are saying, herpes is a big deal. I don't have any STDs, thankfully, but herpes will change the way you do everything. It'll affect everything from dating to sex to trying to get pregnant to having a baby. Condoms don't even protect your partner from it.

The good news is, there are even special online dating sites for people with STDs,as well as support groups.

Hopefully you don't have it, and this was all a scare for nothing.

Wait till you see your doc... I went through the same thing only to find out I had an allergic reaction!

Ok... you are going to be okay!!! I got Herpes type one after an oral encounter of the sexual type with my husband. I had not known that you could transfer Herpes from your mouth to the genitals. I was devastated. I had that initial outbreak and that was 7 months ago. I have been symptom free ever since. It is managable. At first it seems very scary, but you will be ok.

A few months after I became sexually active, I got an inflamed spot. My very insensitive gyno told me it was probably herpes (without going over any other possible explanantions) and sent the test off. The next 10 days were the WORST of my life. I called the doctor every day to see if my results had come in, and I honestly thought I was going to go insane when the results came back inconclusive and they had to do it all over again. FINALLY, I was told that my spot was...drumroll, please...a pimple. A PIMPLE!! Did you even know you could get pimples THERE?!?!

The moral of the story? Don't exhaust yourself worrying about it. My best friend, whom I hardly ever see, was in town for this ordeal, and I didn't enjoy a minute of her visit. I skipped classes and messed up at work, and just generally made WORRYING about the STD a much worse reality than actually HAVING the STD. If you have it, you can't change that now, no matter how much you worry, and you will learn to live with it. And if you don't have it, you will have wasted precious days that you could have been enjoying life, not worrying about things beyond your control. (Not that STDs are beyond your control. Just, you know, at this moment for you.)

JessBear- I really hope you got rid of that doctor!

I totally feel you JessBear. I thought I had it too (and my gyno "thought" I did as well)... turns out I was allergic to the boyfriends' new shave gel!

I had a similar outbreak and it turned out to be a staph infection from shaving. Worst week of my life.

It's really not a big deal.... It's very managable. Typically your first outbreak is the worst and then they disapate over time. I had my first about 5 years ago. Now... I'd hardly know I have it. Possibly one or two mild outbreaks in a year. Don't sweat it... something like 1 in 3 have it. Most people don't even know it.