“Having genital herpes brought up conflicting emotions in me. On the one hand I felt damaged and unclean and on the other I felt it was a nice wake up call to really nurture not only my body but my soul in the way it needed. Strangely, I felt relieved and unconditionally loving of myself . I wanted more soul driven interactions and admitting to this perceived 'flaw' opened that door. I felt an urgency to prioritize my health on a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. I had always looked after myself to an extent but I did like to party and I had a lifestyle that was in some ways pretty fast with commitments that left me stressed. My body wanted me to slow down and this made me both comfortable and uncomfortable with the diagnosis. Having herpes made me appreciate energy more and as I slowed down I felt connected to how amazing the body is and how it can heal itself. I am comfortable with the diagnosis, I am uncomfortable with the stigma and the way people can easily fall into the trap of judging someone with herpes without a proper awareness of who that individual is.”