I am 19 years old also. Like you, I'm known and have a reputation and didn't want anyone knowing what I had contracted. I've been positive since may 2012 and trust me, it hasn't been easy but what helped me is the people that know: my mom and my best friend. I have people that I can talk about it with and let it all out my system and they wont judge.

A lot of my other homies that dont know always tell me "Why aren't you dating anyone?" or "Why haven't you f*cked anyone lately?". Well, once you have herpes you got to be careful with it and also be careful not to spread it to anyone else. I know a couple girls that have herpes that I could easily be dating, but I dont want to settle because there is someone out there with herpes or not that will accept me for me and will look past this. So you dont have to settle there is hundreds of millions of people in the U.S with herpes its really not a big deal its like acne pretty much.

So maybe rethink settling and do some research and find out more about herpes or go see a sex counselor, you can also sign up on Positivesingles.com there are lots of people like us living with this condition. Stay strong brotha.

I'm 19 and I'm also a very well known person. I was always that girl saying I will never get an STD or anything and here I am with herpes. I was diagnosed last August, my boyfriend and I have been together for 7 years and he was in the marines for 4 of those years,and he is the only guy I have ever been with.I knew he had sex with one other girl but that was it.. until I found out he had lied to me so much and he's had sex with a lot more women.. like (craigslist) women...

I was so disgusted when I found out and he kept denying giving herpes to me. You should really talk to someone about it, it may help you feel better. I talk to my mom about it and I recently just told my bestfriend because she keeps asking me why I'm still with my boyfriend. I feel like I can't be with anyone else because nobody will want me. I have to force myself to love him because I don't want to be alone my whole life.

I don't want to give it to anyone because I don't want anyone to go through what I went through.. but I've realized I can't let him walk all over me like this because I deserve some who will love me and treat me right. So maybe one day I will someone who won't care about it but it definitely will take some time! You should definitely find someone you trust, and talk to them about it! Goodluck!