Personal perspectives on genital herpes

Welcome to the patient diary section of the IHA website.

The first diary, 'Sue's diary', is actually a fictional account written by our nurse counsellor Catherine Cook. It is based on the hundreds of e-mails she has received and illustrates some of the typical experiences and issues that people write in about.
During the course of the Sue diary series, a number of visitors to the website have also agreed to keep diaries over a period of three months, and to record and share their experiences and feelings as they learn to live with their condition. The results are being posted in this section as they are completed, on a month by month basis.

The aim of these diaries is to illustrate the reality of living with genital herpes. You will be able to follow the progress of each diarist as they encounter difficult times and then more positive experiences and the chances are that you will recognise many of the emotions expressed. While each person's circumstances are unique, there are many shared themes, insights and challenges in the period immediately after diagnosis. Sharing these experiences will help to remove some of the social stigma that is still associated with genital herpes in many countries.