ASK ELLA: I Have Herpes and I’m Afraid of Rejection
Rejection is always a risk because people are complicated and life is unfair. That rejection is unfair doesn’t make it sting any less.
Read MoreAuthor: Ella Dawson
Ella Dawson is a sex and culture critic and a digital strategist. She drinks too much Diet Coke.
ASK ELLA: Are Herpes Jokes Ever Funny?
Why is SNL still writing sketches about a nightmare ex-boyfriend who takes “fistfuls of Valtrex just to get out of bed in the morning”?
Read MoreHow Getting Herpes Prepared Me For The COVID-19 Pandemic
Viruses do not care who we are. Viruses do not exist to exact karmic punishment. They are not agents of destiny or markers of character. They are not concerned with our petty human stories about who matters and who doesn’t. To COVID-19, we are just bodies.
Read MoreAn Anxious Writer Joins Patreon
My dream in life is to be able to support myself with my writing. I do not know if that day will ever come, not because of my talent, or my voice, or my courage, but because I am garbage at email.
Read MoreASK ELLA: How Do I Tell Someone I Have Herpes?
Telling someone you’re interested in that you have herpes means making yourself vulnerable.
Read MoreASK ELLA: Should I Date Someone with Herpes?
Whatever you decide, I hope you treat your “someone” with the respect and thoughtfulness you’re showing now as you learn about their virus.
Read MoreShould You Publicly Disclose Your Herpes Diagnosis?
It is brave to share your STI status. Public disclosure is an act of generosity that is not without risk and consequence.
Read MoreThese Are Not Conditions in Which to Thrive
This is a time to survive. Your only responsibility is to get through today.
Read MoreThe Ripple Pandemic: Coronavirus and Mental Health
What will COVID-19 mean for our mental health?
Read MoreStop Publicly Defending Your Friends
At the end of the day, the best way for us to help our friend and their victim is to react in private.
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Ella Dawson 