ASK 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 MoreTag: genital herpes
Herpes And Shame, Six Years Later
Healing isn’t fun or narratively appealing: it’s a whole lot of pulling off scabs and dissecting long broken bones that didn’t set properly. It’s hard.
Read MoreWatch This Charming Short Film About Having Sex After a Herpes Diagnosis
People living with herpes are real, and we deserve to see our experiences in film. Here’s a start.
Read MoreMy Thoughts on Usher’s Herpes Lawsuit
This is a complicated story where no one wins.
Read MoreWhy I Celebrate The Day I Was Diagnosed With Herpes
On May 9, I commemorate a very important anniversary.
Read MoreThe First Time I Had Sex After Getting Herpes
I didn’t want to fuck—I wanted to disappear inside of him where it was safe, nestled in the warmth of his approval.
Read MoreWhy I Will Never Support Herpes or STI Dating Sites
Let me be very clear: I will never endorse an STI dating site. Period. Ever. You’ve got the wrong woman.
Read MoreSTIs aren’t a consequence. They’re inevitable. [Ella Dawson’s TEDx Talk With Transcript]
I don’t care how you got herpes. An STI is not a reflection of your character or a consequence of a bad decision.
Read MoreSo You’ve Just Been Diagnosed With Herpes
Here’s what you should know, from someone who has been through everything that you’re going through.
Read MoreI Am Not “Suffering” From Herpes
I’m exhausted today. Someone I’m seeing came over late last night to, in his words, “fuck the shit out of me,” and by the time he left it was just shy of 1:30am. I took a shower and then lazed around in bed, smelling him in my hair and remembering how he kissed my neck, how […]
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