As a 21-year-old still in control over her virginity, Mariyah may be considered by some to be admirable. Most of us may be able to assure her that she is not in harm’s way with contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). It is close to impossible, even. Mariyah would beg to differ.

“It started when I kissed someone for the first time, my boyfriend, back then.” Paranoia then swept her off her feet before her boyfriend could get there first. “I started going online to see if it was possible to catch any STDs from a kiss, and the very fact that there are just sparked me off.”

For those who never knew of STDs that could be caught through kissing, this may be alarming. The most common condition- Herpes Simplex I or Oral Herpes is what worries Mariyah the most. “I know most people won’t call it an STD anymore as it is not technically sexually transmitted, but it still troubles me.”

Ninety-five percent of adults at some point of their lives and 60 percent of children by the age of 5 have been infected with Herpes Simplex I1. Although the numbers are especially worrisome, most infected people do not show any signs and symptoms at all, or have it shown only once before all visible traces disappear forever. They are arguably the second most common viral infection in humans after the common cold.

“I don’t know why I’m so worried, but I am.” And the problem only perpetuated after Mariyah found topical medication prescribed to her mother in the common washroom- Acyclovir Cream. This cream is regularly used in the treatment of both Herpes Simplex I and II symptoms- Herpes Simplex II being the condition of Genital Herpes.

“I’ve had the cold sores appear around my lips once in a while, and sometimes it does get quite bad. I’m worried that I may have it. And even if I do, I don’t know who passed it to me.” Though the rate of infected mothers giving birth to a child infected with Herpes is low, it is definitely documented2. Mariyah now lives with a billion questions in her mind, all without answers. She refuses to get tested as she is too scared of the outcome, and she refuses to ask her mother about her potentially being Herpes-infected, partly out of respect for her privacy, and largely at her own fear that she would have to face up to having it.

Though in most cases, the herpes virus becomes more controlled and less prone to outbreak in time, there are some people who do not have the capacity in their immune system to deal with the virus, after which it may get out of hand.

“I know if I get tested positive for it I could get medication and be better in control. Maybe even control it enough for it not to get out of hand like it might be doing occasionally right now. But I’d rather not know. I’m too scared of testing positive.”

“I can’t help it. In my mind, I can never have a proper relationship anymore, I’m too worried about what might happen and what might pass from me to him, which is just as scary as what could pass from him to me.” Mariyah is currently single and does not know what her future holds. Too afraid to seek the answers she may need in order to make informed decisions, so she puts her life on hold.

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Editor’s Note:

Though Mariyah knows what she has to do, she is an example of someone who is too worried about the discrimination she may face and cannot get past it in order to straighten out her life. Being raised a conservative Muslim, she may also be too worried of what her parents or relatives may think if she had gotten the condition from her ex-boyfriend.

Though the concerns are understandable, they should not be a hindrance for her to get tested- knowing your condition is the best way to deal with it, and hopefully she may learn to deal with it before it gets out of hand.