Combatting Stigma: The Impact of Weaponizing Herpes Status
When we weaponize someone’s herpes status, we elevate and prioritize the stigma.
Weaponizing someone’s herpes status looks like… threatening or publicizing disclosure or using someone’s herpes status against them for any reason.
Often, the thought of weaponizing is a reaction to someone’s own diagnosis. They are angry, confused, and are looking for a way to “get back at” the person who gave them herpes. I get it, especially in cases of nondisclosure or other similar circumstances.
However, while some folks know who gave them herpes, many do not. Most people do not have a herpes testing history, as it’s not currently recommended by the CDC in standard screening panels. Some people might not realize that oral herpes (aka cold sores) can transmit through oral sex—so they fail to tell their partners. Some people are who transmit herpes genuinely do not know that they have it.
Don’t get me wrong—some people are not honest or kind. Some people take advantage of others. Some people are so deeply struggling with their own feelings around their diagnosis that they do not disclose to their partners. This is wrong, and certainly a reason to be angry, but publicizing this person’s diagnosis is not the answer to “put them in their place” so to speak.
While the thought of getting back at someone might be satisfying, it ultimately does little to remove stigma and raise awareness—in fact, it feeds into it.