Why Adding HSV+ to Your Dating Profile Doesn't Count as Disclosure
Adding HSV+ to your dating profile doesn’t count as disclosure: here’s why.
1. Not everyone knows what HSV means. HSV stands for the herpes simplex virus. Folks in medical, public health, and sex education utilize this frequently, as well as those living with herpes; However, for the general public (the same public that still denies cold sores are herpes), HSV holds little, if any meaning.
2. There is no guarantee that someone will read your bio. People notoriously do not read the fine print (I didn’t until I entered the legal field).
3. A swipe is not consent.
4. Disclosure is mutual.
5. It further stigmatizes people with herpes.
If you are someone who adds HSV+ to your dating profile, please be sure to confirm your status with your partners. Adding HSV+ is not enough to be considered a disclosure by itself. Please be sure to initiate a conversation with your partners if they do not inquire, confirming not only their knowledge of what HSV stands for, but their status, too.