I went to my local clinic yesterday it was a very big wake up call. I know that I did all I could when it came to protecting myself. For instance if I was single and having fun, I would use protection (condoms) religiously, however, in a relationship my partner and I didn't see any real reason to protect ourselves to the extreme as we were both regular partners for each other.

The only thing that I cared the most about was accidentally getting pregnant so therefore I made sure that I had a form of birth control (implant). I had my first symptoms 3 days ago. I was sore and uncomfortable and then these (what I thought at the time were ingrowing hairs) bumps appeared. I didn't think anything of it until they started to get really sore and more and more of them started to appear. At this point I was scared to go to the loo because it was that uncomfortable to pass anything.

I went for my appointment at the clinic and the nurse looked at me. She took some sample swabs and a blood test and called another doctor in. Then I was given the news that it "looks" like I have herpes. I burst into tears, not believing what I just heard and I have been praying ever since that the doctor might be wrong. I'm still waiting for my test results and I'm taking tablets in the meantime but there is no reason to hold on to false hope.

I know some doctors may get it very wrong because that type of thing has happened in my family before and it turned out that the doctor was so far from knowing what it was. But this doctor that I had seemed so sure. I'm still in denial because every time I think about it, I can't stop crying. I'm low and I don't know if I have any chance of making this thing lay dormant for a while.

I know I have to have a happy and cheery disposition to help health-wise. I just don't know how I will cope with this.