Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsImpact and ManagementChallengesRisk of DepressioinWhat to Do
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Impact and Management
Challenges
Risk of Depressioin
What to Do
Depression can be associated withherpesinfection, but depression is not the same as simply feeling sad, embarrassed, or angry after receiving a herpes diagnosis.Most people will react to their diagnosis with a combination of complex feelings. These feelings can affect how you manage your day-to-day life and can even cause you to feel anxious or withdrawn.
You may be worried about what this incurablesexually transmitted infection (STI)means in terms of relationships and having kids. You may also be overcome with anxiety about having to disclose your status to not only your current sexual partner(s) but future ones as well.
Without support, these feelings can spiral out of control and undermine both your health and quality of life. For some people, a herpes diagnosis may even lead to depression.
Dusica Paripovic / Moment / Getty Images
Herpes Impact and Management
If you have herpes, you are not alone. It is an incredibly common disease that affects more than one out of six people ages 14 to 49 in the United States.Many people living with herpes don’t even realize they have it as the disease is oftenasymptomatic(without symptoms).
Herpes is neither a life-threatening illness nor one that will necessarily impact your life over the long term. For most people, the firstoutbreakwill be the worst. After that, the frequency and severity will tend to taper off.
Even if you have HSV-2,antiviral drugslike Valtrex (valacyclovir) and Zovirax (acyclovir) shorten the duration and severity of outbreaks. If needed, daily antivirals can be prescribed to keep the virus under control and reduce the risk of transmission to others.
Herpes TestingIf you have an outbreak, getting anHSV testcan identify which type of herpes you have and help direct the appropriate course of treatment.
Herpes Testing
If you have an outbreak, getting anHSV testcan identify which type of herpes you have and help direct the appropriate course of treatment.
Coping With a Herpes Diagnosis
Learning you have herpes can be stressful because of thestigmaattached to the disease. But it is important to remember that herpes is simply a virus and that the vast majority of people with HSV do not have symptoms.
While these facts may help ease any feelings of shame or anger, this doesn’t mean that living with herpes is without challenges.
Among them, the very act of disclosing your status to a sexual partner can be extremely stressful. On the other hand, avoiding disclosure can have even greater consequences iftransmissionoccurs.
This is where your healthcare provider can help. By bringing your partner with you to your healthcare provider’s office, they can learn what herpes is, how the virus is transmitted, and ways to reduce their risk of infection.
With the proper precautions,you can date, have a happy and fulfilling sex life, and safely have children if you have herpes. By educating yourself and your partner, you can start to normalize herpes in your lives and reduce stress and anxiety.
Herpes and Depression
Research suggests there may be a link between herpes and depression. A 2018 study published inPsychiatry Researchfound that people with HSV-2 (the most common cause of genital herpes) were more commonly prescribed antidepressants than people with HSV-1 orhepatitis A.
A 2020 study found that there was also an association between HSV-1 and depression.
Some people with herpes are more prone to depression than others. This may be due to factors unassociated with herpes or those that compound the symptoms of depression, such as:
The problem with leaving depression untreated is that the underlying stress can trigger herpes outbreaks.This is why it is important to speak with your healthcare provider if you are unable to cope with your diagnosis.
Depression is a disease. You can’t wish it away or pretend that it isn’t there. Whatever the cause, you can benefit from treatment. This may include counseling, medications, or self-help therapies. The first step is recognizing that there is a problem.
Here are some things you should do if you have difficulty coping with your herpes diagnosis:
If you have feelings of suicide or self-harm, dial988to speak with a crisis counselor at the988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.
How Depression Is Treated
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gale SD, Berrett AN, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW.Association between virus exposure and depression in US adults.Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar;261:73-79. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.037Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital herpes - CDC fact sheet.Sauerbrei A.Herpes genitalis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd.2016 Dec;76(12):1310–7, doi:10.1055/s-0042-116494Gale SD, Berrett AN, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW.Association between virus exposure and depression in US adults.Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar;261:73-79. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.037Ye J, Wen Y, Chu X, et al.Association between herpes simplex virus 1 exposure and the risk of depression in UK Biobank.Clin Transl Med. 2020;10(2):e108. doi:10.1002/ctm2.108Wang X, Zhang L, Lei Y, et al.Meta-analysis of infectious agents and depression.Sci Rep.2014;4:4530. doi: 10.1038/srep04530Ives AM, Bertke AS.Stress hormones epinephrine and corticosterone selectively modulate herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 productive infections in adult sympathetic, but not sensory, neurons.J Virol.2017;91(13):e00582-17. doi:10.1128/JVI.00582-17
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gale SD, Berrett AN, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW.Association between virus exposure and depression in US adults.Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar;261:73-79. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.037Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital herpes - CDC fact sheet.Sauerbrei A.Herpes genitalis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd.2016 Dec;76(12):1310–7, doi:10.1055/s-0042-116494Gale SD, Berrett AN, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW.Association between virus exposure and depression in US adults.Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar;261:73-79. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.037Ye J, Wen Y, Chu X, et al.Association between herpes simplex virus 1 exposure and the risk of depression in UK Biobank.Clin Transl Med. 2020;10(2):e108. doi:10.1002/ctm2.108Wang X, Zhang L, Lei Y, et al.Meta-analysis of infectious agents and depression.Sci Rep.2014;4:4530. doi: 10.1038/srep04530Ives AM, Bertke AS.Stress hormones epinephrine and corticosterone selectively modulate herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 productive infections in adult sympathetic, but not sensory, neurons.J Virol.2017;91(13):e00582-17. doi:10.1128/JVI.00582-17
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Gale SD, Berrett AN, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW.Association between virus exposure and depression in US adults.Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar;261:73-79. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.037Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital herpes - CDC fact sheet.Sauerbrei A.Herpes genitalis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd.2016 Dec;76(12):1310–7, doi:10.1055/s-0042-116494Gale SD, Berrett AN, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW.Association between virus exposure and depression in US adults.Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar;261:73-79. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.037Ye J, Wen Y, Chu X, et al.Association between herpes simplex virus 1 exposure and the risk of depression in UK Biobank.Clin Transl Med. 2020;10(2):e108. doi:10.1002/ctm2.108Wang X, Zhang L, Lei Y, et al.Meta-analysis of infectious agents and depression.Sci Rep.2014;4:4530. doi: 10.1038/srep04530Ives AM, Bertke AS.Stress hormones epinephrine and corticosterone selectively modulate herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 productive infections in adult sympathetic, but not sensory, neurons.J Virol.2017;91(13):e00582-17. doi:10.1128/JVI.00582-17
Gale SD, Berrett AN, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW.Association between virus exposure and depression in US adults.Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar;261:73-79. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.037
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Genital herpes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital herpes - CDC fact sheet.
Sauerbrei A.Herpes genitalis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd.2016 Dec;76(12):1310–7, doi:10.1055/s-0042-116494
Ye J, Wen Y, Chu X, et al.Association between herpes simplex virus 1 exposure and the risk of depression in UK Biobank.Clin Transl Med. 2020;10(2):e108. doi:10.1002/ctm2.108
Wang X, Zhang L, Lei Y, et al.Meta-analysis of infectious agents and depression.Sci Rep.2014;4:4530. doi: 10.1038/srep04530
Ives AM, Bertke AS.Stress hormones epinephrine and corticosterone selectively modulate herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 productive infections in adult sympathetic, but not sensory, neurons.J Virol.2017;91(13):e00582-17. doi:10.1128/JVI.00582-17
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