---
title: About
url: https://dating-herpes.com/about/
date: 2026-03-30
author: MonolaurinandMore
---

# About

About

# hello! i’m TAYLOR

![](https://dating-herpes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Youaremorethanadiagnosis-4.webp)

But you can call me Tay. And I’m the voice behind [*Dating With Herpes.*](http://www.dating-herpes.com)
Like many people, I never imagined that three small letters, HSV, would shape the way I saw myself, my relationships, and even the way I love.

I was diagnosed with **HSV-1** in my late twenties.
Not through anything wild or careless, but from something incredibly ordinary.
I had a small cold sore on my lip after borrowing a friend’s lip balm during a long weekend trip. At first, I thought it was a sunburn. A few days later, I learned it was herpes.

At that moment, I didn’t know what to think.
I had always associated herpes with stigma and silence, not with something that could happen so casually, through a simple act of trust.
That’s what hurt the most: not the diagnosis, but the realization that something so common could still feel so isolating.

## why i write?

For a long time, I didn’t talk about it.
I covered my outbreaks, avoided questions, and quietly carried the shame that so many of us are taught to feel.

But when I finally started reading real stories, from people on Reddit and support communities, I realized how many others were living the same experience.
Different stories, same emotions: guilt, fear, and the need to be understood.

That’s why I created [*Dating With Herpes*,](/blog) a space to replace silence with connection, and fear with understanding.
Here, I share stories that remind us that herpes doesn’t make us unworthy.

Sometimes, healing starts with just a few words **and a “Dear Taylor…”**

![](https://dating-herpes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/unsplash-image-LvR0wYO6cMY.webp)

## how did I find out I had HSV-1?

My own experience began innocently.
A weekend getaway, laughter with friends, shared drinks, and lip balm. A few days later, I noticed a tingling feeling on my lip, something small but unfamiliar.

When my doctor told me it was HSV-1, I remember feeling two things at once: confusion and relief.
Confusion because I didn’t know it could happen this way.
Relief because it finally had a name, and because it wasn’t the end of anything.

Over time, I realized how many people live with HSV-1. It’s everywhere: in families, friendships, and relationships. Often passed through something as simple as a kiss or a shared utensil.

That’s what inspired me to write. To show that it’s not a scarlet letter; it’s just part of being human.

My mission is to help others feel less alone and more informed, to create a world where herpes isn’t a secret, but simply a story we understand.

![](https://dating-herpes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Youaremorethanadiagnosis-5.webp)