I have herpes but have an amazing sex life - I won't let my diagnosis stop me from dating

A woman has revealed how she has 'embraced her herpes diagnosis' despite it wreaking havoc on her romantic life. 

Adrienne Rommel, 43, from Toronto, Canada, is finding ways to live with the condition and has vowed that it won't stop her from enjoying sex. 

The vaginal health nutritionist has suffered five outbreaks since being diagnosed 20 years ago. 

For years, the stress of a potential flare-up caused her to isolate herself from sex and dating.

But now she has has finally embraced her herpes and confessed it even makes her feel 'empowered' - even though her potential romantic partners don't always approve and she's often left ghosted because of it.

'It wasn't until later into my diagnosis that I started having problems with it,' Adrienne said.

'I started isolating myself from dating or sex, and I started worrying all the time about it. I couldn't seem to get it under control.'

She added that it completely knocked her confidence and she has found it difficult finding someone who will accept her and her herpes.

But she added she's determined not to lie about her condition or settle with someone who isn't kind and understanding.  

She said: 'It was a really difficult time for me because I lost my sexual self-confidence and sexual freedom, which have always been very important to me.

'Rejection sucks, especially because of herpes, but I don't want to be with someone who isn't okay with it.

'There have been partners who I've told who weren't okay with it, and completely ghosted me after. There have been partners who I've told who were okay with it at first, but then later weren't.

'Most of the time, there have been partners who I've disclosed to who have been totally cool with it.

While not everyone is happy with it, Adrienne said she's more than happy to discuss it and thinks it's most important to be honest. 

The Canadian said: 'One thing I've learned in all these experiences is that everyone always respects me when I tell them upfront and am honest with them about it.'

Adrienne, who is currently single, claims changing her diet and using holistic practices have seen her outbreaks lessen over the past three years.

She was first diagnosed more than two decades ago and although it has been a tough journey, she now feels comfortable living with herpes.

She said: 'I feel confident in my diagnosis now. I rarely get outbreaks anymore because now I know how to manage it in my body, I know what my triggers are, and I know how to manage those.

'I have adjusted my lifestyle around my diagnosis to manage it better and it's working.

'I still have a hard time having disclosure conversations, though. You just never know who's going to be okay with it and who isn't. Dating is already hard enough.'

Adrienne's work, which focuses on holistic nutrition for vaginal health, has also helped her to feel more empowered, and has allowed her to support their diagnosis and create a community.

She said: 'As I talk to people who have herpes every day, I know a lot about it, and I know how common it is.

'I no longer feel the shame and stigma I once did, particularly when I was going through the recurring outbreak phase.

'I can be hyper-vigilant about making sure everything is okay, especially if I am sexually active but I try to remember that I'm doing everything I can.

'Nobody really knows what it's like unless they've gone through it.

'It's a whole other level of emotional trauma that no one really understands unless they've been through it too.

She added that she thinks it's important to reduce the stigma around the STI, explaining it is a very common disease. 

Adrienne said: 'Herpes is very common, very manageable, and you can still live an amazing life whilst living with herpes.'