Why Getting Herpes Was a Gift

In STI support communities, many refer to the person who gave them herpes as their "gifter." This might sound strange, but it's an apt term. July 13th, 2015, was the day I contracted genital herpes. In STI support communities, many refer to the person who gave them herpes as their “gifter.” This might sound strange, since I’m sure a sexually transmitted disease is not a gift anyone wants. But, looking back on my past nine months with herpes, I think this is an apt term. My herpes is a gift: Not the virus itself, but the way it’s shaped my perception of myself and my relationships with the people around me. It’s influenced my writing and my feminist activism. In fact, I think having herpes...