70% Of Us Have This: The Truth About Herpes, Stigma & Dating | Ep. 1

Welcome to the very first episode of Taboo Topics! We are Dr. Becca and Dr. Amber, two best friends and doctors who met at medical school. We’re here to talk about all the things you chat about with your friends but never actually have the clinical answers to. 🩺✨ Chapters 00:00 - Welcome to Taboo Topics: Meet Dr B & Dr A 00:45 - Why we started this podcast (No TMI here!) 03:36 - HEALTH GOSSIP: Becca’s Hinge Horror Story 🚩 08:15 - Amber’s News: Exams, Engagements & SAD 10:09 - THE TABOO: 70% of people have Herpes? 📊 13:00 - Cold Sores vs. Herpes: The PR Problem 16:45 - Becca’s Traumatic Flare-ups (Stress & Sun) 20:50 - Genital Herpes: Spotting the "First Sign" & The Tingle 24:00 - Asymptomatic Shedding: The Secret Spread 🧬 26:50 - Disclosure Tips: When (and how) to tell a partner 29:44 - ROLEPLAY: "Bill, I have something to tell you..." 🍷 33:12 - Will it ruin your sex life? (The unfiltered truth) 35:30 - The Prescription: Acyclovir, Creams & Clinic Support 39:00 - Final Thoughts: You are not alone 💙 In today's episode, we are diving deep into one of the biggest taboos in health: Herpes Simplex Virus. Did you know that 7 out of 10 people have herpes by the age of 25? 📊 So why are we still treating it like a moral failing or the punchline of a joke? Dr. Becca shares her traumatic experience with facial flare-ups during her A-Levels and university, and we explain why a "cold sore" is just herpes with a better PR team. 💅 We also have some MAJOR "Health Gossip" this week, including Dr. Amber’s wedding planning stress and Dr. Becca’s absolute nightmare Hinge date with an "Industry Guy" who had some seriously questionable audacity... 🚩🙄 In this episode, we cover: ✅ The Stats: Why you are definitely not the "odd one out." ✅ Cold Sores vs. Genital Herpes: The identity crisis and why language matters. ✅ Becca’s Story: Dealing with severe flare-ups, stress triggers, and sunlight. ✅ Asymptomatic Shedding: Can you spread it with NO symptoms? (The answer might surprise you). ✅ The Disclosure Roleplay: Exactly how to tell a date you have an STI without the panic. ✅ Treatments: From Acyclovir to suppressive therapy - how to take back control. Don't suffer in silence! Whether you’re struggling with a diagnosis or just want to educate yourself, we are here to break the taboo 💙 RESOURCES MENTIONED: 🔹 Herpes UK: herpes.org.uk 🔹 BASHH (British Association for Sexual Health and HIV) 🔹 Visit your local sexual health clinic for support! FOLLOW US: 📸 Instagram:   / tabootopicpod   ✨ Like, comment & subscribe to help us break more stigmas! Dr B & Dr A x NOTE: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. REFERENCES: Tuddenham, et al, 2022 and Gnann and Whitley 2016, S3xually Transmitted Infections: Updated Guideline From the CDC. 2022. BASHH Genital Herpes PIL. For full references, follow the link in our bio #herpes #coldsores #stigma #tabootopics #sexualhealth #datingstories #nhsdoctors #healthgossip