The Scoop: Singles who have herpes can sometimes feel like the pariah of the dating world, but HSVBuddies.com welcomes them with open arms. This international dating site has established a community where men and women with HSV-1 and HSV-2 don’t have to shy away from discussions about their health. Singles on HSVBuddies enjoy a friendly, private, and open-minded space where they can have a constructive chat in a group forum or one on one.
The World Health Organization has estimated that, in 2012, over 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 had an HSV-1 infection. That equates to around 67% of the world’s population.
In many cases, people will not show symptoms of being HSV-1 positive, but the infection stays with them for their entire lives. Oral herpes can cause painful blisters and open sores in or around the mouth. These cold sores are highly infectious and spread primarily by oral-to-oral contact. HSV-1 can also lead to genital herpes through oral-to-genital contact.
According to the WHO, over 417 million people between 15 and 49 years old live with HSV-2, which is genital herpes transmitted through sexual activities.
This type of herpes can be rare, and its mild symptoms can often go unrecognized and untreated. People infected with HSV-2 can experience outbreaks of open sores or ulcers around the genital area, and the infection can cause a fever, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes. The ulcers also make individuals more susceptible to contracting HIV. Health experts say HSV-2 occurs in over 60% of HIV-infected individuals.
Dating with HSV-1 or HSV-2 can be difficult, uncomfortable, or even painful, so it’s important for these singles to find partners who understand or empathize with what they’re going through. HSVBuddies.com is on a mission to remove the stigma of the infection and unite daters who have herpes. The dating site encourages its members to be upfront about their symptoms and health needs.
Powered by the Positive Singles network, this unique dating site has seen thousands of registrations by men and women who have HSV-1 or HSV-2. Many join the site because they want to build friendships, create relationships, and establish lifelong happiness — despite their lifelong infections. These singles are looking for a positive, honest, and healthful dating resource, and that’s exactly what HSVBuddies provides.
In the words of the website, “HSVBuddies.com emerges as a ray of hope to those looking for an authentic herpes dating site that has genuine users from all walks of life.”
Quick Search Features Speed Up the Matching Process
Herpes impacts both men and women, but women seem particularly prone to HSV-1 in the U.S. In the Americas, 49% of women under 50 have HSV-1, while only 39% of men under 50 have HSV-1. These individuals can often feel ashamed of their symptoms and see themselves as undatable or unattractive because of the cold sores.
However, a herpes diagnosis is not the end of love and romance. Singles who have herpes can still lead fulfilling love lives — they just need to be smart about how they go about it. HSVBuddies.com recommends starting by openly displaying your health status and letting potential dates know what’s going on.
There is no shame associated with having herpes on HSVBuddies. The singles on this site understand the difference between HSV-1 and HSV-2 and are willing to work through such challenges to create loving relationships. By approaching the illness with understanding and positivity, the HSV community can transform people’s lives and empower them to overcome their illnesses.
It takes less than a minute for HSV singles to create a dating profile on HSVBuddies.com and use the Quick Search features to identify viable date prospects in their area.
HSVBuddies offers one-month, three-month, and six-month membership plans for singles who are serious about meeting someone special. The plans can cost as little as 50 cents a day and include unlimited access to chat rooms, the discussion forum, and real-time messaging.
From start to finish, HSVBuddies fosters a welcoming environment where singles can feel comfortable making friends and opening up to someone online. Anyone can join the site for free, but they must be a member if they want to engage in heart-to-heart conversations.
If newcomers aren’t sure what to say, they can always use the Quick Exit feature, which allows members to pass a note of interest to someone they like. These standard icebreakers can help get the ball rolling and take the pressure off singles struggling to come up with a personalized greeting.
Singles don’t need a fancy pick-up line to engage prospective dates on HSVBuddies. The site places a high premium on honesty and authenticity, and singles uphold those values by disclosing their illnesses in their profiles and getting straight to the point during personal discussions.
Prioritizing User Privacy & Safety in Everything They Do
Online daters can put themselves in compromising positions by publishing private information on general dating sites. Some singles post intimate details about their personal lives, their relationship goals, or even their sexual preferences, and they trust the dating platform to guard that information.
The HSVBuddies.com team takes that responsibility seriously and aims to help privacy-conscious singles feel right at home. The dating site’s lengthy privacy policy includes a promise to only use personal data (name, age, address, phone number, etc.) to provide customer service, manage the account, and troubleshoot issues. The site also uses data analytics to improve its services.
Members can limit or restrict the processing of their personal data by emailing the team with a brief description of their needs. Members should put “opt-out” in the subject lines of these emails.
“We have appointed a Data Protection Officer to ensure continued commitment to privacy and security.” — HSVBuddies.com
HSVBuddies does use cookies, web beacons, and other technological tools to collect and analyze non-personal data, including browser type, device type, operating system, and IP addresses. But the site will never share personal data with third-party companies without the member’s permission.
The site complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and has committed to keeping members informed about privacy and security issues concerning their personal data.
HSVBuddies says it maintains “appropriate organizational and technical measures designed to protect the security and confidentiality of any information we process. However, no organizational or technical measures are 100% secure, so you should take care when disclosing information online and act reasonably to protect yourself online.”
HSVBuddies Removes the Stigma of Having an STD
HSV-1 is most contagious when a cold sore is present, but it can also be transmitted when the person is not currently experiencing symptoms. All it takes is a kiss to contract or spread this infection, and that means active daters are among the most susceptible to oral herpes. Having oral herpes is painful enough; however, when singles contract genital herpes, the situation can get even more sensitive and complicated.
Herpes can be a real obstacle to singles in the dating scene, but HSVBuddies.com is working to raise awareness about these issues and help singles navigate the dating scene while being honest about their health issues. The supportive community gives daters the peace of mind they’re looking for as they search for a way out of their pain and into a relationship.
“It is the site to be in for all those HSV victims who feel lonely,” according to the website. “Being infected with herpes is no longer a curse, thanks to HSVBuddies.com.”
