Do cold sores mean you have herpes?
A bit anxious about this one. Does getting cold sores mean you have herpes? My understanding is cold sores are HSV-1 and extremely common, but I would love a clear answer.
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Welcome. The two things worth knowing early: it is very common, and it is far more preventable than most people realise.
Yes, technically they're caused by HSV-1, but when I found out that more than half of adults carry it (most of us picked it up as kids from a family kiss) I stopped feeling so ashamed about it. You're in very normal company here, promise.
Yes, technically cold sores are caused by HSV-1 which is a form of herpes, but honestly most of the world carries it and I wish someone had told me that sooner. I spent years feeling embarrassed about mine before learning how common it is, and that alone took so much weight off.
The mental side is real, glad someone said it.