What Can History Teach Us About Herpes Stigma
I was listening to a podcast recently about a historical figure who had leprosy. As the host described how people viewed leprosy at the time—fear, avoidance, moral judgment, shame and divine punishment—my first thought was:
“They’re talking about leprosy the way many people still talk about herpes today.”
It was a strange moment of realization:
Everything they described—how people isolated leprosy patients, saw them as “unclean,” believed they were morally at fault—sounded painfully familiar.
We often think stigma is rooted in some objective truth.
But stigma is not science.
Stigma is a social construct.
And when I dig deeper, into history of diseases and stigma, I realized there were many diseases in the past that were viewed just as shameful and cursed as herpes is still viewed today… only to drop that stigma later when knowledge evolves.
So, let's see how herpes is just the latest example—not the exception.
1. Leprosy
For centuries, leprosy was one of the most feared diseases on earth.
People believed it caused body parts to fall off.
They thought it was extremely contagious (it’s not).
They believed it was divine punishment or moral failure.
People with leprosy were:
- forced into isolation
- stripped of rights
- publicly shamed
- treated as though they were “dangerous”
Legislation across Europe, including early 12th-century French regulations by Bishop Raymond of Montpellier (1149–1158), mandated isolation and distinctive clothing, while prohibiting lepers from public spaces, markets, and churches. In England, royal and ecclesiastical laws from the 12th century enforced similar exclusions, with lepers required to carry clappers or bells.
Fast forward to today?
Leprosy is curable.
It’s barely contagious.
And there is no moral component attached to it.
The stigma evaporated once science and society caught up.
2. Tuberculosis
Once a shameful diseases, in the 1800s and early 1900s, tuberculosis carried massive stigma.
People were seen as weak, morally corrupt, or responsible for their illness because of “poor lifestyle.”
Families hid diagnoses. People were excluded from society.
Now?
TB is treated as a medical condition—nothing more, nothing less.
No shame.
No morality.
No whispers.
The stigma is gone.
3. HIV/AIDS
In the 1980s, the stigma around HIV was devastating.
People believed:
- you could catch HIV from touching someone
- it was a “punishment”
- it only affected certain groups
The fear and misinformation were extreme.
But today?
We know the science. HIV is treatable.
Many people reach viral suppression and cannot transmit the virus.
The public conversation is drastically more compassionate, informed, and grounded in reality, with a lot of thanks to Lady Diana, who was the first person that showed the people infected, the same respect as anyone else.
4. Herpes
So where does this leave herpes?
Right in the center of a familiar historical cycle:
- A very common virus (about 70–80% of adults have HSV-1, and 1 in 6 have HSV-2).
- Often mild or invisible symptoms.
- No danger to the public.
- Yet surrounded by shame, jokes, and social panic.
Herpes is not deadly.
It’s not a moral failing.
It’s not rare.
It’s not a symbol of anything.
But stigma thrives where education is lacking.
Just like with leprosy, TB, and HIV in earlier years, people project shame onto what they don’t understand.
Herpes is simply today’s target.
Stigma Is About Society — Not the Disease
Stigma doesn’t follow the severity of the disease.
It follows cultural beliefs.
Leprosy is now understood.
TB is understood.
HIV is increasingly understood.
And with understanding comes empathy, nuance, normalization and science over fear.
Herpes will follow the same trajectory. Already, younger generations talk about it more openly. People in support groups learn from each other.
And more people are realizing:
Herpes is just a skin condition caused by a virus the majority of humans carry.
Nothing more.
You Are Not Stigmatized — The Virus Is.
If you have herpes, there is nothing wrong with you. You did nothing wrong. You are not “contaminated,” “dirty,” or “less worthy.”
You’re simply living with a common virus that has been blown out of proportion by old jokes, outdated sex education, and misunderstanding.
Just like leprosy was misunderstood.
Just like TB was misunderstood.
Just like HIV was misunderstood.
History shows that stigma fades with time. And I want you to see the truth, and get yourself past the stigma.
And one day, herpes stigma will be nothing more than a strange relic of the past.
This is why community matters so much.
Talking about herpes today might feel like speaking out against an outdated, old-world belief system—but that’s exactly how stigma starts to die.
Every person who shares their story helps push society forward.
You are part of that shift.
And genuinely, that matters.
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