The author struggled with mental health after a life-changing diagnosis.

Women’s health

By Claudia Poposky, News.com.au

A woman described how she began having suicidal thoughts after a brief phone call with a doctor.

Annaleise Easley By the time she thought she had cut herself shaving and had to undergo a routine check-up, there was no cure.

“The doctor agreed they thought it was a shaving cut, but she called it herpes,” Islea told news.com.au.

A week later, Islia was told she had to make a follow-up appointment.

She was scared because usually no news is good news in these tests.

Unable to understand what she suspected face to face, she made a telehealth appointment.

“I got a call the next day and told me I was positive for HSV-2 and besides talking to me about antivirals, that pretty much ended the conversation,” Islia said.

“I hung up and just broke. I instantly felt like I was regretting my life without a lifelong diagnosis and being forced to accept something that most people don’t understand about it.”

HSV is the herpes simplex virus that causes viral dermatitis known as HSV1 and HSV2.

HSV1 is transmitted through oral contact and is more commonly known as cold sores.

Oral to genital contact can cause genital herpes.

HSV2 is also known as genital herpes and is transmitted sexually.

The World Health Organization estimates that 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 have HSV-1 and 491 million between the ages of 15 and 49 have HSV-2 as of April 2023.

Islea was shocked and deeply saddened by her diagnosis, especially because of the misinformation about herpes and the fact that no one is talking about it.

When she learned of her diagnosis in May 2023, it was a week before her book came out. Keep swimming.

It was already a rough time so she pushed herself down and got on with what she had to do.

“After the euphoria around him starts to wane, that’s when the diagnosis comes back to mind. It got worse before it got better,” she said.

“I really started to struggle with suicidal thoughts again.”

Her book focused on mental health and she went through some difficult times in her life – she left the Navy after six years, left her marriage to focus on her mental health.

But something about this particular piece of news gripped her.

Herpes is not angry with the person who transmitted it to her.

“I can say that maybe they didn’t tell me, but maybe these people didn’t know they had it or because their symptoms were so mild they thought it was something else,” she said.

It’s nobody’s fault unless someone does it on purpose.

Instead, she lamented the life she envisioned for herself, fearing that her investigation would be fraught with confusion and judgment from others in the future.

A day before her 30th birthday trip to Thailand, Islia was suddenly in doubt about whether she would be able to board the plane.

She felt that there was nothing in front of her.

So, she did what she always did when she wanted to clear her head – she went for a drive.

After driving for three hours, she debated whether she should get on the plane.

During her drive, she received an email from a woman who had attended her book launch.

The woman expressed her appreciation for his candid talk about mental health and said it helped her better support her son through depression.

“That email reminded me of the power I have in using my voice to turn my pain into purpose and help others,” she says.

A month after her book came out, I had this light bulb where I realized that my voice was still affecting me, maybe because I couldn’t sit around knowing how much it was affecting people’s mental health, that’s why I had herpes.

There are many people who suffer in silence because they feel that they cannot talk to anyone.

She decided to board the plane to Thailand.

While on the flight, she wrote about her diagnosis and shared it with a friend.

This friend then passed it on to another person diagnosed with herpes, and he found it very useful.

She then decided to go public with her sexual health status in order to use her experience to continue to support others.

Now, she’s using her voice to raise awareness about herpes and dispel misconceptions.

She emphasizes that while the physical symptoms may be concerning, the mental impact is more challenging.

Easlea noted that doctors provide little information about support services or general STD education.

She recommends that people with the disorder receive referrals to psychologists or sexologists to help them navigate the initial shock and panic.

“It’s not something that defines them, and they can learn to live and thrive with HSV. “Maybe it’s because I’m working,” she said.

Islia, who is taking a break with a boyfriend, says there are advantages to having herpes as a dating filter when talking about it.

She says it helps monitor your mental and physical well-being because it often arises during times of stress.

Islia encouraged people to get regular STD tests, reminding them that a positive test doesn’t mean the end of the world.

Early detection is important to reduce potential and long-term risks, says Dr. Mitchell Tanner, founder of Stigma Health.

More than a third of Stigma Health patients who use the asynchronous telehealth option are first-time STD testers, proving the value of discreet access — thousands of people who might not otherwise seek testing, he said.

“Off-site and online access to STI testing and sexual health services is critical to maximizing testing rates in Australia.”

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free, confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or go here Suicide Prevention Lifeline.org.