mandi
Tell you friend that he's the one who needs to go into therapy! I know exactly how you feel - I, too, had active herpes for more than ten years, right over my prime reproductive and 'dating' years, and believed that I would be alone forever (I also passed up on any chances to have a child). We all made 'bad choices' if we lived in what I call the 'post-pill pre-AIDS' era. You have to forgive yourself for that and realise that 40% of the population of just about any Western country got herpes then. I lost myself in my work and made myself happy with that. I fell in love with a man who loves me a couple of years ago, and suddenly realised that the attacks had not been happening for over a year at that point - and I've never had one, not one, in the subsequent four years. I am happily married, although too late for kids. I believe that it's the happiness which keeps it away! So don't give up!