Lifestyle
Sophie Miller was surprised when a “secret” TikTok post meant to raise herpes awareness went wildly viral.
Sophie Miller / TikTok
A young woman chronicling her herpes journey on TikTok was shocked to learn that an emotional post revealing her diagnosis had gone viral.
Sophie Miller’s video, posted to an anonymous account with a goal of raising awareness, has now amassed over 10.6 million views. And even if her newfound fame intially caused her some discomfort, she says she’s leaving the post online.
“I’m scared,” Miller begins, in her original, highly vulnerable post.
The young woman explains that the trouble started when she felt a burning sensation during urination. She confessed to feeling “run down” and “icky” overall.
The sudden social media star was initially diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI), but she grew more concerned as her pain continued. Miller says she soon developed “very painful sores” on her genitals and a swollen lymph node in her groin.
Miller immediately made an appointment with her gynecologist, hitting record as she explained the situation, while anxiously awaiting her medical test.
“Everything hurts,” Miller said thirty minutes before her appointment.
After she received her results, the young woman recorded her reaction in the car. “I have herpes,” Miller cried.
She then talked about about having to warn her partners before having unprotected sex, how her diagnosis would impact her dating life, if she’d ever be able to have children and how disappointed her parents would be as she would now have to live with the STD for the rest of her life.
Miller admitted to feeling “ashamed” and “embarrassed” about her diagnosis and “naive” and “stupid” for having contracted the disease.
“I just posted it to get it out of my system,” Miller told Business Insider. “I didn’t want to tell anybody that I knew, but I just needed to talk. And then I ended up talking to 10 million people.”
Miller has been “overwhelmed” by people in her life — plus a few extra million — finding the video and learning she has herpes, but claims that the viral video has actually put her at ease.
The “comment section has been amazing,” she shared.
The young woman admitted that she’s thought about deleting the video several times but “can’t,” because she feels the video and its comments have and will be helpful in spreading awareness and educating people about the reality of living with the STD.
Miller was diagnosed with HSV-1, a common infection that mostly spreads by oral contact and causes infections in or around the mouth but can cause genital herpes.
The infection is so common that most adults are infected with HSV-1, according to the World Health Organization.
HSV-2 spreads by sexual contact and causes genital herpes, but most people have no or mild symptoms. Both types are treatable but not curable.
Although herpes is very common, it is still highly stigmatized.
“I think that it’s silly that people that have it genitally get shamed by somebody that could have it on their mouth,” she told Business Insider.
“STDs and STIs shouldn’t be something that you are terrified of. They’re so common that it should be talked about more, and it should be just understood more.”
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Rachel Carter is a health and wellness expert dedicated to helping readers lead healthier lives. With a background in nutrition, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.
