A few years ago I met this woman Naomi Munichiello in Eugene, Oregon. She seemed nice, I liked hanging out with her, and things escalated even though I didn't know here for very long. Eventually she told me about her Herpes after I was exposed and that she had been diagnosed before meeting me.
I figured I was probably safe since I didn't know her very long, but I decided to get tested just in case and ended up with the shock of a lifetime. She didn't intend to infect me, but she did and I still fell that her actions although not malicious were still reckless.
Personally I think her fear of the Herpes stigma outweighed common decency in her mind. When I was seeing her she told me several time "there is something I have to tell you" and I would ask her what it was. When she finally told me what it was she broke down crying and each time I asked her why she didn't tell me sooner she said that she did not know why or that she didn't know how neither of which were good enough answers for me. Like most women she became emotionally unstable easily and that instability turned what should have been a simple up front statement like "I have Herpes" into some kind of complex issue for her.
Looking back on things I can't forgive her for what she did, but I can understand why she didn't think having Herpes was a big deal because after living with it for over 3 years I wouldn't have a clue that I'm infected if it were not for that test. Symptoms have been either mild to the point that they could easily be something else like acne or completely non-existent.
Today I can see why some people that the stigma surrounding Herpes can be worse than having Herpes itself depending on the circumstances.