Women’s Health has an essay today from Ella Dawson, a 22-year-old who wants you to know she has genital herpes. After her diagnosis in college, Dawson, whose day job is on TED’s social media team, has also made a second career writing frequently, openly and quite cheerily about the past two years of living, dating,…

It turns out that herpes simplex virus 2—the penis/vagina/butthole kind with which 25 percent of American humans are currently infected—is a result of some ancient bestiality between our ancestors and chimpanzees, which lends a whole new meaning to "hot monkey love."

Since knowledge is power, Vox would like you to know that you definitely, probably most likely have herpes. Don't you feel powerful?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their data on rates of STD infection among sexually active Americans in 2012 today. Merry Public Health Employee Christmas, one and all!

Casey Anthony, Disney condos, CSI: Miami, and now this. The state of Florida is apparently under threat from a small army of adaptive, herpes-infected monkeys that wildlife officials are now classifying as a "public health hazard."

Super-duper Orthodox Jewish leaders in New York are bristling under the Health Department's plan to mandate a parental consent form before rabbis perform the ancient circumcision ritual called "metzitzah b'peh." So far, some 200 rabbis have objected to the city's mandate, and have signed a proclamation claiming that…

If you knew for sure that someone had given you genital herpes, would you sue them? One woman in Oregon did, and now she's won her case and is getting $900,000 for her pain and suffering. It all began when the 49-year-old woman met her 69-year-old date on eHarmony. They'd been out a few times and enjoyed each other's…

In case you haven't heard, the world's coral reefs are in drastic decline, which is really going to be a bummer for the future of earth. Earth enthusiasts are, predictably, concerned. Coral reefs serve about a million environmental and economic purposes—from supporting massive ecosystems of sea life to buffering…

Last year AIDS researchers gave fellow scientists a standing ovation when they announced they'd developed a gel that reduced HIV infections by 39%. Now a new study has proven that the product can also protect against herpes. The gel was originally intended to cut HIV infection rates in Africa, but now there's talk of…

A Wisconsin woman is suing a man for $350,000 for giving her herpes. She hopes to get a payout from his homeowner and auto insurance. They were both married to other people at the time, but spent a day having an affair in Madison, the suit said.

Rebound! Hef is dating a new Playboy model, 25-year-old Anna Sophia Berglund. She was Playmate of The Month in January, and you will find this absolutely shocking, but she is blonde. Apparently she and Hef are already calling each other "babe," although it's possible that from time to time she may slip up and call him…

College student Alexandria J. Baker Pierce drove to Durham on Friday with two friends to tell the guy she'd slept with that she hadn't in fact given him herpes. Brinton Marcell Millsap, 23, responded by fatally shooting all three and then killing himself.

The Food and Drug Administration announced this week that it's going after over a dozen companies selling non-prescription pills and supplements—like Medavir, Herpaflor and C-Cure—that purport to cure STDs like HIV, Herpes and HPV. Federal health officials say that none of these products have been proven to be…

Welcome to a Very Special Episode of Midweek Madness, in which we have very little patience for crappy, recycled gossip and really just want to sleep late and eat sweet potato pie.

• Lawmakers in Japan are likely to reject a proposed bill on tightening regulations on sexual imagery of minors in animation and comics. The bill also urges distributors to ban minors' access to cartoons or games that depict rape. •

Drug company Starpharma says they hope to release the world's first herpes-killing gel within two years. Although other companies are working on a vaginal gel to prevent HIV, Starpharma thinks the herp-specific goo will be a better seller. [Business Week]

Science Now reports: "Herpes Never Sleeps." But under the funny heading comes some bad news - herpes may be much easier to transmit that previously believed. [ScienceNow]