These 6 Herpes Dating Sites Prioritize Discretion and Service

1. Dating

When it comes to HSV dating, it’s easy to think that there is no hope for a normal dating life going forward. However, we have good news—this couldn’t be further from the truth. With the right mindset, some helpful advice, and some assistance from some welcoming and safe herpes dating sites, you can find love just like everyone else. The key to successful HSV dating is remembering that you are not defined by a medical condition.

And for the record, there are over 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 with HSV-1 and 491 million people with HSV-2. If you feel like there’s no hope or you’re all alone out there, remember that there are literally billions of people and singles in the same boat looking for someone like you.

In this article, we’re going to outline a few of our top picks for the best dating with herpes apps. We’ll share pros and cons, talk about who each option is best for, and close with some helpful tips ang suggestions to help you have the best experience possible.

Positive Singles offers not just great dating, but a community of support.

With over 2.23 million registered members, Positive Singles is our top pick for the best herpes dating app out there. Here are some quick stats to see why we love this site:

• 2.23 million+ members
• 2.55 million+ monthly conversations
• 60,000+ success stories
• 20,000+ monthly blog posts of support

Not only does the site have a lot of active members and a track record of success, but you’ll also find supportive and informative STD blogs, online chat rooms, live dating advisors, treatment stories, and a ton of other helpful resources for HSV dating. It’s way more than just a herpes dating app. It’s a community of support and resources to help you better your life and your relationships.

And unlike some other STD dating apps out there, this app is 100% only for singles with a positive herpes diagnosis. While some people on the site may have more than one diagnosis, the bulk are just HSV positive.

Hands down, Positive Singles is the best herpes dating site available.

MPWH offers an anonymous sign up experience and a massive support blog.

When it comes to herpes dating sites, the conversation is not complete without discussing MPWH. Short for “Meet People With Herpes” this dating site goes a long way to make a comfortable, accessible, and inviting community for singles looking to find love after a positive diagnosis.

Here are a few highlights of that process:

• 100% anonymousness when creating profiles allowing you to choose what information is kept fully private
• Android and iOS app options
• One of the largest herpes blogs on the internet to help

Compared with Positive Singles, MPWH is, in fact, herpes only. If you’re someone who has more than one diagnoses (about 37% of people based on data), you’ll probably enjoy Positive Singles better. But if herpes is all that you have, MPWH might be a better fit.

If you’re looking for a herpes dating site that cares about supporting you and your success, MPWP is 100% worth a shot.

Positive Singles vs. MPWH

Usually our lists of the best dating apps include 5-10 different options to choose from. But since we’re talking about such a narrow and specific need today, there are only two options we really think are worth your time. And we didn’t want to just toss on several other options just to make a fuller list.

So, what that means is that your decision comes down to either Positive Singles or MPWH. But which is the better herpes dating site for you? Well, it depends. Here are some of the key points to consider when making your decision. We don’t think you can go wrong with either, but we want to make sure you have the most complete information possible.

• While MPWH doesn’t publicly share their userbase size, we believe that Positive Singles and it’s 2.5 million users is probably significantly bigger than MPWH. So, if you’re looking for the most options, go with Positive Singles. If you’re really worried about discretion, you could choose MPWH, which is most likely the more intimate option.
• Regarding discretion, both HSV dating sites do a good job of protecting the privacy of their users. That being said, MPWH does go a step further by allowing members to create anonymous profiles. Is this a pro or a con? Depends. If discretion is most important to you, this might be a pro. However, anonymous profiles does open up more opportunities for fake profiles, so that could be a knock against the quality of users.
• Both of these herpes dating apps do a great job of providing additional information, resources, and support for people living with their diagnosis. If we had to pick a winner for the most resources, though, that would go to Positive Singles. With blogs, counselor resources, chat rooms and more, it really is a great place if you’re looking for support along with the chance to meet someone special.

One last note—if you really can’t decide, there isn’t anything wrong with trying out both of these apps. With such a small community, there is probably minimal overlap of members on both sites. And if that doesn’t sound like the right option for you, you can always try one and if it doesn’t work out, try the other option later.

Hwerks isn’t there yet, but they’re on the right track.

Hwerks is a herpes dating app actually has a really good looking homepage (screenshot included above) and it looks like they’re on the right track. The only problem, though, is there’s not much publicity about them and the chances are they’re extremely small (probably too small). We do see that they have chat rooms, forums, and even a secret Facebook group for people to connect further than just on the website.

One major drawback outside of just the sheer size of the site is that it does not have any iOS or Android app options. It’s purely a desktop app, which is something we’d like to see them get changed.

We have them on our radar to keep watching and if we see what looks like some growth, we may consider adding them to our recommended list. For now, though, we’re going to pass.

HSV Singles misses the mark when it comes to discretion.

HSV Singles, unfortunately, has the right idea but commits what we call one of our “cardinal sins” when it comes to dating sites and dating apps—abusing the importance of discretion. If you go to the homepage of HSV Singles (not logged in without a user account), you see a ton of real users listed with their pictures. If you create an account on this site, you literally might have your picture and information plastered publicly to people who haven’t even made the choice to join the site.

We don’t even like this on regular dating apps, let alone one for people who are dating with herpes. Again, it’s not something bad to have a positive diagnosis, but let’s keep medical information private folks. Big miss here for that reason along, among others.

Plenty of Herpes Fish is actually just a lead-gen for Positive Singles.

Plenty of Herpes Fish. Yes, that’s the real name of this site, which is absolutely comical to us because it’s a blatant rip off of Plenty of Fish, a traditional (and quite popular) dating app. That alone is enough to turn us off. But as the famed infomercial giant Billy Mays always said, “But wait! There’s more!”

First, the site looks straight out of the 1990’s. Second, it looks like it was an older herpes dating site that was acquired by Positive Singles at some point. If you read the fine print at the bottom of the page, you’ll see that it’s a membership base of about 650k people on a site “powered by Positive Singles.”

So, if you chose to sign up here, you’d be using a great herpes dating site option (Positive Singles), but just on a much worse and slightly comical user interface.

HSVDate’s cookie cutter approach may be a miss for singles dating with Herpes.

HSVDate falls into the category of what we call cookie cutter. It’s clear that the site is either owned by the same company that makes a lot of other super random niche dating apps that we’ve reviewed before or they purchased the same cookie cutter website software to use. Either way, it means that you’re not really getting a special niche experience designed for someone just like you.

On top of that, good luck finding much publicity about the site literally anywhere. HSV Date looks to be a ghost town (and not in a fun Halloween way), but we still included it on our list for completeness.

There are 5 things that are non-negotiable for a herpes dating app.

As you can see in our top list, we have two apps we highly recommend and four that we’re not big fans of. What we’d like to do is take a step back and talk about why the top two earned their spots and why the others stumbled. What really makes a great app for dating with herpes? Why did we elect not to include the other options that are out there? Let’s get into it. Here are five reasons we believe these are the best herpes dating apps out there.

1. Discretion – While your diagnosis doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you, it’s still probably not something you want shouted from the rooftops. A great herpes dating app understands this and helps keep your information discreet. Yes, things will be shared with other singles, but absolutely not with third party companies or the general public who aren’t members.
2. A Chance to Showcase You – There’s a temptation for niche dating apps to solely focus on the niche they’re serving and forget that people are still people. Yes, it’s important to have space on your profile to talk about your diagnosis. However, there is more to you than just that! And you aren’t just looking to date someone who shares your diagnosis. You still have a whole host of other wants and needs that you want met. A great herpes dating app is one that also serves the general dating needs you have as well.
3. Proactive and Reactive Safety Measures – Safety is always a top priority no matter what type of dating apps or sites we’re reviewing and ranking. What we’re looking for are proactive things like fraud teams, deleting of fake accounts, and systems to catch any unsavory people before they get onto the site. For reactive, we’re talking about things like the ability to block and ban anyone who isn’t conducive to a safe and welcoming dating environment. These are the things you never see, but they’re so important.
4. Helpful Customer Support – Speaking of safety, that ties right into customer support. And at dating apps that may be showing some of your health information to other members, it’s that much more important. All of the best herpes dating sites have great customer support teams that are knowledgeable, empowered to help you, and easily accessible when you need them.
5. Fun – When you’re dating with a positive diagnosis, it’s real easy to fall into the trap of treating dating like anxious work. But honestly, this process is supposed to be fun! You’re supposed to enjoy dating, even if there’s a little more to your situation. We’re only fans of HSV dating sites that understand this and work hard to keep a good balance of fun and serious.

Can I Use Mainstream Dating Apps for Herpes Dating?

Yes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using mainstream dating apps if you have a positive herpes diagnosis. That being said, you do need to be prepared to be honest and open with the singles you match with. You aren’t going to want to put it on your profile like you would with one of these dating apps for herpes, but you do need to be prepared to have the conversation somewhat early in the dating process (and 100% before you kiss or have any intimate contact).

What we would recommend, though, is probably using a mainstream dating app that’s more focused on serious relationships. Why? Generally people who are looking for something long term are more open to being understanding about things like a herpes diagnosis. Yes, you’ll still run into a lot of people who are not okay with it, but you’ll find far more accepting than you will at a casual dating or hookup site.

Tips for Using Herpes Dating Apps

Now that we’ve covered how to go about picking out a HSV dating app and which ones are our favorites, we want to do one more thing. We want to give you a few helpful tips to get the most out of these apps. Dating with herpes is never something people plan on, but it doesn’t have to be something that controls your life or makes you feel like you can’t find love.

Here are some great tips to get you started.

• Remember that you’re more than your condition. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking you are only defined by having herpes, especially if you’ve been recently diagnosed. But while that is now a part of your life, it does not define who you are. It’s important you remember this through the dating process because it will let you get to know someone else for who they really are. If you only focus on the condition, you’ll miss out on the fun and excitement of meeting someone special.
• Be open about your diagnosis. While we don’t want you dwelling on your condition, it’s still a reality of something that is part of your dating life moving forward. Successful HSV dating is about finding the balance between sharing the necessary information and still enjoying the process. Thankfully, sites like Positive Singles give you areas on your profile to share this information, which can alleviate a lot of awkward conversations.   
• Learn to use all of the site functions. Positive Singles has a ton of amazing ways to help you meet other likeminded singles. If you only create a profile and then call it a day, you aren’t giving yourself a real chance of finding love. Look into all the features that are offered. Try out the chat room, send some flirts, drop some messages, and learn to use the search filters. Online dating goes a long way to helping people find love in a much easier way.
• Have fun! If you’re someone who has been recently diagnosed, chances are that you’ve been a little down on yourself about things. But the reason that herpes dating apps exist is to, at the risk of sounding cheesy, “turn that frown upside down.” In all seriousness, though, niche dating sites like this dedicated to HSV dating are designed to help you live a normal live and find the love that you deserve.