'I gave my father herpes': Reddit post reveals shared razor almost ruined marriage

The young woman passed the virus to her father. Photo / 123RF

A Canadian woman took to Reddit to claim that a simple error in the family bathroom led to her father contracting the herpes virus from her and almost cost her parents their marriage.

Posting on Reddit's popular TIFU (Today I F***ed Up) forum, the young woman told how she had contracted the virus during a "promiscuous" period at university, after a sheltered youth with her religious family.

"I'll start by saying I am in a very religious family, or at least my parents are, where they believe nobody should have sex until marriage. Fair enough, I guess. I, on the other hand, do not believe that," she said.

"So I was the first daughter in the family to go to college. It's not necessarily a huge accomplishment but for my family it is, as females generally do not attend school [rarely even high school] where I am from."

Adding that she "experimented a little" after starting at university, the young woman got herpes after a one night stand but started on medication designed to suppress the symptoms.

She claimed the drama all started when she was visiting the family home during Christmas holidays: "A boy I had a crush on in high school was going to be at a party I was going to. I was given somewhat late notice and only had a couple hours to get ready. I figure who knows what's going to happen, but I'll give all my areas a good touch up.

"I realise I don't have any razors at home so I use a disposable one of my father's. F*** I'm rushing and I cut myself a little. I go to the party, we don't hook up, no big deal."

Returning her father's razor to its place, she returns to university and didn't think of the night again until she received a panicked call from her distraught mother.

Really should have chucked the razor in the bin. Photo / 123RF

"She's hysterically crying and she's moving back to our home country. My parents are getting a divorce. I have no idea what happens but she gets interrupted with another call and says she'll call me back.

"My parents have been together since they were both 18 and I'm freaking out. I FaceTime my Dad. He answers and his face is covered in a rash. He's telling me he has herpes, but he never cheated and has no idea how this happened. We talk for awhile and I'm confused and mad and don't know what to believe."

After two weeks, the young woman comes to the horrifying realisation that her dubious hygiene habits might have broken up her parents' previously rock-solid marriage.

Caught in a bind, she now faces choosing between revealing to her parents that she is sexually active, or letting their marriage disintegrate.

"Long story short, I tell them, my mom moves back and I didn't entirely ruin my family. It took a lot more work than this makes it seem but that is how I gave my dad herpes."

Reddit users were quick to pile on, with the post quickly amassing over a thousand comments.

"Just a small correction, but you likely gave your mum herpes as well!" one user added.

"You shaved your pubes with one of your dad's face razors... and you put it back? Eww...." another said.

Most commenters laid the blame squarely with the original poster, summed up succinctly by one user: "What a sh***y person."