In her early 20s, Melys Edwards rarely left the house without a pair of sunglasses. Health experts say that, for many people, the psychological impact of a genital herpes diagnosis - which is treatable but not curable - can be even greater than the physical symptoms. In England, official figures, external show new cases of genital herpes are increasing, with nearly 29,000 people diagnosed in 2025 - a 3% rise on the previous year. For Melys, from Wrexham, the physical pain of her first outbreak was intolerable. The yoga teacher and digital content creator believes she caught it through having unprotected sex with someone who knew he had genital herpes, but didn't tell her.