Finally, someone in the public eye admits to having herpes.

More than 10 per cent of the Australian population has it, yet it’s a secret not many of us are willing to publicly admit to.

That might be about to change thanks to Australian online talk show host, Kirsty Spraggon.

In a TEDx Talk called, “You’re Only As Sick As Your Secrets,” the former real estate agent revealed a secret that has weighed heavily on her for over a decade.

“So my secret…”

“Three little words, so easy to say, and yet the most difficult for me.”

“I have herpes.”

“Not the kind up here (she says pointing to her lips), the kind down there.”

Spraggon shares how the shame and guilt of our secrets can insidiously infect our lives. By manifesting in other ways such as addictions, unhealthy relationships, self-loathing and anxiety. For her, it meant staying in toxic relationships because she believed she was unworthy of being loved.

“Everyone has a secret or something they don’t share with others because it holds some guilt or stigma and is something they keep bottled up for fear of rejection and judgement.”

Take a look:

The response from the talk has been an outpouring of support, with people of all ages admitting that they too have an sexually transmissible infection.

According to Spraggon, “Daughters are talking to their mothers and friends are sharing with one another, that they too have kept silent of their STD for fear of shame and rejection.”

Kirsty Spraggon had a successful career in real estate in Australia when she decided to follow her dream to develop a talk show on the other side of the world. Her online talk show platform, KirstyTV, helps people to heal by sharing their stories. Watch episodes of KirstyTV at www.kirstytv.com or on YouTube.