Herpes are more common than one would think. According to John Hopkins Medicine, it’s possible that up to 80% of people have oral herpes, with many not even realizing they have it.
For those who do experience symptoms, outbreaks occur in the form of cold sores on the lips, and certain foods have been linked to triggering reoccurring outbreaks.
Stephanie Boyd Lynn Boyd (@stephanielboyd_) has a public service announcement for the millions of people who have herpes, and it has to do with Chick-fil-A’s chicken nuggets. Boyd has amassed 22,000 followers by using her TikTok account to raise awareness, destigmatize having herpes, and share educational content about the STI.
“If you have herpes, and you like to go to Chick-fil-A and get any of their fried chicken, I just found out that it’s fried in peanut oil,” she informs the audience. “And peanuts can be a trigger for people to have a herpes outbreak. However, the rest of the chicken restaurant’s food is safe. The fries are fine, the grilled nuggies are fine—all of those things. But the chicken specifically—that’s fried peanut oil, cut it out,” she says.
Chick-fil-A does fry its chicken nuggets in peanut oil, the website confirms. “We’ve been cooking our hand-breaded chicken exclusively in fully refined, heat-processed peanut oil,” Chick-fil-A’s website reads.
According to Healthline, “This type is refined, bleached and deodorized, which removes the allergenic parts of the oil. It is typically safe for. those with peanut allergies.”
Phoenix, Canada’s first digital health clinic for men, nuts can be a trigger for people with oral herpes, also known as HSV-1, due to them being high in the amino acid arginin. “People with herpes may be more susceptible to the virus if they have high levels of arginine in their blood. This is because arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide, which is a chemical that can help the virus enter and multiply in cells,” Phoenix reports.
@stephanielboyd_ ♬ original sound – Stephanie Lynn Boyd
Her video amassed 3.3 million views. Some viewers made insensitive jokes like “Guess it’s chic fil a for the first date from now on.” But others were quick to remind them just how prevalent the STI is. And others shared their experiences of getting cold sores after eating Chick-fil-A.
Boyd also responded to such comments in a follow-up video, issuing sound advice. “People, just ask people that you want to sleep with about their sexual health,” she says. “If you’re so worried about catching herpes, or any other STI—the best way to prevent that is to have a conversation.”
Phoenix further reminds readers that everyone is different and may have different triggers. “What might be a trigger for one person might not be a trigger for another. It’s always best to talk to a healthcare provider about what might be triggering your symptoms,” the site recommends.
Also, dietitians recommend against cutting certain foods out of one’s diet unless they have a life-threatening allergy to it due to the nutritional benefits these foods may offer.
Update 1:19pm CT, March 21: Boyd told the Daily Dot, “You can still eat the fried nuggets and enjoy your chicken it’s just something that could be a trigger but doesn’t have to stop you from eating there!”