Editor’s Guide
Filled with beautiful colors of aqua and purple, the top of H-Date’s homepage has a brief description of the site, a Join link where people can create an account, and a ‘Links’ link that presently provides little additional or useful information. Existing members log into their account at the top left of the home page and are taken to their personal home page. Although providing a Profile Spotlight on four members and a quick search field on the right hand side of the page, the website’s homepage is filled with herpes information, making it look more like the homepage for an HPV informational and educational organization than it does a herpes dating website.
Although difficult to read with black type on a dark purple background, above the fold the H-Date homepage provides a good general description of what genital herpes is, how common it is, and how it is contracted. Below the fold is a HPV FAQ with more details about the HPV sexually transmitted disease. While all of this herpes and HPV information is interesting and valuable to know, it is likely to scare away or turn off potential members who are mainly interested in meeting new people and dating.
Creating an account at H-Date is a simple three step process; specify your country, state and complete a short questionnaire. The questionnaire does not require disclosure of your particular STD which is curious given the high degree of attention paid to herpes and HPV on the home page. The registration process continues with an email confirmation followed by additional forms requesting more information, all of which is optional. This process can take several minutes.
Once all of the forms are complete, you can go to your home page where you can conduct a quick general search based on STD, age and country, view member messages, and check who is interested in you at your dashboard. Using a top navigation bar provides access to other features where you can check your messages, conduct a more detailed a specific search, modify or update your profile, and upgrade your membership to a paid membership.
The website also features voting polls and an events directory. There are currently nine polls active for members to participate in related to your STD and the site. No upcoming events were listed.
Contrary to its bold claims, with only 42,754 registered members as indicated on its home page, H-Date is a medium sized international herpes dating site; therefore providing a smaller number of people with which to connect and interact in any local geographic area. After creating my account and browsing my personal page, there were only two people on-line at the site, one of which was me.
Overall this site is not as personable and welcoming as others and seems to be much less populated. For herpes singles interested in meeting a lot of people and an active dating site, I would recommend spending your valuable time elsewhere rather than at H-Date.
Membership Costs
- Bronze is Free
- Anti-Scammer Verification Fee 0.99 or $1 (1 Year Gold Membership)
Acceptable Payment Options
Credit Card/PayPal, eCheck(PayPal), Money Order, Personal Check, Cash
Available Apps and Mobile
None