Most professional "papers" or in-depth commentaries on this episode focus on its use of "shock humor" and its controversial portrayal of character relationships:
If you are writing your own paper or researching the episode's impact, these recurring themes are the most "useful" to explore: [S12E16] Herpe the Love Sore
: The episode references the Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment to explain alternate universes where characters live or die. Most professional "papers" or in-depth commentaries on this
For a visual breakdown of why this episode is frequently criticized in media studies, you can watch this review analysis: Top 10 Worst Family Guy Episodes WatchMojo.com YouTube• Jul 6, 2018 : The episode explicitly questions whether the "stigma"
: The B-plot, in which soldiers bully Peter and his friends and are hailed as heroes despite their behavior, serves as a dark satire on the "unquestioned reverence" given to the U.S. military.
: The episode explicitly questions whether the "stigma" of herpes is worse than the disease itself, famously suggesting a name change to "Boppo" to reduce its social weight.