The best way for couples to deal with herpes is to talk about it openly and make decisions together. According to one study of discordant couples where one partner had genital herpes and the other did not , there was a significant delay in transmission when the positive partner disclosed his or her infection.
But make sure that you keep your own health and risk in mind as well. You might be surprised. This may be the point where you discover your partner has herpes too, and has been waiting for the moment to tell you. In the grand scheme of things, genital herpes is an inconvenience for most couplesโnothing more than that.
Keep this fact in mind and keep your language positive. Your attitude will also have a lot of influence on how the news is received. Try not to let the anticipation of a possible negative reaction affect the delivery of your message. It is what it isโa sexually transmitted infection. The bottom line is that sexual activity is a natural act that most everyone will have at some point in their lives. With sexual activity anywhere by anyone, there is some level of risk.
Before you talk about herpes and sexual health with a partner, make sure you are prepared to address any misinformation or misconceptions he or she might have.
How well informed are you? Do you know the basic steps to reduce the risk to your partner? Do you know the facts about herpes? You want to feel confident and knowledgeable before you can explain the infection to someone else.
