Knowing How to Live with Genital Herpes Helps Put You In Charge

Talking to your partner

Honest and open communication is an essential part of any relationship. Whether you have genital herpes – or your partner has told you they have genital herpes – it’s important that you discuss it together so that you can both make informed choices about your relationship.

If you have genital herpes…
your partner needs to be informed, not just “told”.
Although telling your partner may be difficult, it can be a positive step towards building a stronger relationship. Telling your partner that you have genital herpes also tells them that you care about your relationship and don’t want to transmit genital herpes to them. By informing your partner, reducing that risk becomes a shared responsibility and not yours alone.

If you’re worried your partner might react negatively to your news, keep in mind how you felt when you were first told that someone had given you genital herpes. It’s only natural to expect a similar reaction from your partner if you tell them after you’ve been sexually intimate together. Telling your partner before sexual contact takes place helps prevent any future misunderstandings. Besides, the longer you put it off, the more you’re allowing genital herpes to dominate your life.

References

1. Clarke P. The Impact of a Herpes Diagnosis and the Implications for Patient Counseling. Clinical Management of Herpes Viruses,1995: 75-85. IOS Print, Washington, DC. 2. Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW and Roizman B. Herpes Simplex Viruses. Clin Infect Dis 1998;26(3):541-553. 3. Sacks S. The Truth About Herpes. 4th Ed., 1997. Gordon Soules Book Publishing Ltd. 4. Kemeny ME, Cohen F, Zegans LS et al. Psychological and Immunological Predictors of Genital Herpes Recurrence. Psych Med 1989;51:195-208. 5. Aoki FY. Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections 2006 Edition; Genital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections. Public Health Agency of Canada http://phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti_2006/pdf/sti2006_e.pdf. Accessed May 15, 2006. 6. Cuisini M and Ghislanzoni M.The importance of diagnosing genital herpes. J Antimicrob Chemo 2001;47(Topic T1):9-16.