Talk to your Doctor. It's Important That You Do.

Questions to ask your doctor

If you have recently been told you have genital herpes…
you will probably have a lot of questions about genital herpes and how it is going to affect your life. The following are questions you may want to ask your doctor. You may have others too. Write down any questions you have and make sure you discuss them with your doctor at your next visit.

You may want to know:

• What causes genital herpes?
• I’ve always been careful, so how did I become infected?
• Is there a cure for genital herpes?
• How do I avoid giving genital herpes to someone else?
• Will I get more outbreaks?
• Will my next outbreak be as bad as the first?
• Will genital herpes prevent me from having children?

If you have been living with genital herpes for a while…
you may have questions that involve the emotional as well as physical impact that genital herpes may be having on your life. You might want to discuss both with your doctor:

The physical impact of genital herpes

• If you are worried about giving genital herpes to your partner, what can you do to reduce the risk of transmission?
• If your outbreaks are severe and/or frequent, what can be done to reduce your symptoms?
• If your outbreaks are having an impact on your ability to work and function well, what treatment options are available to help lessen the impact?

The emotional and psychological impact of genital herpes
Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any of the following:

• You avoid new relationships and sexual intimacy because you fear rejection or you are concerned you will transmit genital herpes to a sexual partner
• You are still angry at the person you believe infected you
• Genital herpes has lowered your self-esteem and self-confidence
• You feel depressed
• Your work or social life, or your health status, have significantly changed since you were diagnosed