Talking with your partner

Because there are so many myths about genital herpes, telling other people you have the virus can seem very hard at first. But you may find telling friends helps, and being honest with sexual partners is really important.

Finding out they have genital herpes comes as a shock to most people, even if most soon realise that having the virus will not have nearly as much impact on their lives as they first thought.

It’s a good idea to plan the way you tell your partner to make sure you don’t give him or her just as much of a shock as you had. Choose the time and place to tell your partner. Just before or after sex, probably wouldn’t be a great time.

Work out what you want to say. Print out some of the sections from this website: Key facts , about genital herpes and common misunderstandings could be helpful to dispell any misconceptions and get the facts straight.

One of the advantages you have is that you can emphasise positive information, including the fact that there are plenty of things you can do to protect your partner from catching the virus. Print out the section Herpes Prevention to give you some back up.

Just like anyone of us who goes out into the sun is at risk of getting skin cancer, we take precautions to limit the risk. Same goes for your sex life. You can use a condom and an effective antiviral treatment to limit the risks.