Talking with your partner

Telling your partner about your diagnosis may seem like a daunting prospect, but it is important that you are honest with them.

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. Work out what you want to say. Make sure you have the facts about the condition, so that you can alleviate their concerns and clearly explain the process of diagnosis and treatment.

Remember that they may believe the common misconceptions about herpes so allow them to share their thoughts and fears with you and work through it together.

Discuss the risk of passing it on. Explain to them that suppressive therapy reduces the incidence of viral shedding Glossary: Viral shedding
The shedding of the herpes virus from the skin surface – even if there are no symptoms present. , which can reduce the risk of passing the virus on.

Some people choose to let their previous sexual partners know about their diagnosis. If this is something you would like to do, the same approach should be taken.