Dating someone with herpes advice

Herpes & Relationships

The more emotionally charged an issue, the more important it is to find out the facts. Most people know little or no facts about herpes. Frequently, what knowledge they have is coloured by myth and misconception. Having the correct information about herpes not only makes it easier for your partner, but it also makes it easier for you. Following are some of the basic facts about herpes that might be important points to tell a partner.

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Oral herpes poses a risk beyond cold sores. Herpes simplex virus type 1 HSV-1 —the virus mainly responsible for cold sores oral herpes —is easily passed through kissing and oral sex. If you have or are recovering from a cold sore and have such contact with a partner, they can also get a cold sore.

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Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Why Trust Us? Thanks to STI stigma, being diagnosed with herpes might provoke anxiety about your dating life, especially when it comes to having sex. But thankfully, the reality is, many people with herpes and other STIs are having normal love lives every day.

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Someone you love has herpes

I'm not religious at all, I'd describe myself as an atheist, but when aged 21 I started getting sores around my penis, I must have prayed 50 times a day that it would be something other than herpes. I felt such shame and I think that's due to the fact no one seems to talk about it. It's strange there's such a huge stigma around it - especially when you consider two-thirds of the world's population under have the HSV-1 type of herpes. This form generally appears as cold sores around your mouth but it can be passed to your genitals through skin on skin contact which is becoming a more common way of contracting genital herpes. Before I was officially diagnosed, I googled my symptoms and scared myself silly.

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