Hearing from your doctor that you have a herpes genital infection can be extremely stressful. It's not uncommon for people to get a herpes diagnosis and panic that they will never be able to date or have sex again. Fortunately, that isn't true. Herpes doesn't have to be the end of your sex life. You may end up changing the way you talk and think about sex, but just because you have a herpes genital infection doesn't mean you need to give up on life.
The most important thing to do after being diagnosed with a herpes genital infection is to learn everything you can about herpes so that you understand what is going on in your body. Then, if after reading everything you can about the virus you're still finding yourself unable to cope, don't feel hesitant about seeking professional help. Herpes is just a virus, but it's a highly stigmatized one, that can be hard to handle emotionally. There's nothing wrong with wanting to reach out to someone who will listen without judgment and with understanding.
Resources for People With Herpes Genital Infections:
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Genital herpes is an incredibly common infection - scientists estimate that it may affect as many as one out of every five men and one out of every four women. This article provides a good basic overview about herpes genital infections and the herpes viruses.
- Genital Herpes Overview
- More About Oral Herpes
- Cold Sores ARE Oral Herpes
- Exploring The Risks of Herpes and Oral Sex
- Additional Information About Suppressive Therapy and HSV Transmission
- Examing Herpes Cure Rumors
- Learn About Condoms & Herpes
- Lysine as a Herpes Treatment
- Honey and Herpes
- User Experiences with Alternative Herpes Therapies
- Understanding Herpes Blood Test Accuracy
- How Long Could You Have Herpes Before Testing Positive?
- Herpes IgG Tests - In Detail
- Herpes IgM Tests - In Detail
- Dating with Herpes
- How to Tell a Partner You Have Herpes
- Can Suppressive Therapy Reduce The Stress of Dating With Herpes?
- The Problem With Looking for Someone To Blame
- Could Someone Really Not Know They Had Herpes?
- Living with Herpes
- Users Talk About Living with Herpes
- Herpes Support Forum
- Herpes & Pregnancy
- The Risk of Neonatal Herpes Infection
Have you ever seen someone with a cold sore? If you have, you've seen someone with oral herpes. Although most people don't think of cold sores as herpes infections, they are. Cold sores are usually caused by HSV1 and herpes genital infections by HSV2, but either virus is happy to infect either location. They're both herpes.
Many people don't think about practicing safe oral sex, but oral sex can transmit almost as many STDs as intercourse - including herpes. If you get cold sores, it's important to know that going down on your partner can give them a herpes genital infection (even if you don't have a cold sore at the time.)
If you know you have a herpes genital infection, but you rarely have outbreaks, is it still worth using treatment? Maybe. Studies suggest that it's possible that suppressive therapy could reduce the chance of transmitting herpes to your partner. It's important to remember, however, that you can still pass on a herpes genital infection even if you have no symptoms... and right now there is no cure.
Since herpes infections are spread by skin to skin contact, and condoms may not cover all infected skin, herpes can not be entirely prevented by practicing safe sex. However, properly using condoms and other barriers can significantly lower your risk of transmitting a herpes genital or oral infection.
Some people look towards alternative therapies to treat their herpes outbreaks. Although some of the drugs advertised on the Internet, like Resolve Herpes, are just scams, other alternative therapies may actually help some people symptoms. In fact, there's reasonable evidence to support honey as a herpes treatment... but not all that much for lysine.
Since herpes genital infections are often asymptomatic, the first time many people find out they have herpes is when their partner has an outbreak and they show up positive on a test. That can lead to questions about how accurate herpes blood tests are, a topic that can be difficult to explain.
Many people worry that a herpes diagnosis will kill off their love life, but that doesn't have to be the case. It's possible to date quite happily, and openly, with herpes genital infections. Herpes is a very common virus, and once most people get the facts they are very tolerant. Quite often the scariest thing about telling a partner is worrying about it beforehand.
When you first find out that you have a herpes genital infection, it can seem hard to live with. You can, however, live a long and happy life after a herpes diagnosis. It may be difficult at first, but you will win through. Just remember that, in the end, herpes is only a disease. It's not the end of the world.
