Safe Sex and the Herpes Virus - Protecting Yourself and Your Partner After Being Diagnosed

The first thing that should be said about sex and Herpes is that once you have been diagnosed with Herpes, it does not mean that your sex life is over. However, it does mean that your sex life will change and will require you to be extra careful, extremely honest, and thoroughly educated.

If you have Herpes, you are not alone. Millions of people have Herpes especially the less serious strain, HSV-1. This strain is primarily associated with cold sores which can be transmitted from a simple kiss from Grandma. In fact, a lot of people who contracted the HSV-1 strain of the Herpes virus contracted it when they were still children or young adults.

The more serious strain of Herpes, HSV-2, which is generally called Genital Herpes, is typically contracted later in life. This is because this strain of Herpes is typically transmitted through sexual contact. Although, it should be noted that it is possible to contract Herpes through any skin-to-skin contact regardless if the infected person is having an outbreak or not.

This is just one reason that education is paramount in the prevention of the Herpes virus. The unfortunate reality is that many people are infected due to the fact that their partner was under the impression that the virus is only transmitted during an outbreak. This is where honesty comes in.

If you have Herpes, it is your responsibility to disclose this information prior to engaging in any physical activity especially sexual activity. While traditional safe sex precautions such as wearing a latex condom during vaginal, anal, and oral intercourse will help significantly decrease the chances of transmission, nothing other that abstinence is 100% effective.

Other typical safer sex precautions which have been shown to diminish the chances of transmitting the Herpes virus include using an adequate amount of lubrication to prevent skin-to-skin friction. This method will also help prevent the virus from settling on the skin. Another precaution, albeit obvious, is to wash with warm water and soap following sexual activity.

All of these steps will help decrease the chances that you will either transmit or receive the Herpes virus. However, no one precaution is as important as educating yourself about the potential risks of Herpes as well as necessity to be honest and open with your partner.

Once You Are Diagnosed

After you are diagnosed with Herpes, you will want to find an effective Herpes treatment. You will have a variety of choices such as prescription medicines as well as natural herpes treatments including topical solutions and Herpes supplements.

While each of these treatment options has both positive attributes and drawbacks, it is up to you to find a Herpes treatment that not only works, but that you can afford as well. In fact, price seems to be one of the biggest drawbacks of using a prescription herpes treatment.

After you find an effective treatment, it is up to you to maintain an open communication channel with your current or future partners. This includes being upfront about when you are having an outbreak as well as requiring safe sex precautions to be used each time you engage in sexual activity.

In conclusion, being diagnosed with Herpes is not the end of the world and it is certainly not the end of your sex life. However, your diagnosis will require a variety of adjustments so that you can protect not only your health, but the health of your partner as well.