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Living with Genital Herpes



It can be quite devastating to find out that you have genital herpes. You may experience various negative emotions such as shame and anger. You may even suspect your partner if you feel he or she has transmitted the disease to you. You may also worry that your partner may reject you because of the infection. All of these emotions are normal and natural for anyone afflicted with genital herpes. Nevertheless, it is possible to continue to live a largely normal and healthy life. Here are some ways that help in coping with genital herpes:

  • Communicate honestly and openly with your partner. Avoid blaming and trust in what your partner tells you. The genital herpes virus can stay dormant in your body for a number of years and hence it is not possible to know exactly when the infection occurred.
  • Keep yourself informed about the disease so that you can live with it in a healthy manner and also take the necessary steps to avoid infecting others. Also educate yourself about the various treatment options for genital herpes and how to minimize recurring outbreaks.
  • It is advisable to join a support group so that you can talk to other individuals in similar circumstances. You can even learn a great deal from their experiences.

Prevention
Genital Herpes
References
  1. Lawrence Stanberry, Anthony Cunningham, Gregory Mertz, Adrian Mindel, Barry Peters, Michael Reitano, Stephen Sacks, Anna Wald, Sawko Wassilew, Paul Woolley, New developments in the epidemiology, natural history and management of genital herpes, Antiviral Research, Volume 42, Issue 1, May 1999, Pages 1-14, ISSN 0166-3542, 10.1016/S0166-3542(99)00004-2.
  2. Margaret Perlia Bavis, Diane Yeager Smith, Martha Zervopoulos Siomos, Genital Herpes: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Counseling in the Adolescent Patient, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Volume 5, Issue 6, June 2009, Pages 415-420, ISSN 1555-4155, 10.1016/j.nurpra.2008.11.004.