Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that’s highly contagious. It may not be deadly, but its symptoms can be painful and cause annoyance and irritation. If your partner is the only one who got infected, you play a major role as a support system.
Dealing with it may not be an easy task, especially for the infected one, but there are things that you can do to help make the situation lighter. Here’s a list of what you can do when your partner has genital herpes:
1. Using Protection During Intercourse
There’s a misconception that if your partner has genital herpes, you can no longer have fulfilling sex. It might be more complicated because of the things that you need to keep in mind than before the diagnosis, but as long as you use protection, you can still have a satisfying sex life. One of the preventive measures to prevent the spread of this sexually transmitted disease is the use of a latex condom.
Research shows that latex condoms lower the risk of transmission of fluid-borne infections like genital herpes. The use of a condom reduces the transmission rate, but since it doesn’t eliminate the risk of contracting the disease,
2. Abstinence During Outbreak
Those who were infected with the herpes virus go through phases known as asymptomatic shedding, wherein the body produces virus particles that are highly transmittable at a certain period. It’s believed that you’ll most likely contract the disease if your partner has sores on their genitals. When they experience a herpes outbreak like blistering and itching swollen sores on the skin, it’s advisable to avoid sexual activities—vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex—until it heals.
The use of condoms when symptoms show up may not provide adequate protection since it doesn’t cover the whole area of the genitals. Aside from abstinence, it’s also important to avoid touching the area with sores because the virus could be transferred to the facial area and to other parts of the body.
3. Get Informed About Genital Herpes
When your partner suddenly becomes infected with genital herpes, you may easily suspect that they’ve been cheating on you, but there’s a possibility that they’ve been infected years before they met you. It’s just that there are no obvious symptoms felt. By educating yourself about genital herpes, you’re able to mitigate the risk of contracting the disease by means of safe practices, especially when it comes to having sexual activities.
With the advancement of technology, medicines and other supplementations aren’t the only way to help ease the symptoms of the herpes virus. Devices such as red-light therapy help relieve sores found on the lips, mouth, and genitals. You’ll just have to choose the right company that’ll educate you about how to use the device effectively, and that’ll give you more tips here about genital herpes.
4. Opt For Suppressive Therapy
If your partner has genital herpes, getting immediate medication can be a challenge because of fear of discrimination or being judged by others. As part of their support system, you need to encourage them to undergo daily herpes medications or suppressive therapy to lower the risk of spreading the virus.
There may be some recommendations online about the best medications to treat this sexually transmitted disease, but it’s always essential to seek help from a licensed sexual healthcare provider so they can properly assess your partner’s condition to give them the right prescription.
Aside from encouraging your partner to get well through consistent medications, you must also do preventive measures on how to boost your immune system. If you have a strong immune system, you’ll not be able to acquire the infections easily. Strengthen your immunity by taking dietary supplements, eating a healthy diet, avoiding stress, and getting enough sleep.
5. Improve Your Emotional Connection
Knowing that your partner has genital herpes may affect your relationship. You may be stressed out and anxious about many things, but the most important thing is to focus on what can make the situation better. Some couples rely on their connection with each other through sex.
Since your sexual activities may be affected because of the disease, there are other ways by which you can help make your relationship thrive by means of doing other romantic activities like engaging in a new hobby together, taking long walks while sharing stories, having shared goals for the future, etc.
Final Thoughts
When your partner contracted the herpes virus, remember that it’s not the end of the world. There are ways on how you can help them deal with it. You can do things that won’t affect your relationship: always use protection during intercourse, abstinence during the outbreak, being knowledgeable about this disease, encouraging them for suppressive therapy, and boosting your emotional connection with each other.