Educating my partner about herpes

[jessiw]

I recently started dating and after the H Opp Weekend I was more ready to have a successful disclosure talk with the guy I have been seeing. The talk went really well but he has a lot of questions about herpes. I have been doing a great job of answering his questions as best as I can and sending him information and sites that are really helpful.

 

His most recent question is if there is something he can take to prevent getting herpes. I am aware of suppressive therapy options for myself but does anyone know anything about non H partners options for protection other than condoms?

[Here4help]

"The best way to prevent transmitting or contracting genital herpes is to avoid sexual contact or to be in a monogamous relationship with someone who has tested negative for the virus. That may not be realistic for many people, however. Although the following tips cannot completely prevent the spread of genital herpes, they can help lower your risk of transmission:

Don’t engage in sexual activity with an uninfected partner when you have an outbreak, and vice versa.

Use a condom for sexual intercourse and foreplay. HSV-2 is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, not through bodily fluids, so you shouldn’t wait for intercourse to use condoms. When used properly, condoms reduce the risk of herpes transmission by about 50 percent.

Use a barrier such as a condom (for fellatio) or dental dam (for oral-vaginal or oral-anal sex) to prevent HSV-1 from being transmitted from the mouth to the genitals or anus.

Wash after sex. The herpes virus is surrounded by a lipid (fatty) coating, which causes it to be inactivated by soap. More research needs to be done, but it’s possible that washing with regular soap and water after sex might reduce the risk of contracting HSV.

Take antiviral drugs every day (suppressive therapy), which can decrease the risk of transmission by 50 percent. ( the infected partner)

 

Because oral herpes is so common, it can be difficult to prevent transmission. If you are concerned about contracting or transmitting oral herpes, avoid kissing people or sharing items like utensils, washcloths, and lip balm when cold sores are present."

 

I also had the same question , so I pulled this off MIT Medical website for you.

There are no preventative drugs for people who are uninfected, so beware those selling drugs who say this will help prevent the spread of herpes, it won't.

 

[jessiw]

Awesome thanks!!! :D

[mr_hopp]

Have you downloaded the handouts yet? They have a lot of the kinds of questions that someone like your man would have. (Congrats, by the way! So, so awesome, Jessi!)

http://bit.ly/h-opp-diagnosis-handout

http://bit.ly/h-opp-disclosure-handout