Genital Herpes and Sex
You can have a fulfilling sex life if you have genital herpes, even though it may be more complicated than it was before your diagnosis. Now, you must be careful about what you do and when you do it.
Avoid these sexual activities when you have sores on your genitals, or when you feel a herpes outbreak coming on:
Genital Herpes and Your Doctor Visit
You may want to print out this page and take it with you to your appointment. These illustrations will help you follow the discussion with your health care provider.Also, the doctor may ask you these questions during your office visit. Take the time to go over them now, so you can get the most out of the time you spend in the exam room. Do you get cold sores? Have you had sores or rashes anywhere between the waist and mid-thigh? Do you have such symptoms now, and if so, when did the...
Read the Genital Herpes and Your Doctor Visit article > >
Between outbreaks, it's OK to have sex, as long as your partner understands and accepts the risk. For example, as long as you don't have herpes sores on your mouth, you can perform oral sex on your partner, including when you have an outbreak of genital symptoms.
But your partner can be infected with herpes even when you don't have symptoms or sores. To help prevent that, always use a latex condom for vaginal sex, anal sex, and receiving fellatio. Condoms are not guaranteed to prevent infection, but research has shown that they provide some protection. Use a dental dam for cunnilingus and analingus.
Otherwise, use your imagination. There are many ways people can express themselves sexually without having genital-to-genital or mouth-to-genital contact. Exploring them can enrich your sex life and make up for having to avoid other activities because of genital herpes. Consult a health care professional if you have any doubts about what's safe and what is not.
For example, you could try mutual masturbation, which poses almost no risk: You could masturbate together -- side by side, facing each other, or back to back -- or masturbate each other manually. Just make sure you don't have any broken skin on your hands, and wash hands with soap and warm water afterward. Also, never touch a herpes sore and then touch your partner, and make sure no bodily fluids could be exchanged by accident. If you and your partner like vibrators or dildos, you could try using them on each other. Make sure you wash the toy before and after, and don't share it.
You might also consider taking antiviral drug therapy for genital herpes to reduce the amount of virus you shed. A recent study shows that daily suppressive therapy (taking a drug daily to sharply reduce the frequency of outbreaks) may help keep your partner from being infected. (You should still use a condom, however, because suppressive therapy is just 50% effective in preventing transmission.)
Avoid these sexual activities when you have sores on your genitals, or when you feel a herpes outbreak coming on:
Recommended Related to Genital Herpes
Genital Herpes and Your Doctor Visit
You may want to print out this page and take it with you to your appointment. These illustrations will help you follow the discussion with your health care provider.Also, the doctor may ask you these questions during your office visit. Take the time to go over them now, so you can get the most out of the time you spend in the exam room. Do you get cold sores? Have you had sores or rashes anywhere between the waist and mid-thigh? Do you have such symptoms now, and if so, when did the...
Read the Genital Herpes and Your Doctor Visit article > >
Between outbreaks, it's OK to have sex, as long as your partner understands and accepts the risk. For example, as long as you don't have herpes sores on your mouth, you can perform oral sex on your partner, including when you have an outbreak of genital symptoms.
But your partner can be infected with herpes even when you don't have symptoms or sores. To help prevent that, always use a latex condom for vaginal sex, anal sex, and receiving fellatio. Condoms are not guaranteed to prevent infection, but research has shown that they provide some protection. Use a dental dam for cunnilingus and analingus.
Otherwise, use your imagination. There are many ways people can express themselves sexually without having genital-to-genital or mouth-to-genital contact. Exploring them can enrich your sex life and make up for having to avoid other activities because of genital herpes. Consult a health care professional if you have any doubts about what's safe and what is not.
For example, you could try mutual masturbation, which poses almost no risk: You could masturbate together -- side by side, facing each other, or back to back -- or masturbate each other manually. Just make sure you don't have any broken skin on your hands, and wash hands with soap and warm water afterward. Also, never touch a herpes sore and then touch your partner, and make sure no bodily fluids could be exchanged by accident. If you and your partner like vibrators or dildos, you could try using them on each other. Make sure you wash the toy before and after, and don't share it.
A Drug for Genital Herpes May Be Right for You
You might also consider taking antiviral drug therapy for genital herpes to reduce the amount of virus you shed. A recent study shows that daily suppressive therapy (taking a drug daily to sharply reduce the frequency of outbreaks) may help keep your partner from being infected. (You should still use a condom, however, because suppressive therapy is just 50% effective in preventing transmission.)
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