Living with genital herpes

A diagnosis of genital herpes may cause you embarrassment, shame, anxiety and even anger. Emotions will be high and can often lead a person to become suspicious, fear rejection and even resentful of their sexual partner.

Healthy ways to cope with this condition include:

• Communicating with your partner, be honest about your feelings and refrain from assigning blame.
• Educating yourself about the condition, how it affects the body, how it is transmitted, how you can treat it and manage future outbreaks.
• Joining a support group. This can help you to cope with any negative feelings that arise when diagnosed. You can also gain some level of comfort by sharing your experiences and well as learning from those of others. ⁽⁹⁾

Reference:

^{9. Royal Adelaide Hospital. Sexually Transmitted Disease Services - Genital Herpes: https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/18db280041888bb9b021ff67a94f09f9/09229MA-Herpes+09+PROOF.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-18db280041888bb9b021ff67a94f09f9-lmf4Ge- [Accessed 29. 08.2018]}