Navigating Physical Intimacy with Discordant Partners: Tips for HSV Prevention
I’ve received several questions asking how discordant partners navigate physical intimacy to prevent STI transmission, specifically with regard to HSV.
The methods to reduce transmission can shift over time, just as our comfort levels and intimacy (emotional and physical) shift with one another.
Our proximity to one another, stress levels, overall mental well-being, environment, obligations outside of the partnership, and additional life factors can influence fluctuations in our emotional intimacy with our partners.
When first engaging with someone with HSV, partners may be more likely to utilize every possible precaution to mitigate risk of transmission (antivirals, barrier methods, etc.), likely in an effort to evade effects of stigma more than HSV itself. With time learning about our partner and HSV, or with growth in emotional intimacy, these methodologies and comfort levels may shift.
And just as our emotional intimacy fluctuates with our partners (and ourselves) across our lifespan, so do our comforts in physical intimacy. You’re always allowed (and encouraged!) to check-in and evaluate these with your partners.
Just a reminder...With the upcoming changes in IG terms of service, you will see me using broader language in many of my posts, including this one, in an effort to maintain my account and this community space.