Navigating Intimacy with a Partner Who Has HSV: Essential Questions to Ask
Conversations around sexual health don’t stop at disclosure.
For those who have experienced a positive STI diagnosis, those who are living with an STI, or those who know someone with an STI, it’s easier to see how poor sex education and stigma impacts those these populations, especially those living with herpes and HIV.
Public disclosure (including public comments online addressing the impact of stigma) is not a requirement for acceptance or healing; However, there is always an invitation to address moments of stigma with your sexual partners.
I preface this as a conversation rather than criticism. For example, when are we most likely to listen? Especially if we might be wrong? Framing this as calling someone into the conversation, rather than calling out, may be more accessible and beneficial for sexual partners.
We’re all learning. And the unfortunate truth is many folks living with an STI never realized their internalized beliefs and miseducation until they experienced the confrontation themselves.
It’s neither our job nor responsibility to teach what was not taught in someone’s sex education, but we can do the small, impactful work of starting the conversations that lead to self-reflection.