Navigating Healthy Communication About Herpes in Relationships
What does healthy communication about herpes look like in relationships?
This isn’t a narrative most of us are familiar with, which is why it is worthwhile to discuss what it looks and feels like.
1. When it comes to sex, a partner might check-in every once in a while but communicates more about boundaries, satisfaction, pleasure, and desire.
2. If herpes makes headlines, it might make the dinner discussion. Otherwise, it rarely makes its way into daily conversations.
3. There’s more to your relationship than herpes. Herpes is not the common thread that binds you together. Partners maintain shared activities with one another. It feels like these can be maintained without discussing herpes status or outbreaks.
4. There’s trust when it comes to sexual health. Partners trust one another to communicate about herpes boundaries (barriers, antivirals, etc.) and potential outbreaks. Partners may ask how to be supportive during an outbreak.
NOTE: one Instagram post cannot capture what a healthy relationship with herpes looks like for everyone.