Recently was speaking with someone, and they disclosed that they are positive for hsv. We met in a forum that is about hooking up. I asked about transmission and any concerns for the virus to remain active, and they said that while there are chances – transmission is very very low. I would like to be more educated on this topic and how to talk about it with partners. Appreciate it, any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.
7 comments
Reddit is not the place to get expert education, but what I will say is that well over half of the world has HSV and most who have it have never been tested so they don’t know they have it and are spreading it. The fact that this person disclosed their status up front means they are conscientious, courteous and interested in the mutual safety of all involved parties. They’re right that it has a very low transmission rate if the infected person is mindful about outbreaks and maintenance, so if you’re just looking to confirm or deny their claim then they are correct.
It’s very possible to have a sexual relationship with an HSV+ person and not have much of a risk of contracting it yourself. In fact, it’s much riskier to sleep with people who rarely get tested or never even think about STIs.
It’s better to avoid such interactions
No. You are free to withdraw consent at any time.
Speaking as an individual who has tested positive for HSV, no, it is not bad to reject someone. Just be kind and my suggestion would be to explain that you would prefer to keep your risks very low.
Yea, the risk of my passing it to someone is near zero, given that my husband doesn’t have it, and I take antivirals, however, it is not zero. It is your absolute right to choose your level of risk, and my obligation to warn you of that risk.
No
As someone with HSV, it is really just like a possibly recurrent skin rash that can feel bad for a little while, then goes away again. In my case, I had my first breakout over a year ago and haven’t had one since. There are no health risks from it other than the discomfort, and most of the stigma about it is because people are afraid of being on the receiving end of that same stigma if they get it. But if they take antiviral medication like valacyclovir, infection risks are indeed pretty low.
You can decide not to have sex with anyone for any reason