How Herpes is Spread

Herpes. Just the word strikes fear into people who have casual sex. You can catch it from anyone with the infection. But the person has to have a visible outbreak, right? Wrong. You can catch the virus from someone even if they have no visible signs of an outbreak. That’s right. The person could look normal in every way shape or form but if they have the virus, you are likely to get it to. To make matters even worse, condoms and other forms of protection don’t always protect you from contracting the disease. So what do you do if you catch it? You live with it. That’s because there currently is no cure for herpes. All you can do is treat it. There are many treatments available for people with the virus; one of the most common being Valtrex. The best way to protect yourself is to get yourself tested for herpes to determine if you have the virus.

Person To Person

Herpes is spread by person to person contact. There are various forms of the virus. There’s oral and genital herpes. You can get oral herpes from drinking after someone or by engaging in oral sex with someone or by kissing. This form of herpes makes cold sores. Most people get cold sores so this form of the virus is pretty common. However, genital herpes, while not as common, is quickly increasing with the population. For instance, it was recently reported that one in five people in New York City have herpes. That’s a huge number. That means that every person you talk to has a one in five chance of having the virus and if you have sex with that person, there’s a chance you could contract the virus too.

The Talk

If you have herpes, dating can be difficult. Sure, you can find someone else with the virus on an anonymous message board or on a dating site, but most don’t want to do that. Therefore, if you meet someone for the first time it’s the right thing to do to tell them you have it. That’s called, ‘the talk’. The talk is where you sit them down before you have sex to tell them you have herpes and that there’s a chance they could get it to. Just the thought of having this conversation scares most people but it’s necessary. Unfortunately, most people don’t divulge this information and that’s possibly one reason why the virus is spreading so quickly.

Sex is a part of life and it should be enjoyed. However, if you have herpes, tell your partner because there is no cure and they have a right to know.