Living with genital herpes

    It is common for people to feel angry, shocked, lonely and depressed when they find out their symptoms are due to genital herpes. They worry that others will find out, and that their sex lives could be ruined. The prospect of telling their partner, or future partners, can seem too awful to think about.

    An international survey of over 3,000 people with genital herpes highlighted these common worries experienced during the initial outbreak of the disease:


    • Depression - 82 per cent
    • Fear of rejection by partner - 75 per cent
    • Concern about spreading the infection to others - 89 per cent
    • Almost eight in ten said that having herpes had "a great impact" on the frequency of their sexual experiences.

    The worry and stress connected with a diagnosis of genital herpes may often be worse than the actual symptoms. However, as time goes on it becomes easier to develop a positive attitude. Moreover, after the first outbreak of symptoms, later outbreaks may be less severe and last for less time.

    Up to one in five people have the herpes virus, and they all find their own ways of coping.

    To find out how, click for information on:

    link.GIF (999 bytes) See Also - Living with genital herpes
         Telling your partner
         How to avoid spreading the disease
         Recognising what triggers an outbreak