# Long-term relationship with someone with genital herpes?



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

I voted for I'm male and it depends. I'd first have to research how bad getting herpes is. And she'd have to be exceptional enough to be worth the risk.


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## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

It depends. If I knew right off the bat that she had it, I wouldn't get involved with her. I understand it is very contagious and permanent (no cure?). Why run the risk?

However... That is a subject unlikely to come up in initial conversations... By the time it does come up, I will have gotten to know her and would be more open to working around it for "our" sake. There are preventative measures you can take to reduce exposure. Plus, there are many other elements to a relationship besides sex.


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

Yeah.... I don't think so. I doubt I'd spend the rest of my life with this person, so I'd walk away from the relationship with a broken heart and a crotch that's broken out in sores. At least the broken heart will go away with time.


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

I think it depends on the lifestyle the person has. In the drug commercials herpes sufferers seem to be quite active, outdoor types. I did know a girl who had genital herpes and she was quite wonderful. If we lived closer and I wasn't, at the time, dating her best friend, I would have enjoyed getting to know her.


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## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

I don't know. Right now it would be a no, but I would have to be in the situation to know for sure.


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## CoconutHolder (Oct 13, 2007)

FairleighCalm said:


> I think it depends on the lifestyle the person has. In the drug commercials herpes sufferers seem to be quite active, outdoor types.


This made me GMFAO!!

by the way, that is "giggle........" :b


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Yes, I probably would, if I were in love with the person. Its not a certainty that you would get it. I wouldnt be thrilled about the prospect though. I voted it would depend, as the circumstances and person would make the difference for me.


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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

No, I have enough problems. Even if it's a "shared" problem, I'd prefer not to have it.


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## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

im going to have to say no though i'll admit i dont know too much about it. but the pics ive seen is enough to make my decision


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## Becky (Nov 5, 2003)

No. I've always been very against getting herpes.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

There are precautions one can take. You don't necessarily get it.

But I wouldn't exactly want to put myself in harm's way if I could help it. 

I am sure that most people who have it got in unknowingly. There is no sure fire way to know your partner's sexual past.


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## starblob (Oct 23, 2005)

It depends on how i felt about the person. It is not completely out of the question to say the least. On a sort of related note, my cousin who just so happens to be a male **** has given over a dozen girls this disease. He personally makes me sick. I wonder if you can be prosecuted for willfully and maliciously transmitting this disease? It's a life sentence afterall.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Just Lurking said:


> It depends. If I knew right off the bat that she had it, I wouldn't get involved with her. I understand it is very contagious and permanent (no cure?). Why run the risk?
> 
> However... That is a subject unlikely to come up in initial conversations... By the time it does come up, I will have gotten to know her and would be more open to working around it for "our" sake. There are preventative measures you can take to reduce exposure. Plus, there are many other elements to a relationship besides sex.


I kind of agree with JustLurking, but I would still say no. If I managed to keep myself out of trouble, then she should have, too.

In other words, I _REALLY_ don't want to be part of a Valtrex commercial for the rest of my life!

ARDrum, what do you think about this?


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## smalltowngirl (Feb 17, 2006)

I voted it depends. It depends on the person and how badly I want to be with them. I'm not going to condemn a person just because they accidentally caught this virus. 

I was surprised to learn in one of my health classes (and I'm probably the only one that didn't know this) that genital herpes could be caused by cold sores (herpes simplex 1). So, as my health teacher put it, a child could get herpes simplex 1 through kissing their grandmother or some other relative who has cold sores. Now this child's mouth breaks out in cold sores, and a lot of children have a bad habit of touching their sores. They might forget to wash their hands and later on touch themselves in private. They have now given themselves genital herpes. (This was a health class for teachers. They wanted us to encourage students to always wash their hands and to avoid touching their cold sores.)

It seems incredibly unfair that children could end up with this virus in such an innocent way and now have to go through life having the vast majority of people not wanting to enter into a relationship with them (as this poll clearly shows to be the case.) I don't really have a point or anything, I just feel really bad for people who have this virus (regardless of how they caught it.) I think the stigma behind it is about a million times worse than the actual virus.


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## leppardess (Nov 8, 2003)

smalltowngirl said:


> I voted it depends. It depends on the person and how badly I want to be with them. I'm not going to condemn a person just because they accidentally caught this virus.
> 
> I was surprised to learn in one of my health classes (and I'm probably the only one that didn't know this) that genital herpes could be caused by cold sores (herpes simplex 1). So, as my health teacher put it, a child could get herpes simplex 1 through kissing their grandmother or some other relative who has cold sores. Now this child's mouth breaks out in cold sores, and a lot of children have a bad habit of touching their sores. They might forget to wash their hands and later on touch themselves in private. They have now given themselves genital herpes. (This was a health class for teachers. They wanted us to encourage students to always wash their hands and to avoid touching their cold sores.)
> 
> It seems incredibly unfair that children could end up with this virus in such an innocent way and now have to go through life having the vast majority of people not wanting to enter into a relationship with them (as this poll clearly shows to be the case.) I don't really have a point or anything, I just feel really bad for people who have this virus (regardless of how they caught it.) I think the stigma behind it is about a million times worse than the actual virus.


smalltowngirl brings up a good point and I voted for the very same reasons. Genital herpes can be spread by innocent means (not in a sexual situation).

If I really care for someone, I'm not going to reject them on that basis. That said, I once dated a guy who had Hep C. He was up front with me as far as his illness and we took precautions. Later on, we broke up due to personal differences.


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## vicente (Nov 10, 2003)

Yes

But I guess we wouldn't be able to have sex.


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