One of the encouraging things for people with genital herpes (HSV-2) is that it’s still possible to have a rich and fulfilling sex life. Sex with herpes can be intimate, romantic, loving, and fun.
When Both Partners Have Herpes
Congratulations — you can skip having the talk! If you and your partner have the same type of herpes, you have more freedom than a couple not trying to infect one partner. If you both have HSV-2, for example, you both already have the antibodies built up and cannot be re-infected. Your outbreaks and symptoms will instead be affected by the strength of your immune system, so keep it strong.
You will also not necessarily have the same need to avoid sex during and around times of outbreaks, but you will probably want to, for the sake of avoiding discomfort or prolonging the outbreak by irritating it.
If you have different strains of herpes; i.e. one of you has HSV-1 and one has HSV-2, read on. You are already well-protected by your antibodies. If you have HSV-2, you can still get, but might not be as likely to get, genital HSV-1. If you have HSV-1, however, you are still as susceptible to get HSV-2.
There are many herpes dating sites UK that can help you to meet potential partners with the same type of HSV as you. (We recommend Positive Singles — read our review here).