What To Prepare For When You Tell A Man You Have Herpes

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If you’re a woman with genital herpes, you’re by no means alone — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 6 people between the ages of 14 and 49 has Herpes Simplex 2 –but you can feel very alone when it comes to dating. It’s hard to know when to tell a new boyfriend or somebody you’re casually seeing that you have genital herpes. If you say it early, you could scare them off–but maybe it’s better to know that before you become attached. If you tell them late, they could feel betrayed and like you withheld important information. The right partner will accept that you have genital herpes, and realize it would be silly to walk away from a great person over an easily contained condition. But when you’re in the dating phase, there’s no way to predict how every individual will respond to the news. Here are a few reactions to prepare for.