Living a fulfilling life with herpes simplex 2 is possible. It will take mindfulness and communication with your partner, or future partners, but there are ways to adjust your lifestyle to accommodate this incurable infection.
Ways to Live a Fulfilling Life with Herpes Simplex 2
Managing the viral infection is key. Antiviral chemotherapy can offer clinical benefits to most patients that show symptoms. According to the CDC, it is the mainstay of managing the herpes virus.
Education regarding the nature of the herpes virus, sexual and perinatal transmission, as well as ways to contain risks of transmission, are also important to manage· the infection. Systemic antiviral drugs are also available to help control outbreaks. An infected person would take the antiviral drugs during the initial diagnosis and each outbreak episode, or daily as suppressive therapy. Suppressive therapy can reduce the frequencies of reoccurrences by 70-80%.
Open communication with your partner is also important. Avoid assigning blame. Herpes can lie dormant in the body for years. Joining a support group, either locally or online, can also help. Talking to others who are going through the same thing and being able to talk about it in return will help you deal with the social stigma and psychological stress of finding out you are infected.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to live a fulfilling life with Herpes Simplex 2. Though it is an incurable virus, it does not need to be a social death sentence for you. Careful management with antiviral chemotherapy and suppressive therapy can minimize and reduce occurrence and discomfort during outbreaks. Taking care of your mental health through counselling sessions and support groups also help with peace of mind.
