If you need to tell a romantic and potential sexual partner that you have herpes, its essential that you do this before you have any sexual contact. Herpes can spread easily, and theres a real risk of transmission even if you arent experiencing an outbreak.

Do you have to disclose HSV-1?

“In order to help decrease the spread, it is important to disclose any STI (including herpes) to any sexual partner, so they can make the informed decision to proceed or not,” Dr. Gelow said. “Being able to freely talk about these conditions makes it easier to disclose to potential sexual partners.”

Can I kiss my partner if I have HSV-1?

Oral herpes (HSV-1) is usually transmitted by kissing, and genital herpes (HSV-2) is most often spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can cause genital herpes, but genital herpes is most commonly caused by HSV-2. Theres no need to swear off kissing forever on account of herpes, though.