When you first get diagnosed with herpes, it can feel like the end of the world.
You may feel like life as you know it is over, and one of the most common misconceptions about genital herpes is that you'll never have a normal sex life again.
Well, I'm here to tell you that simply isn't true.
With a few precautions and a lot of common sense, you'll find that you can have sex after herpes, and a varied and fulfilling sex life at that.
The first thing you have to realise is things are going to be a bit different from now on, and you are probably going to have to be a bit more careful than you were in the past.
The first thing to know is you'll absolutely need to avoid penetrative sex if you or your partner is currently experiencing a herpes outbreak on your genitals.
This is the main unfortunate downside to sex after herpes.
If both you and your partner between outbreaks, you can have full penetrative vaginal, anal or oral sex with very little risk, provided the herpes sufferer is on suppressive antivirals, and you use adequate protection such as a condom or dental dam.
And don't forget, there are a myriad of ways to explore lovemaking if you or your partner are having an outbreak of sores.
You can try mutual masturbation, using toys or if the partner with the outbreak has doesn't suffer from oral herpes as well, he or she can safely perform oral sex on the non-infected partner.
Just be sure to always use protection and keep up your daily medication to help keep the risk of shedding the virus down.
If you do have some intimacy during an outbreak, make sure you both wash your hands and body thoroughly afterwards.
Sex after herpes might be a little different, but with a bit of care and some variety and imagination, you can still experience a satisfying and fulfilling sex life.