Nadine, 36, takes a self-proclaimed “radical” approach when disclosing her infection to dating partners.
She puts her herpes management book on the coffee table, alongside her suppression medication, for her date to see right when he walks in the door.
“I figure it’s a part of who I am,” she said. “If you’re going to get to know me, you’re going to find out one way or the other.”
Disclosing the news, known as “the talk,” can be just as emotionally taxing as the diagnosis itself, group members agree. Experts advocate having the talk early in a relationship to avoid transmission.
Murchison has told several people since she contracted herpes in 1998, but no talk has been more important than that with her children. She told each when they were in fifth grade.
“I wanted them to understand that not everybody (who gets infected) is sleeping around or using drugs,” she said.
The mother of two and Charlotte H member said her daughter was very sympathetic, while her son was curious and had a lot of questions. They looked at photos online and read personal stories together. Nadine stopped hiding her suppression medication.
“I wanted to be an example,” she said. “When you’re trying to disclose your story, you have to be comfortable within yourself before you can tell other people.”
Source: pantagraph.com
Herpes – The talk
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