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Do I have sex with my wife who has herpes?

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herpes sex
20K views 43 replies 27 participants last post by  happysnappy 
#1 ·
Background

My wife and I have been happily married for 9 years, polyamorous (committed, but dating other people) for the last 6 years.

She's been with about 5 other partners in that time, I've been with none (I'm not opposed to polyamory at all—I've been on 2 dates, kissing, but no sex—just been a little gun shy about making it public). But neither of us have experienced symptoms of any kind of STD. One of the few rules we have for dating other people is being safe, and not bringing any STDs home.

The guy that she's currently seeing casually mentioned that he'd slept with someone who had HSV2, which to him was no big deal, but he hadn't been tested for anything. That, of course, raised a big red flag with both my wife and I. Honestly, it's more of a red flag for me, since the idea of contracting something incurable really scares me. From my wife's perspective she figures she's going to get it at some point, and that doesn't really bother her.

We just went to get tested (not sure why we hadn't thought to do this sooner), and we're waiting for the results back. As far as we know, neither of us have HSV1 or 2, no symptoms, but from what I've read you can have it and not even know it.

My Problem

I feel like this puts me in a really tough spot. I could have it, she could have it. We could both be clean. Not sure yet.

Where it starts getting iffy for me is if she has it and I don't. What do I do? It sounds ridiculous for me to not have sex with my wife ever again, or even worse (from my perspective) never kiss her again if she has HSV1. I love her so much, but is it worth voluntarily putting myself at risk to contract an incurable STD?

She's very angry at me right now—and I get it—for even taking the time to contemplate whether or not I would put myself at risk. For her, it's a simple choice: "Oh, you have herpes? Well, I'll have herpes too, since I love you so much." I feel like a total ****, but it's not that easy for me.

My Question

Again, this is hypothetical at this point, results aren't even in yet. But I just need some advice from others in his situation, or from those who are dealing with HSV, and those who aren't. Am I making too big a deal of this? Is it completely unreasonable to never have sex again with my wife so as to avoid contracting it.

I guess part of me is thinking what if something happens in 5 years and we get divorced, and I put myself at risk and contracted it. I would very much regret that. It's a crappy thing to think about, but it definitely scares me to get something I can't get rid of. I just feel like I'm missing some info or perspective on this. Thanks!
 
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#5 ·
That assumes that he is aware of an active sore (viral shedding aside), and that he cares enough about her to abstain from sex if he does. If he cares so little for her that he didn't share his status, it seems likely that he won't.
 
#4 ·
When you agree to allow your spouse to have sex with people outside of your primary relationship, you take the chance that her sexual partners may transmit an STI/STD through her to you.

You depended on her to be selective about her sexual partners, but you also depend on her partners to be honest with her; something that neither of you have any control over. She had sex with a man who cared so little for her that he neglected to share a very important fact about himself. That says a lot about her ability to choose sexual partners, and about you eventually contracting a potentially incurable disease.

You have every right to, and should, consider the implications of her sexual choices. If you are willing to accept those risks and continue in a poly relationship with her, then you will unfortunately have to make a very difficult choice to have sex with her when she contracts a disease given that she feels it's a matter of "when" and not "if". If you are not willing to accept the risks, then you have no choice but to renegotiate having multiple sexual partners in your marriage.

It seems contradictory to me to say that you are willing to be in a poly relationship and yet you won't have sex with her when she contracts a disease from the very activities that you agree to and support.

You most definitely should consider the risks and results, and you should have done so before agreeing to this arrangement. That's water under the bridge, but you are responsible for your health and for your marriage. If you are willing to support keeping your arrangement "as is" then your wife has every right to be upset if you will reject her when she brings home a disease. It sounds like a poly marriage isn't going to work out for you, at least given your wife's attitudes towards incurable disease transmission.
 
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#6 ·
:iagree: I really hope this is a troll because this situation is just too disgusting and stupid to be real. You let your wife sleep around with 5 other guys but then get all upset that she might contract herpes? Are you able to walk and chew gum at the same time? What did you THINK would happen?
 
#8 ·
I have had herpes since I was a teenager. I have found, across the board, that women are FAR more understanding and forgiving of such things. Men are FAR more worried and paranoid. I think its exactly for reasons like you said. Its easier for women to think they will be with her man forever, where many men think about what ifs about dating in the future.

The fact that the guy told your wife he'd been with someone who had it, makes me think that was his cowardly way of telling her that HE had it too. At least he said something though, far too many people don't, because it is absolutely devastating to get rejected for it. I hope to god that both of your tests come back clean! Maybe its time to re-evaluate the rules of your arrangement.
 
#11 ·
Let me get this straight. You're married but have an open marriage and are sleeping around with other people, dates, etc.

Why did you get married in the first place?

Marriage is between husband and wifee, not also dating and having sex with other people. That's purposely committing adultery. You insult the institution of marriage and then she may get the herps and you are now getting a red flag?!

What you should of done, is only dated each other and not get married, seeing other people, open dating so to speak.


Not cool.....:rolleyes:
 
#15 ·
She's very angry at me right now—and I get it—for even taking the time to contemplate whether or not I would put myself at risk. For her, it's a simple choice: "Oh, you have herpes? Well, I'll have herpes too, since I love you so much."
=/

By what right does she have to be angry simply because of your human nature to avoid the plague?

"Help I'm drowning, drown with me or I'll be really mad!"

Erm... no
 
#16 ·
As for the herpes question, best thing you can do is educate yourself in order to make an informed decision.

The Original Herpes Home Page, a resource for people looking for information and support relating to herpes (HSV, HSV1, HSV2 and Human Papiloma Virus, HPV). Please visit our herpes forums for peer support and information, or visit our herpes chat roo

you'll learn everything you need to know and get to ask questions from their great support forum without having your relationship choices put on trial, ftmp.
 
#17 ·
I'm not trying to put his "relationship choices" on trial. If he wants to let his wife sleep around, that's his choice. He's the one that has to live with his choices.

What irritates me is that people don't understand that choices have CONSEQUENCES. One consequence of allowing your wife to sleep around is the potential to be exposed to STDs. Now he's here wondering what to do. What advice can we possibly give?

If his wife has herpes and he doesn't, he has to decide whether he can live with it or not. I doubt he can from the sound of his post. But I can't tell him how to feel about it or not. What's done is done and no advice is going to make his wife not have herpes.
 
#19 ·
Only he can explain what he gets out of this arrangement besides herpes.
Yes, this is a serious situation for me, but admittedly this made me laugh :) Truth is, I haven't taken much part in it because I've got other hobbies that take up time that would otherwise be spent dating. I do enjoy the freedom to flirt with other women. And knowing that I could date someone else if I wanted to is a nice freedom to have.

Back to the subject though. Just had an emergency 2-hour lunch with my best friend about my situation. He's telling me that i'm basically overreacting to "never kissing my wife again" for fear of contracting HSV1. This is kind of what I've heard for myself, but he's says so many people have it that it's not a big deal.

Thoughts anyone?

About HSV2, however, he feels like I have a legit concern about contracting that one. Occasional outbreaks of painful sores and whatnot. For life.

The problem here is how do I deal with that in a marriage? My wife is amazing. She's my favorite person in the world, but is continuing our sexual relationship worth the risk of getting HSV2? That's my dilemma. I guess I'm not ok with that. And I feel like it makes me a horrible person.

If both of us are clean, the only way I'm going to guarantee my safety is to shut down the polyamory altogether—a viable option. I don't want to do that. I think that's honestly a part of her personhood that I don't want to take away from her, but I don't want to open myself up for a lifelong disease.
 
#21 ·
I'm going to sound like a prick, but if you REALLY love someone, I find it hard to believe that you don't have a problem with them sleeping around. Further, you knew the consequences of getting in this type of relationship, and now you want someone to tell you that it's okay to not be intimate with your wife now that things have (potentially) gone horribly wrong. It also sounds like sour grapes on your part because she had a free-for-all, while you barely had any action.

The both of you knew what could happen, so if you love her the way you profess, you'll support her no matter what happens.
 
#23 ·
I see where you're coming from, but...

1) This situation was definitely unexpected, but it's totally on me for not taking the time to run the futures on it. I plead ignorance on "knowing what I got myself into", because I should have done my research before agreeing to our arrangement, but I take full responsibility for it. No one knows that better than I do now. What has two thumbs and didn't think this one all the way through? This guy.

2) This isn't a matter of am I going to leave her or not. The LAST thing I want to do here is get divorced. That sounds sooooo horrible. Hard to imagine. We're talking about sexual contact. And yes, that sounds crazy. Is protecting myself from HSV2 worth never having sex with my wife again? That's a crappy question to have to ask yourself. And even crappier, I don't know the answer.
 
#25 ·
You and your wife love each other so much, that you don't want to protect each other form getting diseases and the possibility of pregnancy to others.

I don't see that as love myself.

The more sexually active you are with others, the more likely it is that you will contract a disease. Both of you could already have Herpes and not know it, it's very common. I would be worried about HIV and pregnancy and other diseases.

I think it's hypocritical to be blase about the marriage and not care enough to have good boundaries, then get upset when one of you ends up with the consequences of having no boundaries.
 
#32 ·
That fact is that before we die the majority of the population will have or had some form of herpes.

It was thought that HSV 1 could not be transmitted to genitalia. Guess what? They thought wrong.

I know more than a few people that have HSV 2 and the vast majority of them had a rather serious initial outbreak and have never had one again. This does not mean they do not shed the virus but it does mean they have no visible signs or complications (currently) from the virus.
 
#35 ·
If your worried about catching STD's, then polyamory (a made up term for people who want to legitizmize infidelity) is not your thing.

You can't have one without the other. You can't have your wife sleeping with other men, but avoid STD exposure.

You have to decide which one is more important...

In other words, you chooise "I want my wife to have sex with other men" or you choose "I want to avoid exposure to STD's".

How this is a complicated choice, I really have no idea.
 
#40 ·
I guess part of me is thinking what if something happens in 5 years and we get divorced, and I put myself at risk and contracted it. I would very much regret that. It's a crappy thing to think about, but it definitely scares me to get something I can't get rid of. I just feel like I'm missing some info or perspective on this. Thanks!
Don't worry about it, I assure you it will happen. I've known a LOT of swingers and used to get invited to bull wives (not my bag) and none of them are still together. The reason is that eventually the W develops contempt for the H (I'll elaborate on why this is if you want me to) and eventually gets banged by a guy who has that "something" that makes her go with him. Funny thing is, they all say the divorce had nothing to do with the swinging, they just fell out of love. Riiiight, why do you suppose that happened? Fluid bonding, PEA, dopamine, norpinephrine, etc.

Who makes more money, you or your wife?

How would you rank her on a scale of 1-10?

Where would you rank yourself on the same scale?

Who wanted to swing first, you or her?
 
#42 ·
From what I heard, you should not do it without a condom, or you could catch it, especially if the person is experiencing a flare up at that time. Be careful. Whatever can be cured, should be cured, and whatever can't be, well, I guess you work around it, safely.

And yes, if you are swingers, things like this can happen. I never understand why people get married and want to 'do' everyone else but each other.
 
#44 ·
I will not comment on the situation that led you to this issue but just wanted to say that my ex has it and had it before I met him. We were together 10 years and I do not have it. Never got it but we were very careful. It is more likely to be transferred female to male than male to female because its harder to see an outbreak. There are plenty of advance warnings before an outbreak occurs. Swollen glands, tingly sensation within a week prior
 
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