If a recent STD test confirmed that you’re infected with genital herpes, symptoms may prompt you to avoid sex until those sores disappear. But you may be wondering if genital foreplay also needs to be off the table when genital herpes symptoms surface. The answer, unfortunately, is yes.
Genital herpes is transmitted via skin-to-skin contact, so if you’re experiencing genital herpes symptoms, you could up end infecting your partner if your genital area rubs against his or hers. Of course, there are ways to engage in foreplay without ever having to take off your pants, so if your genital herpes symptoms are acting up, you’re best off limiting yourself to above-the-belt contact.
If you really can’t resist the idea of genital foreplay during a genital herpes outbreak, use a condom at the very least. Though condoms aren’t always effective at preventing transmission when genital herpes symptoms are present, they do reduce the risk. However, if you do end up engaging in genital foreplay during an outbreak, you should advise your partner to undergo STD testing after the fact, as he or she may end up getting infected. Even if you use a condom and your partner doesn’t experience genital herpes symptoms right away, it’s still best for him or her to get that herpes test.
