Responsible Dating with an STD

If you have an STD (sexually transmitted disease), dating will have more requirements for you than it does for other people. There may be some complications that you will have to take into consideration as you move forward into a more intimate relationship with another person. No matter how you’ve gotten it, you have it now, and it is your responsibility to make sure that you aren’t spreading it on to others.  There are many different types of STDs and they vary extremely in contagiousness, severity, and the times that you can pass it on. 

One of the responsibilities that you have is to be personally informed about what you have and what the implications are to your health and to the health of others.  Talk to your doctor and do some research on your own to gather information.  The internet is full of websites that cover any health issue you can have and there are also support groups where you can communicate your concerns and questions to people who will understand what you are going through, while still remaining anonymous. 

You will also have the responsibility to be honest with the people that you are dating.  While this news may not be required, or even really appropriate, for a first date to dinner and a movie, it will be if the relationship even approaches something more serious.  A casual date is one thing, but the chance for something deeper is always there, so be prepared to be honest and share the information regarding your health issue.

As a person who has a disease that can be transmitted sexually, you will need to be more alert and careful than others about where your hormones are taking you.  Most people have a time in their lives when they do something seemingly without thinking.  When this is a sexual encounter, there can be serious consequences, most especially for you and a partner.  When the time comes, you must be prepared and make sure that your partner is informed.  That is only fair.

Once you have talked things over honestly with your partner and come to an understanding, you will need to ensure that you have protection available for the chance that you do engage in a sexual encounter.  Condoms are typically the way to go with most STDs, but there are some that will not be protected against in this way.  For instance, a woman who has herpes will only be contagious during an outbreak, but when she is, the condom is not totally reliable for protection for her partner.  She should abstain from sexual relations entirely during this time. 

Having an STD is not the end of the world.  It is not the end of your romantic life.  It is not even the end of your sex life.  It is, however, the beginning of some new rules and standards that you must adopt in order to ensure that this disease is not spread any further.  Honesty, information and protection are the keys for you and your potential partners.