Treat each person with dignity
A herpes diagnosis does not define a person’s character, relationship goals, or worth. Speak respectfully about HSV and avoid assumptions about how someone acquired it. Make room for different experiences without shaming or asking anyone to justify their history.
Respect a clear and voluntary choice
Consent must be freely given and specific to what is happening. Agreement to a date is not agreement to physical contact. Previous intimacy does not establish consent for another occasion, and either person may change their mind.
Do not pressure someone through guilt, repeated requests, gifts, or threats. If a response is uncertain, pause and ask. If someone cannot freely communicate a choice, do not proceed.
Keep health conversations private
Discuss HSV before sexual intimacy so both people have time to ask questions and make informed decisions. Acknowledge what you know and what you need to discuss with a healthcare professional.
Do not share another person’s diagnosis, messages, photographs, or identifying details without their permission. Their choice to tell you is not permission to tell anyone else.
Be honest about your intentions
Represent yourself accurately and communicate your relationship expectations. Discuss practical limits such as distance, availability, and pace before making commitments. Allow the other person to decide whether those expectations fit their own.
Accept boundaries and endings
Respect a request for space or an end to contact. Do not pursue someone through new accounts, friends, or other channels after they have declined. A considerate ending does not require a debate or an explanation of private circumstances.
For practical precautions before meeting someone, read our dating safety guidance.