So, I understand how difficult it is opening up to one’s partner about his/her health situation till you can trust them enough to take the information. In cases like this, how do you handle a sexual relationship with your partner, I mean before opening up? Am I to abstain from it or is the usage protection enough to protect my partner from getting the virus? I know advising them to get vaccinated might be the best way to go, but bringing up the conversation might be tough without raising suspicions. I have read a lot about how safe condoms are but I can’t help but think of other ways that the virus can be transferred during intimacy. For instance, I fear that the virus can be mistakenly transferred if the infected party touches their genitals and it comes in contact with the non-infected party genitals or even in other ways I might not be aware of. What is your take, I need professional advice on that.
Also, are there any laws that make it compulsory to share one’s status before intimacy?
I need enlightenment.
Thank you.
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Hi @Adedeji_Joseph,
I appreciate you bringing up this issue. It can feel challenging and complicated. First, the question of whether to abstain or not depends on you two. Abstaining might give your partner the time to complete their vaccination series if they are not vaccinated already. It is always recommended to use protection because they do not only protect against HBV but other STIs. So that should be up to you both. Vaccination as you mentioned is always the best and safest option.
Sharing one’s status comes with risks such as rejection, stigma, etc,. While there are no laws that make it compulsory for a patient to share, I do think morally it is the right thing to do. We don’t want to be that person that knowingly infected someone. I surely can’t live with that and the guilt will kill me first. What the other person decides to do or how they react, we can’t control that. I don’t know how long or how well you know this person nor how much trust has been established yet. You might want to consider all that when deciding whether to share or not. I will add that be prepared for anything (both positive and negative reactions). Give them time and space to process this as well if needed. Do not demand that they respond immediately, it will be unfair.
I am not a professional on this subject but these are my thoughts as a fellow patient. I hope you find it helpful. Bansah1
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Thank you very much for this response.
Great question @Adedeji_Joseph and definitely an issue that many people struggle with. I would suggest you check out the discussions that we’ve had about this and hope that it makes you feel a bit less alone:
Hope these help,
Thomas