"Counseling of infected persons and their sex partners is critical to the management of genital herpes."1
Prepare yourself for counseling your patients2
Counseling prior to testing can:
- Minimize a patient's confusion or distress in receiving a positive result
- Reduce post-test counseling time
Pre-test counseling messages:
- Genital herpes is common
- Genital herpes infections are unrecognized in the majority of people – often because signs/symptoms are mild or confused with other conditions
- Test results can confirm a diagnosis and aid in initiating discussions regarding treatment
Post-test counseling:
- Provide clinical interpretation of test result
- Cover relevant facts about genital herpes in cases where a diagnosis is made
- Offer patient an opportunity to return for a follow-up visit to discuss treatment options and patient questions
Watch a video for professionals on counseling patients diagnosed with genital herpes.
- Read Counseling Recommendations from the CDC and ACOG.
- Download Patient Education Resources for your practice.
- View Podcast Entitled "Management of Patients Newly Diagnosed with Genital Herpes."
