This paper examines the emotional, physical, and social challenges faced by individuals living with genital herpes simplex virus (HSV), with particular focus on college-aged men navigating intimate relationships. Drawing on CDC health data, the paper outlines a proposed mixed-methods research study involving 15 male college students with herpes and 15 female students without STDs. Participants would respond to three ethical scenarios exploring disclosure dilemmas: whether to inform partners of HSV status, how to approach safe-sex communication, and privacy obligations when discovering others' medical information. The research design emphasizes participant confidentiality and aims to analyze responses through an ethical framework, contributing to understanding of how health stigma affects relationship decision-making.
Living with genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) creates several problems for those affected. This paper explores the emotional, physical, and social stressors that a person with genital herpes faces, and it proposes a research project examining how individuals navigate intimate relationships while managing this condition. Specifically, the paper focuses on scenarios such as a male college student with herpes approaching health disclosure when considering intimacy with a girlfriend. These situations raise important ethical questions: Should a man tell his girlfriend that he has herpes, or should he simply avoid intimate contact during outbreaks? Which course of action is most ethical?
Genital herpes causes periodic physical discomfort but also creates "recurrent emotional distress" because individuals never know when an outbreak will occur. A male in this scenario may fear passing his infection to a woman he cares about (Dunphy, 2014). He might believe that the absence of symptoms makes sexual intercourse safe, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clarifies that "even if you do not have symptoms, you can still infect your sex partners." Additionally, the CDC notes that condom use "may not fully protect" a person from contracting herpes, meaning that even preventive measures carry residual risk.
This medical reality creates a genuine ethical tension: a partner has a right to know about potential health risks, yet disclosure carries social and relational consequences for the infected person.
The proposed research should involve a minimum of 15 male college or university students who currently have genital herpes and 15 female students who have no sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This comparative design allows for analysis of how those with the condition weigh ethical choices differently from those without.
Male participants can be recruited through print advertising in college or local newspapers, with emphasis on privacy protection. Potential participants would be assured of complete anonymity—their names would never appear on materials or research findings. A recruitment advertisement might read: "Male college students with genital herpes sought for research survey examining the social and psychological issues surrounding herpes. Confidentiality guaranteed. Financial stipend offered for participants. Must be 21 and enrolled in college."
Female participants without STDs can be recruited from a community college psychology class in the same community as the university. They will be selected from a pool of volunteers who have agreed to participate in a survey and have been assured of confidentiality.
Both groups will complete a background questionnaire covering age, gender, ethnic origin, and religious and educational background. For male participants, trained interviewers will record responses and ask follow-up questions to capture the depth of their experiences and reasoning. All responses will be analyzed with respect to the ethical frameworks and values they reflect.
There are three ethical quandaries to which each group will respond:
Scenario 1: Disclosure and Symptom Status
Jim has had herpes for three years but currently has no symptoms. He is trying to determine whether he should notify Sharon, his current girlfriend. Should he take a chance and have sex, believing he will not infect her? Or should he tell her he has herpes and needs to use a condom—a disclosure that might frighten her and jeopardize the relationship?
"Three dilemmas exploring disclosure, safe sex, and medical privacy"
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