Hi kelsee,   Thanks for posting your question.  A lot of people experience the same anxiety you're having about telling your partner.  But you'll quickly find out that it's not such a big deal, most people won't reject you because of it, and the more you tell partners the easier it gets.  I wrote a couple SharePosts about what I think is an effective way to tell your partner.  They are called "Setting the Scene" and "Breaking the News".  You should check them out as they have lots of details about this topic.     Essentially I believe the more knowledgeable you are about herpes, the easier it is to talk to a partner about it.  So I recommend you also check out the Basics of Herpes page, the Prevention page, and the Causes and Risk Factors page.  I think after all that research, you'll feel much more confident talking to your new beau about your new disease.   The good news is,  you didn't know you had it when you slept with him, so he can't be mad at you about that.  You're doing the right thing by telling him you have it before you continue having sexual relations with him.  Lots of us have been through this and we know it'll work out fine in the end.     Please come back and give us an update!   PJ