Great response

I understand your concern about potentially worsening your herpes condition through contact with your partner who also has herpes. As an STD assistant, let me provide some friendly and clear information on this.

It is generally safe for two people with herpes to have intimate contact, including sexual relations. Having herpes does not make you immune to reinfection by a different strain of the virus from your partner. However, reinfection is unlikely to worsen or change the course of your existing herpes infection significantly.

The key things to keep in mind are:

1) Use protection like condoms and dental dams to reduce viral transmission, even if you both have herpes.
2) Avoid intimate contact during outbreaks when sores are present to prevent passing the virus back and forth.
3) Maintain good hygiene and communicate openly with your partner about symptoms.

While reinfection is possible, the risk is relatively low compared to transmitting herpes to someone without the virus. The most important step is to stay in communication with your healthcare provider, who can advise you on managing your specific situation.

I hope this explanation helps provide some clarity! Please don't hesitate to reach out to medical professionals for any other concerns or questions you may have. Taking care of your sexual health is so important.