I've only taken Acyclovir about a dozen times in the 35 years I've had herpes. I've been with my current girlfriend for 5 years and her doctor told her condoms were not necessary since I hadn't had an outbreak in 15 years. We never used a condom because we were in our fifties and not having sex with anyone else. Then a few months ago I had an outbreak and since then I've been wearing a condom to keep her happy. I haven't needed acyclovir because herpes was never was more than a minor annoyance. I've read that for some people its a lot worse. But everyone I've met who had it didn't give it much thought. For me, outbreaks usually lasted around 4-5 days. I've had my share of sex partners and I always used a condom until we were exclusive and tested for other STDs. My girlfriend's doctor told her herpes is not a big deal and not to worry about it.