You have done what you thought you would never do, cheated on your girlfriend. For those who have cheated on girlfriends in the past you may need further help, but if this is the first and last time, should you tell her?

Before we go any further I must add that you should do the right thing and get tested for sexual diseases. If you come up positive for anything disregard any advice you hear and tell her the truth. If you really care about her you need to make sure that she is protected.

Honesty is always the best policy, but in some cases it may not be practical. Sometimes the end justifies the means in relationships. I am not excusing infidelity in any way, shape or form but lets look at a few examples.

He Did Not Tell Her

Lets say a man has been married for 15 years. Throughout his married life this man has been faithful right up until the end. He and his wife have raised a few children together and he is seen as a good father and husband. For all intents and purposes this man is what would be described as a "happily married man".

Around year 15 the man cheats on his wife. They have been arguing a lot, their sex life is not as healthy as it used to be so he decides it is his right to go out and find the sex he is not receiving at home.

Once he has committed the act and its too late to take it back, the man becomes really guilty and realizes he had no right to do this to his loyal wife.

He never speaks of the act to anyone. It was away from any one he knew so no one would tell his wife and the girl he had sex with was a one night stand that he never sees again.

From that day forward, life goes on as normal as can be. Sure the man feels guilty about what he has done, but he just ca not bring himself to break up his family for his own stupid selfishness. His wife is none the wiser and they live happily ever after, at least in married terms.

He Told Her

A different spin on this story is that the man told his wife. She threw a fit, kicked him out of the house and filed for divorce that very day.

They both went through a nasty legal battle for child custody, child support and alimony. The children rarely saw their father from that day forward, aside from the weekends the mother and the court system allowed him.

And from that day forward his wife was cold and distant to him. She could never forgive him for what he had done to her, and their family.

Years later the woman has remarried. When asked by a friend about the divorce with her first husband it is now easier to speak of, being years later.

The shocking part of this story is the wife confesses she wishes her husband had never told her he cheated. She did not love the man she was with like she loved her husband. She had always wondered what life would have been like had he just kept his indiscretion a secret and never done it again.

If you have cheated on girlfriends in the past this may be a habit that needs to be broken. If you can not stop your self from cheating then you need professional help to deal with issues that cause the infidelities.

However, if this was a one time lapse in judgment that you can be positive will not happen again you could be doing more harm to your girlfriend than good by confessing what you have done. This certainly does not excuse being unfaithful, but in some cases what we do not know will not hurt us.

As mentioned earlier, do the right thing and get tested regardless of whether you tell her or not. If you come up positive with any diseases you must tell her for her own good. This certainly would not help your chances of staying together, but it must be done in all fairness.

Apply what you have learned through these examples to your own relationship. Then make an educated decision on what the right thing for you and your girlfriend would be. Particularly if children are involved, be careful what you do. Your decision could affect more than your girlfriends life.