I am ready to begin a new relationship I convinced my new partner that we should both go for STD testing. I came up positive for Herpes type 1, she came up positive for both 1 and 2. She has never had symptoms.

What are my chances of contracting Herpes, from unprotected oral sex, her to me?

Thanks

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Richard

If your gf can get a copy of her blood test results to post here - I can take a look at them to make sure she doesn't need any additional confirmatory testing. I just need the numeric values - ie hsv1 igg 5.6 and hsv2 igg 4.7 or whatever they are.

I encourage you both to read the herpes info here on asha as well as check out the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com. both have lots of good info in them about herpes and how to reduce your risk of contracting the virus from her. I'm glad you chose to educate yourself on this very common virus instead of just thinking it was something you shouldn't have to deal with!

As for oral sex- hsv2 prefers the oral area but it can infect the genital area. Of course avoid performing oral sex on her whenever she has any genital symptoms. If you think you'd be more comfortable with barrier protection then utilize it - either a dental/oral dam, a condom cut open and laid over her genital area ( unlubricated and flavored ones sometimes improve the taste ) or even saran wrap. You can also consider her taking daily suppressive therapy with valtrex to help reduce your risk for all sex acts. Your risk of contracting hsv2 orally ( and genitally ) is actually rather low but it's totally your choice what precautions you want to utilize.

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

(hsv2 prefers the oral area but it can infect the genital area)

this is back wards right?

I was wondering ..

If I was experiencing an outbreak hsv2 in my genitals ...
Would i be putting my partner at risk in preforming oral sex on him?

Thank you very much

Yes - thank you for catching that! hsv2 prefers the genital area but it can infect the oral area is what I meant to say. Was a little tired when I was posting the other day!!!

If you only have hsv2 genitally then there is no risk of transmitting hsv2 thru performing oral sex on your partners.

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

Thank you,You do a great job Betsy.

I had to read that a few times ... with all the reading I have been doing it was shocking, Glad to have it cleared up.

I have another question,or two ,

Is it possible to have had hsv2 for a few years, then have a really bad out break? I think the answer is yes , but it seems to me that it shouldnt happen with all I have read due to the fact that your body has had time to build ? some defence. Grrr I have just had a bad outbreak I am thinking it the first , definately the first really bad one. I have been tested by swab positive, hsv2. I asked to have the blood work done also.The doctor didnt want to do that so I have had to pay. But I think that it will tell me a little more in respect as to if i just got this or had for a while.I am sorry if I am rambling.... Thank you very much for answering these questions.

Yes it can work that way. It's not unusual for folks to be infected and have such mild symptoms that they don't really give them a 2nd thought or think they are due to something else and then one day get a doozy of an ob or finally get the "classic" herpes symptoms you read about and it sends them to the doctor to finally get diagnosed. Even in myself - my first 2 ob's I never thought was herpes until in hindsight I realized what they were ( single pimples in the pubic hair area each time - who'd have thought that was herpes? never thought twice about them until a partner came to me to tell me they thought they contracted hsv2 from me then suddenly I realized they weren't just pimples ). It was a year or so later that I had a "classic" ob. I even had one of the worst ob's ever 16 years into being infected while on suppressive therapy even. The virus really has a mind of its own sometimes and sometimes something else going on can trigger a doozy of an ob now and then

Once you get your blood test results you'll get a better idea of if it's a newly acquired infection or not. You did just get an igg test right?

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

yes i think it is igg i had i feel like a pin cushion at this point.
I thought it best to get a full std testing .. as what if .. so i have been a few times, and had blood taken. I have some other health issues going on so i have had to have blood taken for that as well as well as biopsies YUCK! I will post my numbers after i receive, i am thinking next week.
but all is coming clear for cancer so I am trying to thank my lucky stars about this H diagnosis. I have to think that the reason this is not ummm as important to the medical community is due to it not being life threatening.
Thank you for all your answers, I do appreciate.
I am not on suppressive therapy. I guess it is better to see how many outbreaks I will have to deal with.Myself I think I will want if I am in a relationship to protect if need be.