tomorrow

Average of transmission risk is 2%?? But in your case of having it for years and no symptoms/outbreaks at all, I would guess it is probably super low... Don’t worry or be anxious, because when you do you are increasing the transmission odd. ( your body produces certain materials/chemicals which are the feeds for virus growing). Stay positive and make no big deal of it in your deep heart, you may never pass.

It could be that the medication inhibits your body to produce antibodies indirectly, or it was wrong diagnosis first place (seems impossible if it was culture). I personally think there is also possibility that you are cured, though everywhere says hsv is incurable. (I have not been 100% convinced by this saying.) If I were you, I would just stop taking medication for at least 3-6 months and have a blood test. If it’s still negative, then accept and cheer that you are hsv 2 free!! Good luck!!

Good tip. Thanks! I have problems to drink a lot of water. Lol. Need to work on myself

My philosophy is simple: if you don’t want to disclose, then don’t sleep. If you plan to have sex with person, you don’t have excuses but disclose.

I know hair loss also can be from depression, anxiety, worries or lack of quality sleeping.

The 2% of transmission with medication or condoms is just an average. It is various on every single person. The first year of infection usually is higher risk. More often outbreaks means more asymptotic shedding, and more chance of transmission. According to some research, races may also effect the shedding/ transmission risk. It is said white peoples shed more than black. Of course, your overall immune system has huge impact too. I guess that’s why some people never infect their H- partners for years or life. But some get infected maybe by only one for few sext encounter.

@Jenn88 your doctor office must be really busy. But yes it’s good to talk to doctors directly. I went to planes parenthood here. Doctors including their nurses are all very caring and professional. Provide useful information and sincere comfort. Hope yours will take care of you good as well

@Jenn88 are you in USA? I don't think we don't test igM though. It says igM is misleading and igG is the one doctor cares about.

@Jenn88 I think igM means currently or in last few months, you didn't have breakout. igM antibodies come out first when your immune system is attacked by virus. They fight with virus when you don't have igG or igG is not enough. After a while, igM resign and igG increase & take over. Hope I understand correctly.

@BostonBuddy07 I'm really sorry for your story. I actually am in the same boat. My boyfriend is not talking to me either though he claimed he is just too busy and not avoiding me due to my diagnosis. But I figured that he just doesn't have the guts to be honest so play the game of fading out. I wish he could be upfront and end a relationship in a decent way. But I guess some people are really coward and disrespectful. I'm not going to lower my value one more time. So, I will just let him be and no more bother. I know someday probably in months or years he will regret and feel sorry for what he has done to me. When I am in my own relationship I am emotion loaded and can't think right. However, when I step out of it, analyze my own story, yours or other's, I can see the fact much clearly. You or many of others may not agree, but let me share what I think, so we can discuss further: It's very understandable and predictable that when we disclose, most people get scared/uncomfortable, NO MATTER THEY ADMIT OR NOT. Some run immediately. But more tend to act normal in the beginning (no one want to act rude or innocent), but in their deep heart, they do have worries and scare and they will. This afternoon I googled genital herpes pictures online, to be honest, I AM TERRIFIED TOO. I'm the one with HSV 2 and pretty accept the fact now, but the pictures from google still look disgusting and scary to me. Yes it's true that most of us won't have those symptoms or some have no symptoms at all. But those H- have no idea and don't want to believe the better possibility. They see the pictures from google and understand how bad it could be if they are infected someday. Most importantly, the theory of asymptomatic shedding probably is the most difficult part for the potential H- partner to accept. Actually it's difficult for me to accept too. It's said it's unpredictable, asymptomatic, can happen even with medicine and protection. Is that scary? I think it is, to any logical/ rational person. Yes there are other disease is more serious than herpes, such as cancer, diabetes, or other skin problems, but less people run away from their infected partners because those health problems are not contagious or not lifelong, in fact they're symptomatic or predictable so people can take actions and protect themselves well. I apologize if my words sound discouraging but this is definitely not my point. I am just sharing my thinking about the fact from the other perspective so we can feel less sadness from their rejection. Sometimes it's good/healthier to lower our expectation. Are there people willing to take the risks? I'm sure there are, MANY. But there're conditions for them accept it. I like to list what I analyze: 1) If they are truly IN LOVE WITH YOU, they most likely will accept all of you, including your hsv. (my bf is not same feeling toward me though I am in deep love with him. That is why he turned me down. But I had to disclose bc I was diagnosed when we already have relationship. In the future, I would not disclose until I'm 100% sure that person is in deep love with me, which means I won't sleep with them either. I believe this is critical. ) 2) if they are desperate to have some one, because of many reasons of their own. They might have problems to get a partners, or they are having certain kind of unknown issue maybe hsv, (hopefully not hiv) 3) they have experienced it. They have family or ever dated someone with hsv. They know the truth and understand our struggles. And they have really kind heart. 4) Irresponsible person. They don't really care because they always like taking high risks for sexual pleasures. These kind of people might tend to cheat or hook-up around. Those are definitely not what I want. 5) ... (please add...) Welcome to debate me or share your thoughts.

@Jane M thanks for the information about this first cured HIV patient. It’s really a miracle! Though I think it’s not the cure we generally talking about. Maybe that’s why scientists still refer hiv is incurable. I think you are right. Compared to those who have hiv or cancers or else, herpes is really minor. Being positive and pray the cure can come! Or at least pray for future vaccines!

@Jane M HIV is not curable though. Far from it actually. I read somewhere on internet saying vaccine for Hsv 2 is on phase 2 test. Hopefully it can get solved in next 5-10 years. Regarding your man, I think no one can tell for sure if he is negative or not unless he gets tested. But with common logical thinking, he is highly suspicious. If he could sleep with your without condom, he might have slept with many the same way. Since he has so many sex partners, he has put himself into high risks to contract STD, especially if those women also have a lot of sex partners too. And he could have contracted oral hsv 2 too, which is possible as well.

@happyman_adventurous Thank you for sharing. Your explanation is very clear. I understand that it is difficult for drugs or antibodies to kill the virus if they hide in ganglia. When scientists talk viral shedding or outbreak, it seems like the virus reduplicate themselves first then travel to the skin surface along their favorite nerve route. (Hopefully I understand correctly...) When I read about this, I was wondering why not all virus travel? Are they really so smart and keep some at "homebase" for future revival? Is that possible for some people, all virus get out of their home and get killed? or is it possible for those new infection who got instant treatment that the virus got killed before they find the ganglia first time?

@Jane M Valtrex as well as other similar medicine is stopping virus reduplicate. While your antibodies are killing existing virus and medicine stops new virus, surely the number of virus in your body reduces, hence the antibodies decreases. I think that's why doctors recommend to stop taking anti-virus medicine at least a week before you do blood test, which makes a lot of sense to me. I also think it's good that you have been taken care immediately. It is said that the early treatment can significantly reduce the outbreaks. I somewhat hope/believe It may cure some people though everywhere says it's incurable. Hope you can bring us the miracle. I personally never got any treatment since my infection which I believe it was at least 10 years ago, from my cheating boyfriend. I never head of "herpes" until this September. I started to taking medicine as soon as I got diagnosed, though I don't really need it because my symptoms are very mild and infrequent. I plan to take the medicine for a year then stop and see how it will look like.

@ Jane M Did you stop taking Valtrex for a while before you retest your igG?