WCSDancer2010

@Bluebetty Most people have *some* concern about *something* that they believe makes them "damaged goods" when we are dating. Bankruptcy/financial issues, age, sexual preferences, height, weight, job status, living conditions, whatever. Herpes just gave you a nice "easy" thing to label yourself with. You'd be surprised how many people will have sex with you...in ALL age groups. I see it here all the time. @hippyherpy is a great case in that he has casual sex on a regular basis and he discloses before every encounter. I have plenty of other examples of casual sex stories, and if you need more "proof" you can read the Success Stories. In fact, most people report better relationships and even better sex after getting Herpes because they start making better CHOICES of partners! A life well lived assumes risk... any potential partner who puts the risk before the relationship is likely more interested in getting INTO you, than getting into YOU ... and any casual sex partners *should* be aware of the risks of that lifestyle and should be THANKFUL for your honesty so that they can take appropriate precautions. Think of it this way... **I assume you drive a car **and I assume if that is correct, you may occasionally drive your lover/BF/friends/family somewhere **And you ALL know there is ALWAYS a risk of a car accident no matter how careful you are **But you drive them anyway, right? Do you obsess day and night that you might injure/kill them every time they get in your car? I doubt it. **Why is the possibility of passing on H any different? At least it won't kill them!!! Think on it :)

Well, it's HIGHLY unlikely that it's HSV2 on the lips ... BUT, he *could* have HSV2 genitally and not know it. So make sure you BOTH go for STD testing before you get freaky... (I always say *both* so they don't feel you don't trust them ... just say that having got H, you are MUCH more aware how easy it is for people to have a STD and not know it). But if you both have H1, the odds are very small that you will pass it to the other area... not impossible, but pretty tiny. IE, your odds of being in a car accident are FAR higher :)

I personally tell people to wean off... simply because *some* people's systems are more reactive to abrupt changes.... And I don't know where your Dr got that half life... it takes 10 days to get it into the system enough to be fully effective ... so I'd say take at least that long to wean off. After all, your system has got used to the "help" from the valtrex, so it needs to be given the chance to "take over" as the valtrex leaves the system.

He has genital HSV2 so his toothbrush isn't even an object that comes in contact with his genitals?? (Unless he has some very odd habits). Honey - you'd be surprised.... let's just say I've heard that Electric Toothbrushes have, er, other uses....LOL

@Shiningstar .. Honey - no one is judging you here... but we are VERY careful to not have people spread info that is not accurate. I'm a 35+ yr veteran of H. I've been on many discussion boards and been advocating/studying this virus for many years. So I kinda have seen and heard it all. And your beliefs are normal, but not accurate and the others are trying to temper what you posted with more accurate facts. For one thing, the VAST majority of people get Herpes from someone with NO symptoms. Because when we know we have Herpes, we tend to be hyper aware of what's happening around our junk. There are articles out there with this info that I will include below because I think it will help you to see a more realistic view of the virus and how we live and deal with it. http://m.jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/194/1/42.long Knowledge of Partners’ Genital Herpes Protects against Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Acquisition Second: You CAN'T get the virus from towels, toothbrushes, etc. Of course, if I happen to have an OB I am more cautious then when I don't, but water, soap, sun, and air all kill the virus VERY quickly. I have had H since I was 17 (got it with my first sexual experience but didn't realize what the rash was/misdiagnosed till after I was married). I shared towels with both my daughters without thinking about it, had baths with them and cuddled with them no end. I just did *normal* hygiene hand washing as well as making sure to was well after touching the junk. I also have oral H1 (got as a kid). I kissed on them plenty too, but again, never with a sore and I never did the "sloppy kiss" type because that *is* more likely to pass it on without symptoms (but honestly, odds are they will get it from another kid like I did..60% have it by adulthood from other kids). Neither of them ever got it from me. http://supporttruthanddialog.com/toilets-towels-and-touching-oh-my/ As for condoms, well, honey, as we get older lets just say that they usually impede the process for most men. And let me tell you, for many, if they can't perform that messes with their heads (BOTH of them!). The thing is, once you have had H for awhile, your body usually controls it pretty well. I rarely have OB's and they are usually tiny and easy to beat into submission so they disappear again. I've been in several LTR's since my divorce 10+ yrs ago, and once we were exclusive we CHOSE to not use condoms.... it was something we discussed and looked at all the issues with and without them. Most of the time what I do is I go on the anti-virals when it looks like things may get physical - usually I've disclosed already. I actually have my status on most of my dating profiles (and it doesn't stop H- men from contacting me!) so we usually discuss the issue pretty early on. If I am on the meds their risk is pretty low. I also insist on condoms until I see *their* STD tests. Once we are exclusive (which for me, is right around the time we have sex the first time) I suggest we use the meds and condoms for the first 3 months, and if things are still great and our STD tests are still clear, if they wish to stop using condoms, that is THEIR choice. I've been with several men for 3+ yrs each and none of them got it from me and one insisted I didn't take the meds either. This is a little more complicated if the H- person is a woman as you have the issue of how the condom affects the guy vs her concerns about getting H. It generally becomes an issue of entrusting the H+ person to just be honest with any concerns they have about potential OB's. I generally tell my partner if I have *any* tickle or sensation going on down there, even if I think it's an underwear rub or whatever. On those days, we just find other ways to get our freak on. To be honest, Herpes gives us the excuse to "Get Freaky"...LOL .... BONUS! Either way, I agree with the others in that it's kinda a buzz kill to have to "inspect" your partner's genitals ... but of course, we should always be alert to anything we see... but for many if their partner always wanted to "inspect" their genitals, it would be a pretty big mind-fuck as it's a constant reminder of their status... and we are pretty good at being all-too-aware of our status as it is. So I'd say: Be ALERT and aware (BOTH partners), Be HONEST if you have a concern (there's always other ways to play), And DISCUSS what you are both comfortable with (and this can change over time) We are all adults here. So if everyone is honest and informed, we need to make ADULT (informed) CHOICES about what risks we are ok with. You get in a car every day KNOWING people die or are injured all the time in cars. But you jump in and buckle up (ie, take *some* precautions) and maybe (or maybe not) install other safety features on your car. And then you get out on the road and go to work or whatever and you don't obsess about it (I hope!). Herpes is basically the same. We ensure our partners know the risks, and then we do what we can *within reason* to protect them, AND we allow them to make THEIR OWN choices about how they want to approach their risks. And then we live life, share towels and showers and the like, and *hopefully* don't let H run our lives. (((HUGS))) - Hope this helps you to feel less "judged" ... I can tell you that people on here are some of the most supportive you will find ... but those of us who have been around awhile sometimes jump on inaccurate info a little hard because we just don't want to get people into the unnecessary hyper-fearful, self deprecating, and hopeless place that some go to when they see anything that makes them feel that they are "unclean" or whatever ... and your post kinda came across that way. The responders meant well... and I hope any that read this will try to become more aware of *how* they respond in the future... :)

@Damnhim I would not say that you *can't* pass it on.... certainly if you are having an OB then you would be shedding heavily enough to pass it on. However, because the H1 virus sheds a LOT less in that area (3-5% of the time for H1 as opposed to 15-30% of the time for H2) the risk is a LOT lower. Also, 80% of the population already carries the virus orally so they have the antibodies and would thus have protection from them. I've seen one or two claims on here of people who *believe* or *say* they got it from someone who had it genitally, but the "experts" have not managed to document cases that are cut-and-dried definitely from straight-up sex (with no oral). Given the stats, you can see that the risk is pretty low. If H2 sheds 15-30% of the time and the rate of transmission is 5% F-M, then odds are H1 genitally would be 1/5-1/3 of that not including the stats for how many already have it orally. My point is, the risk is VERY low. But it's there. My ex is one of the <1% of people who have a weird reaction to Zoloft where he loses the ability to speak at times... it took me over a year to get his Dr to agree that there are a very tiny amount of the population who develop "speech problems" (as they call them) ...AFTER he had another client develop the same problem. So even when there's a *tiny* risk of something, it's still a risk we just need to be aware of. If I had known of the issue with the medication we likely could have switched meds at the time ... now, 15+ yrs later, he still can't get completely off the meds and has to deal with the speech issue once in awhile. The good news is that if you are good at monitoring your body, and you use general precautions (esp if you have frequent OB's) then you likely won't pass it on. Certainly your risk of passing H1 on from a genital area are FAR lower than someone who has it orally (who shed 9-18% of the time). Bottom line is: Just because there are no cases of confirmed transmission doesn't mean it *can't* happen. But the risk is pretty minuscule. :)

I agree - it's funny because Dr's don't think it's important, but if you are dating, IMO it IS because if you happen to have got HSV1 from the oral, and the next person you date has cold sores, then it sorta cancels itself out as you both have it - but if you have one kind and the other person has the other one, then you need to discuss precautions. If a Dr tries to poo poo doing the test, tell them what I just said about dating... if they still try to stop you, go to Planned Parenthood and tell them you were told by someone you had been with about 6 months ago that they think they have Herpes and you've had some odd rashes ... that will get them to test you. I hate telling people to lie but sometimes you have to in order to get the tests and/or meds for H because of the poor education that most GP's have about H.

@WCSDancer2010 do you know anything about switching from valtrex to acyclovir as far as any ill effects ie bringing on ob's due to changing up? It's possible. Why would you want to switch? If I were to switch and I was concerned about the potential for OB's I'd slowly wean off the Valtrex and add in the Acyclovir until you are completely off one and on the other.

I take it for suppression to protect my partners. Maybe I'm going to chill on it for a while. Given your lifestyle, I'd say that it's not fair to wean off it so YOU don't get liver disease. You never know how someone *may* react to Herpes *if* they get it. You have seen many on here who, while being anomalies, really do suffer from the virus. Just because *YOU* don't have bad symptoms doesn't mean that you give it to someone that they won't have a bad reaction to it. If you are *THAT* concerned about the liver issue, just get your liver enzymes checked a couple times a year. That will help you to keep your worries at bay AND it would be fair to the women who you may see once and never see again, who you may never know *if* you passed something on. As I have said many times to you, it seems that you are more concerned about down playing the virus... and while I agree with you that it's really not a "big" deal for 99% of us who get it in the long run, there ARE the few who have bad reactions to it and it's up to us to make sure that our partners are aware of the risks. On top of that, I don't care how relaxed/accepting the women are when you disclose, *most* people will at least go through *some* stages of depression/anxiety/etc if they are diagnosed with H. It's one thing to get H from a long term partner. It's a whole 'nuther thing to get it from a one night stand.... it fucks with your head a LOT more even if you accepted the risk. It's not fair to put someone at risk of that potential if you can take the medication and reduce their risk by 50% that way.... I hope you won't wean off and you will just use the liver testing to put your concerns to rest.... as I have said many times, I've had this 35 yrs and done a lot of research, and the odds of your liver being affected are VERY VERY low if you don't have a pre-existing liver issue. You are not taking *high* doses which is the only other issue that might be taken into consideration, so your risks are truly FAR higher of getting liver damage from your drinking than your use of Valtrex.

Just to point out - you say you don't have HSV2 ...have you *specifically* asked for the test in the past with your STD tests? Because if not odds are you have not been tested for it. Standard "Full STD" tests *Don't* include Herpes. :( If you get tested now and you have a positive result, it means you've had H more than 4 months. Just want to make sure you are aware of that. And your risk of getting H without any precautions as a male is 5% over the course of a year ... condoms and anti-virals reduce that risk by 50% EACH - so your odds of having got something from her are pretty tiny.... Also, it only takes 10 days on the anti-virals to get them up to enough in the system to do their job effectively.

@whitedaisies Just want to gently point out to you several things: 1) *IF* your daughter has oral H, odds are VERY VERY high she got it from another kid. As you said, you can't help what young kids do and they tend to share all kinds of things including sloppy kisses and drinks and the like. 60% of young people have oral HSV1 by the time they are young adults and most get it from other kids. Because YOU are aware of your HSV1 status, odds are HIGHLY unlikely that if she has it that she got it from you simply because I KNOW you are hyper aware of your status and you wouldn't have done anything that remotely would put her at risk. 2) I'd guess that the rash on the hands is from her drooling when sleeping... which would cause a contact dermatitis from the saliva (which has pre-digestive enzymes in it). 3) I got HSV1 orally at about age 3. I used to get TERRIBLE OB's on my face/chin. I kinda remember picking the sores a LOT.By all odds if any kid was going to pass it to their hands or other areas of the body, *I* was a prime candidate. I never got it beyond the immediate area of the mouth. It's THAT HARD to pass it to other areas of the body. So I hope you will take this to heart and stop worrying about your daughter. This kind of focus/obsession will just be passed to her which is FAR more unhealthy for her in the long run than the virus will ever be even if she managed to get it. *Try* to understand that the facts are she has a FAR greater chance of getting it from another kid and if she does, odds are highly unlikely that she's transferred it to her hands and this is likely an issue of a dermatitis reaction to the saliva in her mouth. And if either area develops a blister, get it swabbed so you know for sure what's going on... or at least, what is *not* going on :)

@girlnamedhope Hello and Welcome! OK - 35+ yr veteran here.... with 2 daughters and a granddaughter. Who had H when we had NO real info to go on. I have both oral 1 AND genital 2 H. I did everything "wrong". At least I did everything that someone in your shoes would be convinced that would be "dangerous". I had baths with them. I shared towels with them. I snuggled with them. I didn't take anything more than standard commons sense precautions that one would do as far as hand washing and the like. And they never got it from me. My granddaughter had repeated sores on her as a baby that turned out to be a staph infection. Never figured out where THAT came from. Thankfully they managed to finally get it under control. Point being, there are TONS of different types of skin rashes and infections and its HIGHLY unlikely that your daughter got herpes from you. Your risk of her being injured in a car accident or getting a fatal Flu infection from you are FAR higher. And to be honest she has a 60% risk of getting oral HSV1 from another kid before she's an adult. Keep an eye on it - if it starts to weep, ask for them to swab it for H AND for a staph infection. Odds are it will come back negative for both. Odds are it's a bug bite or something and it will pass and she will be fine. I have a blog about this subject because it pains me to see mothers so freaked out when there are plenty of other (worse!) things that you are likely to do to put your child at risk of death or disease. ... it's part of life. All you can do is maintain common sense cleanliness habits and right there you reduce the risk of passing *anything* on to her. http://supporttruthanddialog.com/toilets-towels-and-touching-oh-my/

I and others have replied to this same post here: https://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/8008/need-advice-on-how-to-support-h-partner-please#latest Closing this discussion so we can keep the replied together :)

@TxResearcher Hello and Welcome! I'm a 38 yr veteran (I now just say 35+ yrs...I generally don't count any more!) who also got HSV1 as a child. Same general story as yours - tho only married once, but for 20 yrs and my ex did get it from me because I was mis-diagnosed before and during our marriage. If you've been married 4 times then your disclosure success hasn't been *that* bad. As I tell people, H is a GREAT Wingman ... the women who walk just "weren't that into you" ... odds are they were already questioning if they wanted to continue the relationship. I know for *me* I often stay in an early relationship a little longer than I should because I want to give the person/relationship a chance if I see something in them that I like/am attracted to. So that kind of info might be the thing that has those women walk... it's their "sign" that it's time to move on..... Glad to have you aboard.... we need more veterans on here so people can see that we can live VERY normal lives .... and that they are FAR from alone!

I gave H to my now ex-hubby in the first year or so of our marriage. I had had numerous rashes, "infections", massive swelling after sex, etc and Dr's kept telling me I had a BV or fungal infection. This was 30 yrs ago so not a lot of info for the public back then... my ex got it bad - swollen lymph glands and bad OB's...but we just kinda accepted it and moved on. I don't think he blamed me. We were married nearly 20 yrs and it never came up in discussion and was not the reason for the end of the marriage. We are still friends and he knows I now Advocate for people with the virus and he tells me he hardly ever has symptoms now.

@pickaname Hello and Welcome AND, thank you for coming here to get advice... we have a section for people like yourself because we know how perplexing and confusing it can be to be "on the outside" and not know how to help. The best thing you can do is get him to join here and/or see if you can find a local Support Group for him to go to and see that he is FAR from alone and that life DOES go on after you get H. There's no way you can talk him out of his fears until he actually sees that he's not alone. Support groups (online of in person) are the best way for him to see that. In the meantime, give him these links/printouts. Let him see that you have done your research and ask him to sit down with you and watch the video and read the articles, then discuss them. One other thing you can do is ask him to go with you to your OBGYN to talk about your risks.... so he can see you have taken the info in and you are making an informed CHOICE to be with him. You can also have him do a Skype discussion with @Adrial who is an awesome coach.... if he prefers to discuss it with a woman, I'll happily talk to him. Bottom line is he needs support and info from people who can help him to get a reality check on the facts. We often have people on here who start to talk to family and friends about their status who find out that they know a LOT of people who have the virus. It's just that our society discourages discussing it. So people feel alone and isolate themselves and sadly become depressed... and it's sooo unnecessary! Education is what we need but it's sadly lacking ...which is why I'm an advocate for people with the virus. Good luck... and keep us informed 🙂 http://projectaccept.org/who-gets-hsv/ Handouts + disclosure e-book: https://www.herpesopportunity.com/lp/ebook Herpes facts video

Thanks for the Stat of the % of babies with H. I had hoped to find that but didn't manage to find that link :)

@BlueAlexis I'm a 35+ yr carrier... so I'll shed some light on things for you 🙂 1) Well, yeah, to be honest this is not an abnormal reaction given you already had sex. You just gave this guy one hell of a reality check about sex... that if you don't "have the talk", if you have sex with someone without KNOWING their status, you are playing Russian Roulette with your sexual health. So of course he's freaking out. 2) I ALWAYS tell people that no matter what, you disclose before sex. If things are moving too fast, *we* know our status and it's only right to let the other person know of that risk. 3) At the *same time*, it sounds like the guy never attempted to bring up the subject either. So he definitely is accountable for his part in this... and perhaps that is part of his reaction... he could be beating himself up for not having "the talk" too. 4) You are not a Leper ... you just made an error of judgement. Try to think about it in his shoes ... if you had sex before you got H, and then were told that the other person carried Herpes ... and you don't have clear info on the virus. It would have likely been pretty scary for you too. And it likely would make you stop and think about your sexual practices and to be honest, that is a GOOD thing for the person in the long run. 5) I suggest that you read all the Success Stories that you can on here. We have tons of people who have found the most amazing H- partners ... most will say that they end up finding BETTER partners after H because this virus will show you who is into YOU, and who just wants to GET INTO you. You need to learn how to let H become your Wingman ... and believe me, you can learn a LOT about a person when you see how they react to the disclosure, and how they are once the info sinks in and they get informed. 6) Herpes can be a litmus test to show you the REAL person you are with. It can take awhile to learn how to observe and interpret their behaviors. And THEIR behavior/reaction has NOTHING to do with who YOU are. 7) In your case, there *is* the issue that you had sex first and that definitely gives him a bit of a "pass" on his initial reaction. Give him time, and if you can, give him the handouts and links below so he can become informed and make a more rational conclusion about whether he wants to continue with you or not. I hate to be so blunt but men will often pursue a woman and have sex *before* they think about how they *FEEL* about them. And we women feel pressured to have sex not only because we like it, but many will get physical in order to "keep the man's interest". I don't know your reasons for getting physical (there can be many factors including drugs/alcohol) but what we women have to be realistic about is that if we want to be with a man just for sex, then we have to be ok with them walking away for whatever reason. If we want a man for LOVE, then we need to slow things down and see what they are saying and doing to show that they are into US as much or more as they want to "get into" us ..... at THAT point if you disclose (or have disclosed) then you are likely to find that the man values you more than a minor risk of getting something that he's *very likely* been unwittingly exposed to many times if he's at all sexually active. THAT is the man you want in your LTR life 🙂 (((HUGS))) http://projectaccept.org/who-gets-hsv/ Handouts + disclosure e-book: https://www.herpesopportunity.com/lp/ebook Herpes facts video

It's not possible for you to pass your GENITAL HSV2 from *your* mouth to someone's genitals.... the virus lives in the nerve ganglion in that area. The risk of passing it from RECEIVING oral sex is possible but *very* low ... only 1% of all oral Herpes is HSV2. If you are very careful to not receive oral when you have *any* chance that an OB is coming on, the odds are going to be very very low of you passing it that way. To put things into perspective, odds are FAR greater you will injure someone in a car accident, or that you or your loved ones will die from flu/pneumonia, than there is of you passing HSV2 on to someone when receiving oral if you use common sense precautions :)

@wanderingdot My suggestion is that you ask him to go with you to either Planned Parenthood or your OBGYN to talk about this. The problem he's encountering is a GP is the LAST person I would send anyone to because their info and experience is going to be VERY limited by comparison to someone who is in a field of expertise (your OB) that sees and deals with this every day. I'd say to him something like: Would you go to a backyard mechanic to diagnose or give advise on an issue with a Ferrari? Then tell him that a GP is likely not as well informed about these things and perhaps going to PP (which may feel more neutral for him) or your OB and asking them for advice and info may help him to feel less confused about things. The problem is he's getting different info from you than his Dr and that is confusing and likely accounts for his change of mind. AND ... this *may* be a sign that he's really not "all in" with you. I tell people all the time...herpes will help you to learn who is really into YOU, and who just likes "getting into" you. While he may care for you and like being with you, at some point he needs to shit or get off the pot, and that means either accepting the risks of the virus (because YOU mean more to him than the risk) OR being just honest with you and himself that he's not feeling THAT into you.... even when you care for someone it can be hard to leave when you realize that the relationship is not nourishing your soul (I know, I took 6 months to break up with someone who I really DID care deeply for but realized I just couldn't LIVE with him for 20 yrs because of non-H issues).

Just to clarify the risk for giving herpes to your baby during pregnancy ... I'm making this discussion for reference so you can get facts. Bottom line is you are at FAR higher risk of your baby acquiring Flu from you than Herpes ... although if you got Herpes in the last Trimester the risk is much higher and you REALLY need to work in close contact with your OBGYN to protect the baby from the virus. From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671497/ : "the pregnant woman who acquires genital herpes as a primary infection in the latter half of pregnancy, rather than prior to pregnancy, is at greatest risk of transmitting these viruses to her newborn. Additional risk factors for neonatal HSV infection include the use of a foetal-scalp electrode and the age of the mother less than 21 years. " "in US, approximately 22% of pregnant women are infected with HSV-2, 10% are at risk of acquisition of genital HSV from their infected partners (during periods of asymptomatic viral shedding) and 2% of women acquire genital herpes during pregnancy, " "The risk of neonatal infection varies from 30% to 50% for HSV infections that onset in late pregnancy (last trimester), whereas early pregnancy infection carries a risk of about 1% ". So if you already have and are aware that you have HSV2 (or 1 for that matter) then the risk is VERY low for transmission to the baby especially if you make the Dr aware and they monitor your status and put you on Valtrex for the last month. As mentioned, MANY die from flu (especially babies) every year... you *rarely* hear about babies getting or dying from Herpes. Either way, the bottom line is to make sure your Dr knows you have Herpes, and to work with them to protect the baby. I had one by Caesarean because I was bullied into it by the Dr I had at the time (this was 30 yrs ago with much less info available to the public AND the Dr's). I had my second naturally. Neither ever got it from me and they are now 30 and 26. I have a 5 yr old granddaughter and she is also HSV-. Work with your Dr, get informed, and odds are VERY high that your baby will be just fine :)

Just to clarify the risk for giving herpes to your baby during pregnancy (so as not to alarm women who are or hope to get pregnant) "the pregnant woman who acquires genital herpes as a primary infection in the latter half of pregnancy, rather than prior to pregnancy, is at greatest risk of transmitting these viruses to her newborn. Additional risk factors for neonatal HSV infection include the use of a foetal-scalp electrode and the age of the mother less than 21 years. " "in US, approximately 22% of pregnant women are infected with HSV-2, 10% are at risk of acquisition of genital HSV from their infected partners (during periods of asymptomatic viral shedding) and 2% of women acquire genital herpes during pregnancy, " "The risk of neonatal infection varies from 30% to 50% for HSV infections that onset in late pregnancy (last trimester), whereas early pregnancy infection carries a risk of about 1% ". So if you already have and are aware that you have HSV2 (or 1 for that matter) then the risk is VERY low for transmission to the baby especially if you make the Dr aware and they monitor your status and put you on Valtrex for the last month. As mentioned, MANY die from flu (especially babies) every year... you *rarely* hear about babies getting or dying from Herpes. I'm going to post this as a separate discussion so I can point people to it as this article is a great reference to help women get some facts to help them to remain calm and realistic about the potential for transmission to their babies during birth. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671497/

@roxoo8820 Hello and Welcome! The quick answer is yes ... the skin can remain sensitive and the area can get irritated by shaving for awhile...some people can go right back to shaving and some can't when they first get H. Usually the area settles down after awhile but that can still be months in some cases. Try Epsom Salts baths to soothe the area and dry anything that's hanging around up.... and if it continues maybe consider just clipping short for a month or two to allow the area to settle down.

@Stephy623 Sorry to be late to the party - dealing with issues with my aging father so I've not been online much. First - HOW were you diagnosed? Did you have an outbreak and if so, were you swabbed or did you have a blood test? If you didn't have an outbreak, was it just a blood test as part of your STD testing? If you don't have symptoms and you were blood tested, odds are you have it orally, not genitally. If you have a confirmed case of genital HSV1, and you never had oral herpes, you won't pass HSV1 through oral sex because the virus is harbored in the nerves in your genitals. Herpes doesn't float through the body via the blood or whatever - it stays in the nerves in the area where you acquired it. Now, you *could* pass it to a partner (oral herpes) who is giving you oral but it's highly unlikely because of 2 things: 1) 80% of the population already has oral herpes and you can't give them "more" herpes. 2) The HSV1 virus sheds a lot less in the genital region. If you can clarify how you were tested I can help guide you through the facts that you need to know :)

This is another great link to pass on to people so they get a reality check http://projectaccept.org/who-gets-hsv/