Sweetannie

So thanks to this site, I have come out the fearful space I was in back in December when I was diagnosed with HSV 1 genital, and have dated and now disclosed successfully twice :) The guy I am currently dating is quite a bit younger than I am, so knowing that this may only be casual dating and not have any future potential, I kept things at making out until I was sure that I could handle whatever his reaction was, and that I felt ready to move forward physically. When I disclosed he told me that he got cold sores all the time, and was okay that my cold sores showed up in another spot :)This was all great except now I am paranoid about every itch I have and am really worried that I might read my body wrong and do something with him when I am having an outbreak or shedding, ugg!!! I have to say too, that besides my first outbreak, I never have had a visible sore, and really just some bum itching, which I think I had occasionally before I got H, and doesn't seem to go away even on antivirals. Anyway, since he has HSV 1,how immune is he to getting it in another spot, and how much do hold myself back if I suspect anything? I don't want to take a chance with anyone's health and yet at the same time, I don't want to be stopping myself when I don't need to. I am really familiar with the stats but unclear if someone has the same thing if those stats change. I am not on suppressive currently either. Thanks, I appreciate all the support and positive energy on this site so much! It makes so much of a difference :)

Thinking of you and wishing you luck!

I also have HSV1G and have followed your posts since I found this site in December. I just want to tell you how happy I am for you and that your experience has given me lots of good hope for the future! Thank you for sharing and kudos for being brave and going for it!

This is music to my heart :) And you write beautifully! Thank you so much for sharing, this is what I will keep envisioning for myself. Wishing you much joy in this relationship!

Thanks so much for the info! And am I accurate in my info that like 70% of the population does have HSV1 antibodies( if you are looking in the 30yrs old and up age bracket)? I am interested as well to know from those of you who have disclosed and suggested to a potential partner that they get tested, what are the best options for doing that? I think I have read that you all don't suggest a guy go to his GP, which of course is where he would probably go. How is Planned Parenthood for accurate HSV testing? Oh and I think there was a thread somewhere a few weeks ago that talked about getting handouts out to Dr's offices with good info on Herpes(if you could link me to it) . I am interested in getting involved somehow with this. I wasn't given anything when leaving my Dr. other than a comment from the nurse midwife who did my exam and cultures who told me I had permission to go shoot the guy because my life was changed forever. I was already upset and scared, and some stats, and a link to this site in particular, would have at least help calm me down. Now two months into this, I feel motivated to make sure others have better info when leaving their Dr.'s offices, I have a counseling background and I know the dark places I went to following my diagnosis, and I feel it is really irresponsible for medical professionals to be sending people home or calling to give test results and not providing any info, considering what this does to people psychologically upon being newly diagnosed. So I have been brewing some ideas on how to change this :)

So to follow up on this, just so I am clear, if I have a potential partner and they test positive for the HSV1 antibodies(I have GHSV1), but don't necessarily know whether they have it orally or genitally, how likely is it that I would pass it on to them in the area that it doesn't reside in their body? And if they have the antibodies would me being on suppressive therapy be worth it? Thank you so much for all the good information and the positive support on this site, finding it was a godsend :)

Thank you! And if a potential partner gets tested and has HSV1 antibodies is transmission rate reduced further, or is there a way to tell that?

I have GHSV1 as well and am wondering since it doesn't shed as frequently, what are the transmission rates specifically for it(as opposed to GHSV2) with condoms, and with suppressive med and condoms? Also I have read that if a partner has HSV1 antibodies that this reduces their chances of contracting GHSV1 even more, is this true? I just want to have all my facts straight for when I disclose. :) Thanks so much for all the great info on this site!

This is just awesome! I am going to remember to read this blog post before I disclose as a way to ground myself in the truth. Thank you!