ihaveittoo

I second @Sadpanda. "Later, that boyfriend and I ended up parting ways- not because of the HPV or HSV, but for other, regular old compatibility reasons." The above quote is very important I think. Its so easy to get wrapped up in finding someone who will accept you that you can turn a blind eye to other issues that make a relationship untenable. So many others have written about how they have stayed in bad relationships because of the fear of having to go through the disclosure process all over again. Good for you for having the courage to move on even though it must have hurt like hell. Good luck to you @tesla_sunshine

Hello, I've had herpes for 29 years now, life does go on, trust me. You have found a great site for information and support. Read thru the informational blog on this site, link to it is above. Also check out http://supporttruthanddialog.com/, it is @WCSDancer2010 blog. It is well worth your time to read. Sounds like you may be a asymptomatic carrier. Did you have an IgG blood test? If so were the results 3.5 or below? If so there is a 40% chance your results are false positives.(especially if you have never had symptoms) Check into getting a Western Blot test from the Westover Heights clinic. They will work with you over the phone and order up a test for you. It will set you back a few bucks but the Western Blot is the most definitive test for herpes out there. No, you will not have to take antivirals for the rest of your life. I've not taken any in over 20 years. If you've not had symptoms you really wouldn't need to take them. If you get into a relationship with some one who is negative you could take them to help cut down on asymptomatic shedding. I used to take acyclovir years ago and had very good results with it. Things will be fine. We've all been where your at now, so you are far from alone,

Hello @Emil65, Antivirals can help speed healing and when taken suppresively can help prevent outbreaks alltogether. I always had very good results with acyclovir. My outbreaks healed fast and the 3 months I took it suppresively I had no outbreaks at all. I was prescribed famvir for an outbreak about 20 years ago and I did not find it effective at all. There have been others on this forum who have experienced the opposite. Talk to your doctor about possibly switching to famvir. It can be trial and error when trying to find the best treatment options for herpes.

Interesting article I found online. Hopefully this can be applied to HSV eventually. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/04/02/cure-for-hiv-reportedly-3-years-away.html?intcmp=hplnws

Interesting read, thanks for the link.

I know that it is more difficult to get herpes in thick skinned areas. Usually takes a cut or a scrape that opens the skin that allows easy access to the virus. Not sure what the shedding rate in those areas would be. I would assume it would be similar to shedding rates were outbreaks are most common.

Only 1-2% of oral herpes is caused by the HSV2 virus.There have been a few posts on this forum from prople who are in the 1-2% group.

I've not taken an antiviral in about 20 years. If I were ever to be in a relationship with an H negative person in the future I would start taking one.

The shedding rate overtime is something I'm not very sure about. The outbreaks have definitely become fewer and farther between. I had one last July and can not remember the last time before that. Do you use antivirals? They help reduce shedding.

Yes, I ave HSV 2. Never passed it on that I know of. Since I was diagnosed I've only had 2 partners. The first had Oral HSV 1. Haven't talked to her in well over twenty years, so if I passed it on shes never told me. Except for 1 time I always wore a condom when we had sex. The second, my wife, also has HSV 2 so passing it on has never been a concern.

My wife, who also has H, had both our girls without a hitch. The oldest was born naturally. The youngest was born c section for reasons not related to H. Your doctor can put you on antivirals during the latter stages to help prevent an outbreak.

Being male I will address the antiviral issue...They can be an effective means of reducing shedding when taken suppressivly. I would try to find another doctor who would be more open to prescribing them. It just occurred to me that you may be from the UK based on what your doctor told you. If that's the case you may have to start fibbing a little about outbreaks or other herpes related symptoms to get them to budge on the antivirals.

Some people find that Acyclovir is not effective for them. I was prescribed Famvir once and found it was not effective for me, Went back to the doctor and had him change me over to Acyclovir and the outbreaks quickly cleared up. Others on here have had very good results with Famvir, something to discuss with your doctor. Try to get those spots looked at and possibly swabbed. Find out if its actually herpes or something else all together.

I've had it 29 years. There are plenty of stories in Herpes talk success stories if you haven't seen them already. Good to see you've had positive disclosure experiences.

The general consensus is usually 7-10 days. If you're using antivirals maybe a little less, maybe 5 days. If your partner is H negative you may want to wait the 7-10 days to be safe. If your partner also has H sooner shouldn't be a problem.

Shouldn't be a problem at all. Herpes stays in the nerve ganglia and doesn't spread thru the body.

Lol...always knew you were a Mother Hen @Bambina3 ;-)

Great to hear from you again. Happy to hear that life is going well for you right now.

Hello, Sounds Like J is an asymptomatic carrier of HSV-1. Chances are pretty good he has not been tested for it in the past. You need to specifically request a test for HSV or be lucky enough to have a doctor who will order it on his/her own. Sounds like you two are in the same spot but processing things differently. Send him a link to this site. Also check out this blog if you have not read it already http://supporttruthanddialog.com/. Hopefully they will help you two thru the initial shock. Give yourselves some time to get over the shock and educate yourselves about herpes. Then you can revisit the status of your relationship and see where things stand.

What are you using for a suppression? If it's acyclovir, talk to your doctor about famvir. Some have reported success with the switch. Personally I found acyclovir worked for me, Famvir not so much. It can be very different from person to person. The first year can consist of alot of trial and error to find what works best for you.

If a drug is to be released in the United States it has to go thru FDA testing and reviews. It can be a time consuming process with no guarantee of success. After 29 years of having herpes I have learned to be cautiously optimistic about potential cures. @WCSDancer2010 is absolutely right about what she said above.

Thanks for the link. This could still be some years away from hitting the market.

I have never experienced this, but it certainly sounds possible. Some people do experience nerve problems with herpes.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV. Herpes Zoster is Shingles. It occurs when the chicken pox virus reactivates. It is different from the Herpes Simplex virus which causes outbreaks on the lips and genitals. I suppose shingles can appear on the genitals but it not the same as HSV1 or HSV2.

I used to obsess over it for the longest time. It really began to ease when I finally attended a support group and talked with others. So, coming to this forum is defiantly a step in the right direction. Read thru the success stories. Read http://supporttruthanddialog.com/, It has tons of great info and articles that are great food for thought.