Transmission??

[Destiny458]

Hey you guys, hopefully someone can help me with this. I've only been diagnosed with HSV-2 for about 2 years (January makes 2 years) so I'm still learning and struggling everyday with my diagnosis. My boyfriend of 3 years cheated and gave me both chlamydia and type 2 back to back. 

Anywho, I still don't know very much about transmission and try to read about it as much as possible. I have a few questions. 

1. If i have genital herpes, and perform oral sex on someone who does not have the diagnosis, can I infect them?

2. If I accidentally touch a healing sore, (after being on medication twice a day for 3 days) that is not open, then touch my partners skin, can I infect that part of their body? Say for example, their thigh.

3. If I accidentally touched a healing sore that isn't open, then touch my mouth and give oral sex, could I infect my partner? 

[Flowerteacher55]

Hello,

I hope you are well! 

It's awesome that you want to learn more and it's great you joined the forum! 

I am so sorry about the way you contracted HSV, and I am so sorry you also contracted a second STI at the same time. You didn't deserve that. It's in no way your fault. 

Out of all the things you will learn, please please know this: you are not dirty. You are not bad. You are not dangerous. You are pure. You are good. You are a blessing worthy of love and respect! 

To answer your questions,

1. No, you will not give someone HSV-2 that is on the genital area by preforming oral sex. HSV is not a blood-bourne or saliva-bourne illness, meaning it doesnt live there and isn't transmitted via those fluids. Now, if you HSV orally, yes, you could pass it via oral sex, but from skin to skin contact. Saliva can pass oral HSV, but as a "vehicle"... Like a lazy river... The HSV can use the saliva as a way to travel to skin, but HSV doesnt LIVE in saliva. I hope that makes sense! Plus you dont need to worry about that anyways as you are asking about genital HSV. 

2. Hypothetically, yes, you could transmit HSV to your partner if you touched a healing sore and then touching them, but it's more likely to be transmitted from that sore directly touching their skin. When a sore is healing and you are taking antiviral medicine, the virus is retreating and shedding is minimizing. It is best to wash your hands after touching sores (soap and water washes away the virus!) And it's also recommended to abstain from physically intimacy with that area of the body where sores are present until the sores have fully healed and symptoms (itching, burning, tingling, etc) have ceased. 

3. That would be unlikely, but hypothetically possible; similar to the second question's answer. It would be more likely to be passed through direct skin to skin contact with the area that has the sores. If you touch a sore, just wash your hands and it will be okay! ❤️

Overall, it is great to avoid intimacy with that region of your body during an outbreak or prodrome symptoms. You can still preform oral sex on your partner, and they can be intimate with you, too, since there are more ways to be intimate than just focusing on the lower region! Be open with communication, try new things, and make it fun and happy for you both while staying safe and respectful of boundaries! 😇

Also, remember that it's extremely unlikely for you to infect yourself with your HSV, since you have antibodies built up (it's been almost 2 years). Could you infect yourself, yes, but you'd really have to try (like rub your sores a lot and then lick your hands or suck on them, which why the heck would someone do that anyway) or have an autoimmune illness that impacts your bodies ability to create sufficient antibodies to protect yourself. 

I hope that this helps! If you have any other questions or need support, feel free to reach out! 

Blessings! ☀️

-- grace