Very upset about my diagnosis, just have questions

[Ashleymarie]

Of course as soon as you find out you have something, you go to Dr. Google and whatever you read on there scares the heck out of you. It was basically telling me that no matter what I do (kiss, have/receive oral sex, and have sex), I will give it to someone. I’ve been reading a few questions and answers on here and I’d like to ask my own so that I have a better understanding and feel less scared. I was devastated as soon as I found out one month ago, I’ve been feeling depressed ever since and feel like I’ll be rejected every time. I tend to have casual sex, and this last one I did notice a cold sore on his mouth but I thought it was just a pimple. Then he gave me oral sex (we also kissed) and a few days later, I had pain and sores and blisters all over my genital area. When I got tested I was positive for HSV1, and I made him get tested too, and he said he was also positive for HSV1. I’ve been reading on here “oral HSV1” and “genital HSV1”. I did not get any sores or pain around my mouth, just my genital area.

So does this mean I only have genital HSV1?

Would I still be able to kiss/make out with people since I’ve never experienced anything on my mouth?

if it is genital HSV1, can I still receive oral sex?

can I still give oral sex, especially since I’m not having oral symptoms?

like I said, Dr. Google just gives us answers that scares me and makes me think that I’ll never get into a relationship again.

to whoever responds to this, thank you. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

 

[AlliKat12]

Hello,

Google is extremely scary.  That is why I came to this page as well. 

I have genital HSV1 and I have only had one outbreak so far but from what I have learned on this site is that you wont know if you have it orally until you have some sort of symptoms. 

There are a lot of statistics on this page about transmission that have helped me tremendously.  I chose to take suppressive medication since it lowers transmission to my herpes negative boyfriend.  So as long as you are symptoms free, it should be fine to continue oral sex but remember that there is always a small chance of asymptomatic shedding.  

I have used the search bar on this site a lot to answer any questions.  I actually asked the same question in September if you want to go back and find what others answered to me 🙂 

 

 

[WillJF]

21 hours ago, Ashleymarie said:

I had pain and sores and blisters all over my genital area.

That sounds like a nightmare. I'm sorry to hear that you experienced that.

[Flowerteacher55]

 Hello! 

First off, Dr. Google IS A QUACK and should have its medical licence revoked... lol! But seriously, our ability to research is awesome! But... it comes with a warning and of course we really have no way to check if people who are legit doctors are writing the information we are reading. When in doubt, check out the ASHA, the CDC, the WHO, and this site (yay!). ❤️ I am so happy you found this site and take comfort in the knowledge it provides!

To answer your questions:

Oral HSV-1 and Genital HSV-1 are the same strain of the virus but in different locations of the body. You can have HSV-1 in either or both areas! It sounds like you contracted HSV from receiving oral sex from someone who had an active cold sore. This is extremely common and this is why genital HSV-1 is growing in numbers, especially among young people. It seems like you only have genital HSV-1, since you are symptomatic (you get symptoms) and the symptoms were only associated with the genital region.  

I think you would still be able to kiss others without having to disclose. If you notice symptoms in that region, then that is a little different. 

You can still recieve oral sex with GHSV-1 but just disclose to your partner. You can also give oral sex as long as you are not experiencing any symptoms.

I hope this helps! ❤️ Stay positive and be kind to yourself 🙂 

Blessings,

grace