Is it better to by asymptomatic or symptomatic?

[Sunnygurl]

Is being asymptomatic worse than symptomatic? In a way? Because you never know when you’re shedding? Question my potential partner asked me. Any advice for a asymptomatic person when disclosing or dating? 

[mr_hopp]

Hi again, @Sunnygurl! I'd say it's better to be asymptomatic (20% of people who carry HSV never have an outbreak) so you don't experience the discomfort of herpes outbreaks. Everyone who carries HSV sheds. Whether you have a history of outbreaks or not, you are shedding at times, you just don't know when. Shedding doesn't necessarily only coincide with outbreaks, it can happen anytime (although you can think of shedding as shedding on steroids that overwhelms the surface of the skin to create the outbreak). The full term for shedding is "asymptomatic viral shedding" since there are no signs or symptoms. And the rate of shedding depends on whether you have HSV-1 or HSV-2 and where the primary infection is. Genital HSV-2 sheds the most (15-30% of days of the year). The details are on the free handouts here: https://www.herpesopportunity.com/lp/ebook

You don't necessarily shed less if you are in that 20% camp of folks who haven't had an outbreak, so this shouldn't change the part of the disclosure where you discuss potential risk.