Can HSV-2 infect orally? How often?

[CityofAngels]

Hey, I'm a guy and have been dating this girl for the past year. I don't have herpes or anything like that, been tested last year for all STDs, including herpes simplex 1 and 2. Was negative for everything. So this post is really about her and what kind of risk I might be facing. She has been getting what looks like a little rash around her upper left lip, and it comes and goes. It appears red, definitely red, irritated, and it looks once in a while like the skin is peeling a little bit. Almost always in this one spot. Like I said, comes and goes. We weren't worried about it, but it's really been unsightly and a pain in the *** for her. We both read up on it and thought it might be oral herpes, although it has never really appeared like little blisters like they say oral herpes does. Also, she has never had any symptoms inside her mouth. This has always appeared on the outside, around the upper lip in that one spot. But anyway, she went to her general doctor, and got a HSV-1 test, and it was negative. So now we really don't know what it is. So I read a little more, and one website said that the other type of herpes, HSV-2, can infect the mouth area too. I didn't know that, so now maybe I am thinking she has oral HSV-2? They said it is really, really rare, but that it can happen. I mean, I'm no doctor or anything, but if its possible then maybe that is what is causing it? Thing is, this rash around her lip comes and goes really frequently a lot of the time. It will be there, heal in a week or two, and just as it looks like she is almost completely over it, it starts up all over again. Sometimes it stays for a couple of weeks, which is a long time in my opinion. I mean, I don't kiss her or anything while its really bad, but only after it looks like it has started to heal. Is it HSV-2? Should she get tested for that, too? What's the chance I could get it from her just by kissing?

[whitedaisies]

I don't think they test just for HSV1 in a swab test or a blood test. Usually the swab test isolates by type and so does the blood test. So clarify that with your doctor to make sure that 1 and 2 were tested and by which method blood or swab? In addition, you would have to wait 4 months since possible exposure to get an accurate blood test anyway.

 

It could be eczema. Eczema recurs at the same place often and mine acts up after lots of kissing especially with a man's 5 oclock shadow. So I would not be getting worried about herpes just yet.

[WCSDancer2010]

@CityofAngels

 

It's very unlikely that it will be hSV2 - only 1-2% of Oral Herpes are HSV2 - and for her to auto-innoculate her mouth she would have had to transfer the virus up there by coming in contact with her own fluids ... not impossible, but it makes it even less likely.

 

I suggest you go to a dermatologist. Sounds like excema/contact dermatitis ... do you have a rough beard/stubble? I sometimes get really red/raw on my chin if I date a guy with rough stubble ;) (BTW, I read this before I read @whitedaisies response so we came to this independently ;) )

 

(((HUGS)))

 

 

[whitedaisies]

LOL, that's hysterical Dancer....I get that red/raw thing on my chin too!