Transmission of genital herpes (HSV1)?

[jers113]

I got the phone call this morning that I am positive for genital HSV1. My boyfriend got a call that he is negative for it, but the doctor said he definitely still does.

 

Boyfriend had a cold sore, went down on me anyways, so that's how I've got it. We did have unprotected sex a few times after that, so he could've been exposed to mine.

 

But I'm wondering about the transmission of my genital HSV1 to him? I wish I could know for sure if he had it or not. I'm worried if he finds out he actually doesn't have it he'll break up with me.

[fitgirl]

If he had a cold sore, it would seem the test may not be accurate. I would recommend testing again. Did you both get tested for HSV2 as well?

And why would he break up with you if he gets cold sores and you get "vagina" sores.....how are they different? This is a constant confusion among genital carriers and their partners.....why are the rules different when the sore is on your mouth instead of your genitals? You kiss WAY more than you have sex!!!! As you will see all over this forum, we need to be rational even when those around us may not be. And... if he breaks up with you at this point because you have cold sores of the genitals then I would suggest he wasn't the kind of man you would want to end up with anyway.

[whitedaisies]

I asked nurse Terri warren from westover heights clinic exactly that.

 

If he has an established oral hsv1 infection confirmed by blood or swab then it is really really really unlikely he will get it on his penis. So likely that she recommended me not takig major percaitions to avoid transmission. She says she has seen it once in 32 years.

 

So depending on how risk adverse u and ur partner are....u can work out what u want to do. I would avoid sex during ob but as for asymptomatic shedding I will not worry.

 

I am still trying to wrap my head around info.

 

Anyway u could go to the westover heights clinic site too and get her comments. Someone reading info from more than one source helps. Her posts are medical in nature.

 

Good luck.

[whitedaisies]

Oh I have oral and ghsv1

[jers113]

So it is not likely that I gave him genital herpes? How did he end up with it then? Could he have already had it and not known...?

[jers113]

I asked the doctor and she said that what happened was he gave me genital herpes from his cold sore, and then i gave him genital herpes after that. From what I'm reading online, that is incorrect... It was just the gynecologist at my university, so I'm not sure about that.

 

Could he have been in the early stages of a genital outbreak and given it to me that way, resulting in us both having an outbreak at the same time?

[MMissouri]

I'm confused jers. If I'm following you right, he has oral HSV1 (cold sores) and you tested positive for HSV1 genitally. Where I'm getting confused-is he currently having a genital outbreak? Were these blood tests or swabs?

[jers113]

He had what we thought was a very very mild genital outbreak at the same time as mine, and an urgent care doctor told him it looked like herpes (she said 'the symptoms are not classic however'). He had maybe 3 or 4 red bumps that look nothing like mine.

 

She did a swab on both of us, his came back negative and mine was positive.

[MMissouri]

Okay, that clears up my confusion. Since he does have oral HSV1 and you tested positive for genital HSV1 I would say that it was transferred through oral sex. Since it's an established infection for him, I would think his chance of getting it genitally is rare. His bumps are probably just bumps, but to clarify things, I would suggest you both get blood tests for both hsv1 and 2.

 

I had the exact same situation. My husband has it orally, I had a bad genital outbreak and they swabbed him.. pointless. He was negative of course.

[WCSDancer2010]

@MMissouri hit it on the head ...

 

doubtful he has genital HSV1 then .. yes, it *is* possible to get it genitally if you have it orally, but that is usually through oral sex because the virus sheds LOT less in the genital area... so the main thing will be to be very careful during an outbreak ... avoid sex during any time that you may be having anything like a cut or whatever but outside of that time you should be fine ... if you want to have added "insurance" you can take anti-virals or use condoms ..... :)