SEX LIFE

[Usapa]

Male, age 52, recently learned I have HSV2 . I am asymptomatic, never an outbreak, unknowingly infected for probably over 20 years.

Female partner, uninfected, new relationship. I've Disclosed. Been reading a lot, watching Hopp videos and listening to Q & A conferences. Lots of clinical info and confusion here.

 

Can someone help me to clarify the risks to my her of a normal sex life with me. By normal I mean performing oral sex on her and visa versa, protected intercourse, and assuming I start a daily dose of antiviral medicine.

[optimist]

@Usapa If your female partner is mid-forties or older, statistically speaking, there is a greater than 50% chance she is already infected with HSV2 and just doesn't know it. If she has been tested and is negative, and if you take antivirals daily, the risk is something like 5% per year with condoms and 2-3% per year without condoms assuming sex an average of twice per week.

 

If your infection is genital, there is zero risk when you perform oral sex on her. When she performs oral sex on you, there is a very small risk, less than 1%, that she will contract it orally. If she contracts it orally, she will almost definitely have only one outbreak and no recurrences, and after a few months have passed during which antibodies build up, she will be immune from ever getting HSV2 genitally.

 

ETA: I should add that all of the above is based on my own personal understanding as someone with HSV2 who has done a lot of reading. I'm not an authority on any of this. Hopefully what I've shared will be familiar from the research you've done yourself.

[Usapa]

Thank you, Optimist - your timely and detailed response has helped to reinforce how I interpreted all that I have researched in a very sleepless and short time

[optimist]

@Usapa My pleasure. Good luck!