Help! Painful first outbreak

[Eleni_Nicole]

My doctor just called I was negative for type 2 but positive to type 1. BUT it's on my vag, and the last guy I was with did not have a sore on his mouth or anything. Or that he noticed I guess?? Can this lay dormant as well and pop up whenever on my vagina? I am literally going through the most painful first outbreak ever.

[Lollyann76]

@Eleni_Nicole Both types can lay dormant, but also remember that with HSV of both types, there is asymptomatic shedding. Which means that guy may well have been shedding the virus even without the presence of a cold sore.

[kiko]

Hi @Lollyann76, if you are asymptomatic with HSV1, how can you avoid infect others?

[Lollyann76]

@kiko There really isn't a way to avoid transmission altogether. There are only ways to reduce the risk. Suppressive therapy, condom use, and no sex around the time of an outbreak are ways to greatly reduce the risk. (Which I'm assuming you may not outbreaks have if you're asymptomatic...) I know that HSV1 sheds less frequently than HSV2, but there is still shedding, and no way of knowing when it happens. If you haven't already gotten the handouts from this site, I highly recommend you do so. I learned a lot just from them, and it's nice to have something on hand to refer to for statistics and such. :)