Oral herpes disclosure/risks

[Kwalls09]

Wondering about the risks of spreading oral herpes. I have kissed a couple different guys and told them afterwards that I have herpes 1 and 2.. no sex was involved. I am so worried I might get sued or something just for kissing someone..

Can someone please put me at ease?

[optimist]

My understanding is that oral HSV1 typically sheds about half as frequently as genital HSV2.

 

I'm not sure, but I don't think there is a specific societal standard/expectation for disclosure before kissing, at least not in the absence of symptoms (a weird double standard, but just sharing my impression of how it is). Some individuals may have this expectation, and someone with that expectation might react unfavorably if disclosed to *after* kissing, but it does not seem like standard practice to me.

 

Given your knowledge of the infection, the anxiety you're having around this, and the fact that you do sometimes disclose later on after kissing, you may find you feel more comfortable disclosing before kissing in the future. I would try to put the past experiences behind you and just focus on doing what feels right for you in the future.