HSV 1 vs 2

[SeraLyn]

If you have genital outbreaks, what is the difference between 1&2? I know the stations are different, but or the treatments or outbreaks any different?

I'm trying to understand if I should do more digging to understand which strain I have. I only knew I had herpes from s pap smear (which I think is fairly uncommon in itself).

[mr_hopp]

Hi @SeraLyn! 

Here are some helpful articles for you to get a good overview of the differences:

• https://herpeslife.com/hsv-1-hsv-2-types-of-herpes
• https://herpeslife.com/genital-hsv-1-herpes-and-oral-sex/
• https://herpeslife.com/spreading-genital-herpes-hsv2-from-oral-sex

... and read the 2 handouts that come with the free e-book download for the facts about shedding rates and transmission:
https://herpesopportunity.com/free-ebook-signup.html

[IJDK]

i asked that same thing i have Type 1 and i keep hearing oh well you have herpes but its not the bad herpes ..like wtf? lol

[mr_hopp]

@IJDK Yep, that’s good old-fashioned sexual stigma rearing it’s ugly head unfortunately. Like since herpes is on the genitals it automatically makes it the bad kind. 😕

[IJDK]

@mr_hopp whats crazy is i have genital type 1 i guess its ppl weird way of trying to comfort me

[Catlady12]

I have a couple questions between 1 and 2. Is hsv 1 initial outbreak ever associated with a fever? 

I had a fever which I read is associated with an initial outbreak but read that was only associated with hsv 2.

also is it possible for either types to lie dormant in my body for years before an outbreak? What could trigger the outbreak? Could I have been passing it to people without even knowing it? 

[SeraLyn]

@mr_hopp thanks for the articles, they are really informative.

However, unless I missed it in one of the varying links, the articles don't  really answer my question about why it matters to distinguish between the strains when sores are genital; from everything I've read, the stigma is associated with the location, not the strain. 

I get that there's no probably no difference in treatments on the exposure risk can vary by strain & location...but is there a difference in outbreaks or symptoms, between the strains?  i.e. - would the outbreak frequency occur more or less with genital HSV-1 compared to genital HSV-2. do you know any research on this topic?

[SeraLyn]

@IJDK did you blood test or swab to find out which strain you have?

my diagnosis was a odd source - my pap smear of all places - not a swab or blood test

I guess i have to wait 12-16 weeks for antibodies to build up to know which strain it is...

[SeraLyn]

1 hour ago, Catlady12 said:

I have a couple questions between 1 and 2. Is hsv 1 initial outbreak ever associated with a fever? 

I had a fever which I read is associated with an initial outbreak but read that was only associated with hsv 2.

also is it possible for either types to lie dormant in my body for years before an outbreak? What could trigger the outbreak? 

Could I have been passing it to people without even knowing it? 

@Catlady12

I have a couple questions between 1 and 2. Is hsv 1 initial outbreak ever associated with a fever? from what I read, yes - at least fever like symptoms. 

also is it possible for either types to lie dormant in my body for years before an outbreak? again yes. most people are carries and don't have symptoms - i read one post where a woman was 67 and had her first outbreak. 

What could trigger the outbreak? weakened immune system, stress, trauma (probably like vigorous sex).  I think the vigorous sex is what caused my first outbreak. Looking back, I had some of the feverlike symptoms - but thought it was my pms symptoms. 

[Catlady12]

@SeraLyn thanks for responding! I also think mine was triggered by vigorous sex but I can’t tell if it’s because my partner of 1 year is a silent hvs carrier and I caught it from him or if I have had it for years and this just randomly triggered it? 

is one more likely than the other or is there just truly no way to tell? 

[SeraLyn]

@Catlady12 I'm honestly not sure. I dated a guy for 8 months who had active oral hsv1, and never had any issues or symptoms. I don't know if I got him him though; I was tested after we broke up and everything was clear. After I returned from a visit to see an old friend my first outbreak happened.

So, was I silent carrier this whole time or was it new? 🤔🤔 I'm not sure. I'm waiting to talk to my doctor this week to research more, I think the level of antibodies found is supposed to indicate if it's new or old..I think.

[Catlady12]

@SeraLyn that’s true I cannot tell whether or not I have been a silent carrier. I just always found it odd especially with my partner because after every time we had sex I would develop a yeast infection and was also treated for BV at one point. Is this a sign he may have had it and passed it to me, or is that just completely coincidental? 

[SeraLyn]

@Catlady12 I honestly don't know  I'd ask your doctor next time you see them.  Definitely let me know what happens.

[Catlady12]

@SeraLyn will do! My doctor didn’t seem too sure, evidentially hsv 1 & 2 presents itself in such different ways on everyone that they’re never sure definitely what is / isn’t hsv which is so scary! Still awaiting culture results though! 

[mr_hopp]

22 hours ago, SeraLyn said:

However, unless I missed it in one of the varying links, the articles don't  really answer my question about why it matters to distinguish between the strains when sores are genital; from everything I've read, the stigma is associated with the location, not the strain. 

 I get that there's no probably no difference in treatments on the exposure risk can vary by strain & location...but is there a difference in outbreaks or symptoms, between the strains?  i.e. - would the outbreak frequency occur more or less with genital HSV-1 compared to genital HSV-2. do you know any research on this topic?

Hey! Sorry it's taken me a bit to get back to you. Busy times around here. 🙂 

Yep, the stigma is associated with the location of outbreaks because of our still-puritanical views on sex and sexuality (and it seems that these days, we're sliding even further back in the stone ages, unfortunately). Genitals = naughty, naughty. 

To your question, it does help to know the strain and location of outbreak since the shedding rates are quite different depending on which strain is found where. Since HSV-1 prefers the oral region and HSV-2 prefers the genital, they shed most from those respective areas. If they show up in the locations they don't prefer, they shed less (and are therefore less contagious). 

On one of the handouts I pointed you to from the e-book & handouts download, you'll see on the disclosure handout about "viral shedding" that breaks down the strain/location rates. Here's a screenshot from that handout:

Hope this helps clear things up! 

[SeraLyn]

Yes! Thank you! that's what I was trying to understand, I read the stats but it didn't connect with the symptoms and shedding. Now I get it. Thank you 

[SeraLyn]

@Catlady12

Well just got my lab work back and it looks like I've got GHSV2...I was really hoping for GHSV1 . Anyway, my IgM & IgG came back positive, & according to verywellhealth it's an "indeterminate infection date", helpful right lol. 

[IJDK]

a swab it was 4 days into my first outbreak 

[Catlady12]

@SeraLyn mine came back last week as HSV-1 as if that wasn’t scary enough apparently I had a yeast infection AND BV on top of that!!! I’m on so many meds now I have lost count, it’s ridiculous! 

[SeraLyn]

@Catlady12 oh geeze  that's a lot at once. I bet the infections were from you body trying to fight the virus and your body being out of wack. I had similar effects just after my first episode. Started a multivitamin with high priobiotics and cleared that up 

I read that GHSV-1 has the benefit of less frequent flare ups since it's living where it shouldn't be and way less contagious! so that's kinda good news 😊 

Hope you're feeling better today than last week and back to some normalcy