If i have genital herpes is there a chance of me giving my partner herpes by performing oral sex on him since i wasnt diagnosed with oral herpes?? The simple answer is no - not unless you also have oral herpes.
If you only have genital herpes, only your genitals are infectious and the virus cannot be spread from your mouth, only through genital contact with your genitals. If you had oral herpes, that would be a separate infection, probably a different herpes virus and acquired at a different time. Oral herpes is often caught as a child and 80% of adults have it. Anyone that does have it can spread their oral herpes infection to someone else's genitals if they give them oral sex.
There are two viruses - but either can infect either the mouth or the genitals.
Hsv-1 causes 97%+ of all oral herpes infections, but also causes 50-70% of genital herpes infections these days.
Hsv-1 is 'better adapted' to the mouth. It easily infects the genitals, but causes a genital infection that recurs less frequently than an oral hsv-1 or a genital hsv-2 infection. For example, oral hsv-1 is infectious about 18% of the time, while genital hsv-1 is only infectious 3-4% of the time.
Hsv-2 causes half of all genital herpes infections, but can also be spread to the mouth.
It is 'better adapted' to the genitals. It CAN infect the mouth, but causes an extremely mild infection there. Oral hsv-2 is the least infectious and least likely to recur of any herpes infection - it is only infectious about 0.01% of the time.
However, since herpes is not blood borne, your infection cannot be transmitted from your mouth if you caught it on your genitals - it is that simple, and it doesn't matter which virus it is.
http://www.herpes.com/hsv1-2.html is very good for a basic run-down Genital herpes is a disease resulting from an infection by a herpes simplex virus. There are eight different kinds of human herpes viruses. Only two of these, herpes simplex types 1 and 2, can cause genital herpes. It has been commonly believed that herpes simplex virus type 1 infects above the waist (causing cold sores) and herpes simplex virus type 2 infects below the waist (causing genital sores). This is not completely true. Both herpes virus type 1 and type 2 can cause herpes lesions on the lips or genitals, but recurrent cold sores are almost always type 1. The two viruses seem to have evolved to infect better at one site or the other, especially with regard to recurrent disease.
Viruses are different from bacteria. While bacteria are independent and can reproduce on their own, viruses cannot reproduce without the help of a cell. Viruses enter human cells and force them to make more virus. A human cell infected with herpes virus releases thousands of new viruses before it is killed. The cell death and resulting tissue damage causes the actual sores. The highest risk for spreading the virus is the time period beginning with the appearance of blisters and ending with scab formation.
Herpes virus can also infect a cell and instead of making the cell produce new viruses, it hides inside the cell and waits. Herpes virus hides in cells of the nervous system called "neurons." This is called "latency." A latent virus can wait inside neurons for days, months, or even years. At some future time, the virus "awakens" and causes the cell to produce thousands of new viruses which causes an active infection. Sometimes an active infection occurs without visible sores. Therefore, an infected person can spread herpes virus to other people even in the absence of sores.
However, you can have ulcers, and cold sores...these are NOT HSV1 or HSV2, but only a licensed physician can tell through testing. Get checked, be informed, and be your own health advocate!! He gave you one website that is really good on the topic, so heres another! There is no clear-cut answer to this question.
First you must understand the nature of Herpes, HSV1 and HSV2.
HSV1 tends to present itself on and around the facial area, as well as on the fingers, breasts, and other areas as well. Most folks are completely unaware that Herpes can also attack the body's organs. This is rare however.
Back to the question.
Usually genital Herpes (HSV2) is passed through skin-to-skin contact at the area of infection. If you are having an attack and you do NOT have cold sores, or Herpes (HSV1), then the chances are NO, you wouldn't transfer the virus. But this is NOT a definitive answer. Shedding is possible, and you could have HSV1 and NOT even know it.
As a matter of fact, most Herpes are transmitted through Asymptomatic "shedding" in which the virus is in the saliva, and/or shedding from the place of attack.
The chances are very low that you would transmit the virus when you are not having an outbreak. But it IS possible.
Keep in mind that either HSV1or HSV2 can present itself at any of the typical places on the body, for instance you can have HSV2 (usually genital herpes) erupt on the lips or facial area.
AND you can have HSV1 (usually cold sores) erupt on the genitals, buttox, etc..
...that said, usually when the virus presents itself in its non-preferred area on the body, it usually has less impact, meaning fewer outbreaks, and usually less intense outbreaks as well. Again, this is a generalization, and there are exceptions to the "rule".
So the answers and understanding exactly what the risks are is very difficult.
As much as 90% of the population has HSV 1 or 2 antibodies in the bloodstream suggesting 8 or 9 out of ten adults have either HSV1 or HSV2. Now whether they have outbreaks or not is another story. That number seems to be closer to 1 in 5.
Living with this condition can be difficult (especially if one has frequent attacks) and can cause a certain amount of emotional distress.
A normally healthy individual can cope with the disease, and with proper diet, outlook, etc.. can keep the outbreaks to a minimum and living a relatively normal life is possible for sure.
Hope this helps... ... and please be careful of the sometimes 'casual' answers you might read regarding this virus. Herpes is widely mis-understood, and most of the information you receive will be only part right. Please try the link I provided in the "source" box below, for a very good site that will give you mountains of information as well as support for this condition.
It, http://www.herpes-coldsores.com , is relatively neutral, and even provides links to the Government's Centers of Disease Control, amongst others.
Best wishes... You will not give cold sores to your partner. But genital herpes if you have sex.
Read- http://www.doctorgoodskin.com/ds/genital... |
