Can someone contract genital herpes by having oral sex with someone that has oral herpes?

this may sound confusing, but im wondering how this works. my boyfriend and i both have herpes simplex 1 (aka oral herpes) and he would like to give me oral sex but im terrified that by him doing that i will contract genital herpes too. i understand that its possible to give someone genital herpes without having a visible breakout. so would it be safe for us to have oral sex or steer clear of that....? if the virus is already in my system.....would i be able to not have breakouts genitally?

I wouldn't risk it. Even if he doesn't have an out break at the time...you still can contract genital herpes as well. That's how some people get oral herpes...by giving oral to someone who had genital herpes. It works both ways basically.

Unless he also has type 2 in his mouth, you are most likely fine. You already have the antibodies to protect you from the virus. Also, although it is possible to spread herpes type 1 to the genitals, most people who contract it that way only get it because they've never been exposed to the virus. Type one does not "like" the genital area as much as it likes the oral area, so it's already harder to catch genitally. But since you already have the antibodies for type 1, you'll be fine. That's not to say there is NO chance, but to get the same herpes virus in both places is called superinfection, and it very rarely happens.

I think both of you should talk to your doctor about that because every person ifs different and also i think if you use a condom you are fine but I'm not a doctor so talk to your doctor and see what they say and don't be afraid to ask the doctor i know it may seem funny asking but that is what they are there for and if you don't say nothing then they don't know nothing so please ask your doctor before you do anything. good luck and be safe.

Oral herpes CAN be transmitted to your gentials. Even when you're not having an outbreak or cold sore, you can have what's known as viral shedding. This simply means that you don't have any visible lesions or sores but you are still passing the virus on. Go to this website (http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1071.... for more info. Good Luck!!!!

It's possible. 30% of new cases are HSV1 caused by oral sex, however since you already have oral herpes, it would be hard as you already have the antibodies for it.

Yes. I know this for a fact. It won't be as bad, but you'll get sores and a possible trip to the ER from a fever.

The very short answer is yes. A person with oral herpes can give someone genital herpes by giving them oral sex.

Now, there are some mitigating factors, here. First off, if you've had herpes for a while, then your body has antibodies that will help protect you from catching herpes somewhere else on your body. It's not complete protection, but it definitely helps.

Second, herpes is most contagious when you are having an outbreak. The best statistic that I know regarding the risk of transmitting herpes comes from a study done on spreading genital herpes (not oral to genital). There are a lot of details, but in summary, this study showed that if a couple abstained from sex during outbreaks, the transmission rate was about 2% per year. If the infected partner took an antiviral, this rate dropped to 1% per year.

In my book, the risk of getting genital herpes (given the 2% transmission rate AND the fact that you already have an established case of oral herpes) is so small compared with how wonderful oral sex is, that it is totally worth the risk. And I don't say this idly. I have genital herpes, and am in the middle of a raging, raging outbreak right now. And it is still totally worth the risk. To me, anyway.

I've put a link below to the study I mentioned.

Good question.