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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Getting Married: Need Some Clarification on HSV-1
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
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Getting Married: Need Some Clarification on HSV-1
by adviseneeded07, May 14, 2007 12:00AM
Dear Doctor(s),
I know how busy you are so I appreciate your time, sincerely. In my part of the world, there's little hope in finding reliable medical advise... so this site is a great help.
I've had recurrent cold sores on my lips since I was a kid. Thank God nothing ever serious, very typical outbreaks and I've always dealt with them with no worries... until I began reading about Herpes on the Internet. As you can imagine there's a lot of hoopla about Herpes on the Internet, and I've developed an abnormal obsession over it in the months past.
I have had 2 brief outbreaks over the last year and a half, but I've lived the last year as if I'm in constantly in an outbreak. When I do have outbreaks I'm very careful, but even when I don't have outbreaks, I'm in fear of touching my lips, my saliva, or any part of my body that might be susceptable to becoming a future site of an outbreak. And I'm sick and tired. I'm constantly looking at my lips, constantly worried.
I am planning to get married soon hopefully (arranged marriage so there's no physical interaction yet) but I do know that my potential partner has never had an outbreak. I know the basics of the Herpes virus and I know the basics of HSV-1. Here are my questions:
1- Should I be concerned with spreading the virus to other parts of my body (fingers, eyes, genitals, etc.) through asymptomatic shedding?
2- During asymptomatic shedding, could I spread the virus to an open wound on my finger for example? (i.e. through touching the inside of my mouth with a finger that has a cut on it...)
3- When I do become physical with my future wife should I be worried about spreading the virus (again, through asymptomatic shedding) to her nippular area, etc.?
4- How careful do I need to be around children when I do not have an outbreak? Should I constantly avoid sharing food, kissing them, etc.?
5- I have never had outbreaks anywhere else on my body other than my lips (thank God), but should I worry about the possibilty of having asymptomatic shedding in, say, my fingers, etc. without ever having signs of outbreaks?
6- What steps can I take to relieve my Internet and Self-created paranoias of Herpes?
I hope you can understand that having these questions answered specifically to me makes a world of difference.
I sincerely appreciate your time and advise.
With gratitude,
AdviseNeeded07
I know how busy you are so I appreciate your time, sincerely. In my part of the world, there's little hope in finding reliable medical advise... so this site is a great help.
I've had recurrent cold sores on my lips since I was a kid. Thank God nothing ever serious, very typical outbreaks and I've always dealt with them with no worries... until I began reading about Herpes on the Internet. As you can imagine there's a lot of hoopla about Herpes on the Internet, and I've developed an abnormal obsession over it in the months past.
I have had 2 brief outbreaks over the last year and a half, but I've lived the last year as if I'm in constantly in an outbreak. When I do have outbreaks I'm very careful, but even when I don't have outbreaks, I'm in fear of touching my lips, my saliva, or any part of my body that might be susceptable to becoming a future site of an outbreak. And I'm sick and tired. I'm constantly looking at my lips, constantly worried.
I am planning to get married soon hopefully (arranged marriage so there's no physical interaction yet) but I do know that my potential partner has never had an outbreak. I know the basics of the Herpes virus and I know the basics of HSV-1. Here are my questions:
1- Should I be concerned with spreading the virus to other parts of my body (fingers, eyes, genitals, etc.) through asymptomatic shedding?
2- During asymptomatic shedding, could I spread the virus to an open wound on my finger for example? (i.e. through touching the inside of my mouth with a finger that has a cut on it...)
3- When I do become physical with my future wife should I be worried about spreading the virus (again, through asymptomatic shedding) to her nippular area, etc.?
4- How careful do I need to be around children when I do not have an outbreak? Should I constantly avoid sharing food, kissing them, etc.?
5- I have never had outbreaks anywhere else on my body other than my lips (thank God), but should I worry about the possibilty of having asymptomatic shedding in, say, my fingers, etc. without ever having signs of outbreaks?
6- What steps can I take to relieve my Internet and Self-created paranoias of Herpes?
I hope you can understand that having these questions answered specifically to me makes a world of difference.
I sincerely appreciate your time and advise.
With gratitude,
AdviseNeeded07
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, May 14, 2007 12:00AM
, May 14, 2007 12:00AM
When you get a herpes cold sore, you can't spread it to other parts of the body, because you have antibodies that keep the virus from setting up shop anywhere else. It is very hard to spread herpes to other people with asymptomatic shedding. Think about it--there are tens of millions of people with cold sores. If they could shed it all over the place, there would be an awful lot of people with herpes all over their bodies, and there aren't. So the answers to your questions re:
1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. Not very. Definitely not.
6. I think you need counseling, from someone who can sit down with you in person and talk to you ate length about herpes. There may be someone at Planned Parenthood, for instance, who can do this. You may need the services of a psychologist as well. This paranoia--which you are correct in calling it--is completely unnecessary and no way to start a marriage.
Congratulations and good luck.
Dr. Rockoff
1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. Not very. Definitely not.
6. I think you need counseling, from someone who can sit down with you in person and talk to you ate length about herpes. There may be someone at Planned Parenthood, for instance, who can do this. You may need the services of a psychologist as well. This paranoia--which you are correct in calling it--is completely unnecessary and no way to start a marriage.
Congratulations and good luck.
Dr. Rockoff
How easy is autoinoculation? There are a lot of conflicting arguments on the Internet... some websites say it's very easy, and encourage constant hand-washing and other precautionary measures; whereas others say that since the body already has developed anti-bodies against HSV-1, autoinoculation is not very likely.
Thanks again, Doctor(s), I appreciate the responses.
All the best,
AdviseNeeded
Just a quick clarification... the "Definitely not" was for question 5, correct?
Your replies to my questions have certainly put my mind at great ease. I think I will take you up on the advise of a therapist... couldn't hurt, and I think it's safe to say I obviously need it :)
Thanks again, Doctor.