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Contracting herpes

My friend and I were having a debate and have heard different answers to these questions from different doctors:

Can you contract herpes 1 or 2 from sharing a cup?

Can herpes pass through the skin or does there need to be a cut or membrane for transmission?

What are the chances of contracting herpes from oral sex?

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Avatar universal
In your reply, you said "You could put active herpes virus on your thigh for instance and it's not likely to infect you - you need that heat and friction...in order for the virus to infect" and so what happens if I have a blister or skin irritation (herpes outbreak) on my thigh and I am lying with my partner and my thigh is touching his thigh and we are hot and bothered i.e. there is heat and friction?  I could pass it to him to his thigh?  What if he has it on his thigh and then has high leg between mine i.e. heat and friction--could I be infected then?

I would really appreciate an answer on this because I haven't read anything in all my research that actually addresses this.  The straightforward fear/issue/question is whether one can transmit the virus skin-to-skin when one person has a skin irritation (let's say it's not a full-blown outbreak with blisters but just redness and bumps) and they are up against another person especially on the thigh area.

What if I accidentally scratch (say, in my sleep) the blister on my thigh and then touch my mouth or eye?

On the eye note, is it possible that I could have infected my eyes with herpes?  I notice some redness and discharge and had really bad pink eye about three years back.  But we all used to get pink eye when I was a kid in school; it spread like wildfire.  If I have genital herpes (confirmed diagnosis) then should I be worried about eye herpes?  (Please note, I do not have health insurance or a doctor so can't go to eye doctor for tests.)

I really would like to know since right now it seems that transmission will happen no matter what precautions...

Thank you!
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101028 tn?1419603004
As an adult, oral herpes is almost always transmitted thru romantic type kisses.  You aren't going to transmit oral herpes from sharing a cup with another adult.  Small risk with infants and toddlers due to their immune systems not being mature yet.  Just keep in mind that other viruses are easily transmitted thru sharing drinks like the common cold.  

Genital herpes is only transmitted thru sexual contact with the genital area - you won't transmit that thru kissing or sharing food/drink ever.

When we are kissing romantically or having sex, we create a lot of heat and friction that helps facilitate the virus into the body.  You also get microscope breaks in the skin too that allow the virus to transmit. You could put active herpes virus on your thigh for instance and it's not likely to infect you - you need that heat and friction or an opening in the skin  - like an open cut/wound, bitten cuticles/fingernails, dry, cracked skin - in order for the virus to infect without the heat/friction part.

Even though it seems like just about everyone has hsv1 genitally nowadays, the risk is still on the lower side compared to contracting hsv2 genitally thru sex.  If you already know you have hsv1 orally, the risk of contracting hsv1 genitally is incredibly low but always don't let a partner perform oral on you when they have an active cold sore or feel like they might be getting one.  If your partner has hsv1 and you don't, discuss together whether you feel that barrier protection for them performing oral on you is worthwhile or not.

grace
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Avatar universal
I am pretty sure you can get it from a sharing a cup.

There needs to be a cut or memrane for transmission

I am not sure about this last one but I have hsv 1 and it spred from by my nose to to my lip and I gave my husband a ** less than a week before my first lip outbreak and he didnt get it. My doc said that there has to be a break in the skin but I hear alot that it can transfer through mucus membranes. I dont know if a penis is mucus membranes.  now that I know I have it on my lip I always use a condom for oral and still dont do if I am showing any signs of an OB, just to be safe.
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