In thirty years of practice, I have seen one possible case of someone who had a described history of HSV 1 orally acquiring it genitally.
If I were in your situation (and I have been), I would have absolutely no fears about getting HSV 1 genitally (in the even that you don't have it already). You would know that you have it genitally if you had a sore that tested positive. But you wouldn't know if it was because you had it already or because you acquired it from this person. Which is kind of what you said.
So in summary, would you miss a relationship with a lovely person because they have what you have, and you don't know where you have it and you might never have symptoms and you might have it already anyway? Every person has to come up with their own answers, but I know what mine would be as a professional well educated in this particular area.
Terri
The level of the index value on the antibody test has nothing to do with level of immune function. Many people who get HSV 1 or 2 never know it.
Terri
Hey Terri I came up with another question hopefully it is still okay to ask.
Since I have never shown signs of a symptom or at least signs big enough to recognize is there any relation to how much resistance/immunity I have to an exposure in a different location? As I stated in my first question when I took the blood test my range was so low I needed to retest to confirm. Does this mean my antibody count is low therefore I may not be protected very much?
Also do most initial exposures of genital hsv 1 cause symptoms. I've gone for who knows how many years being positive satistically orally without knowing, if I were to become infected genitally would I know or would it be a mystery too? Thank you so much for your time.
Thank you Terri for putting things into perspective for and reassuring me there is nothing to fear.