Symptoms and Transmission

[Beth1431]

Hello Doctors and Thank you for your time.

The background story is that about 4 years ago my ex performed oral sex on me and had a cold sore the next day. I ended up with the text book ulcers (only a few) around my genitals. I got tested and just got the results. At the time my doctor told me it was genital herpes and I did some research but I'm a little confused. I did test positive for HSV-1 and i've had cold sores in my mouth since I was little b/c of my parents. She said I could come back for a culture of my genitals since my blood would always test positive.But i'm not sure of the point of this. My confusion lies in the fact that I haven't had and recurrences or outbreaks since the first one in the last four years. I may have had a cold sore once but that was the extent of it. Is this normal? This is why I called my doctor after so many years. I'm trying to date again and not sure how to go about talking to future partners about it. I haven't had a problem and with my research apparently looking at the wrong thing i'm not sure what the inherant risks are. How likely am I to pass it on to them if we have sex? And since I see this being passed on by shedding, will it show up in their mouth or genitally. I'm aware of the kissing risk but most people don't honestly worry about it, it's just the fact that once I had it genitally. Is this something I should be worrying about, dating is hard enough with out freaking someone out uneccessarily. How hard is it for a guy to get it compared to women? Thank you so much for answering my questions. I just want to go about this the right way with out causing extra four years of stress and problems if it isn't needed.

Beth

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Then the swab test should be considered accurate.  With first episode infection, it is possible to get sores in the mouth, and often on the lips as well.  I would suspect this was your first infection with HSV 1 to get such significant outbreak symptoms orally and genitally.  About half of people who get genital HSV 1 don't get recurrences.  It is possible that you are still shedding virus, even if you have no symptoms, though transmission of HSV 1 to others, either through intercourse or receiving oral sex is low as the virus is shed less often than HSV 2 from the genital tract.  The risks of acquisition are about the same for men as they are for women.  If someone you have sex with has a history of cold sores (on the lip or in the nose or on the chin), they are unlikely to get your HSV 1 genitally.

Terri

[Beth1431]

The test was a swab from the lesions not a blood antibody test. When I had the outbreak I had a ton of sores in my mouth too that looked exactly the same.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Beth, when you got your results, was the test a swab test from the lesions or a blood antibody test?  Sores in the mouth are canker sores, not cold sores, and are not caused by herpes.

Terri