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Herpes transmission from hand towel?
Okay here goes...
I am a female.
I have been paranoid about herpes for a while now just because of my last real sexual encounter which I think may be low risk. However, because of this paranoia, I have begun washing myself "downstairs" more often and "looking" down there to see if I notice anything weird.
I was at a close family member's house recently when they were out of town and I washed my hands a million times to make sure they were clean. Each time I washed my hands I used their hand towel next to the sink which they use all the time. I specifically remember that I washed my hands, dried them on the hand towel, then immediately went into the shower (without getting much more water on my hands) and used a body wash that is not antibacterial to wash myself "downstairs." (I didn't realize the body wash was not antibacterial.)
I didn't think anything of this until I noticed the next day a bottle of Valtrex in their medicine cabinet.
My main question is: Is it possible that there could have been herpes virus on the hand towel that got on my hands, and then gotten to my genitals when I rubbed the non-antibacterial body wash on and washed my genital area in the shower?
Also, I have cuts on my hands because they are really dry. Could there have been herpes on the hand towel that could have gotten into those cuts when I dried my hands?
P.S. They left for their trip that morning, and I got there that afternoon.
Thank you in advance.
I am a female.
I have been paranoid about herpes for a while now just because of my last real sexual encounter which I think may be low risk. However, because of this paranoia, I have begun washing myself "downstairs" more often and "looking" down there to see if I notice anything weird.
I was at a close family member's house recently when they were out of town and I washed my hands a million times to make sure they were clean. Each time I washed my hands I used their hand towel next to the sink which they use all the time. I specifically remember that I washed my hands, dried them on the hand towel, then immediately went into the shower (without getting much more water on my hands) and used a body wash that is not antibacterial to wash myself "downstairs." (I didn't realize the body wash was not antibacterial.)
I didn't think anything of this until I noticed the next day a bottle of Valtrex in their medicine cabinet.
My main question is: Is it possible that there could have been herpes virus on the hand towel that got on my hands, and then gotten to my genitals when I rubbed the non-antibacterial body wash on and washed my genital area in the shower?
Also, I have cuts on my hands because they are really dry. Could there have been herpes on the hand towel that could have gotten into those cuts when I dried my hands?
P.S. They left for their trip that morning, and I got there that afternoon.
Thank you in advance.
Thank you very much, Grace. I really appreciate it and I know you hear this all the time, but you have saved me from a lot of unfounded worry. So thank you on behalf of all the paranoid worry-warts out there.
Thank you.
And I guess I did realize that the hand washing and drying them out makes it more risky which is why I asked if there was any way that it could have gotten from the towel into the cuts on my hands. I guess I'm still kind of worried about that part... could it have gotten into those cuts?
And I guess I did realize that the hand washing and drying them out makes it more risky which is why I asked if there was any way that it could have gotten from the towel into the cuts on my hands. I guess I'm still kind of worried about that part... could it have gotten into those cuts?
this is absolutely not a risk for you!!
have you talked to anyone about your excessive hand washing issue? do you realize that over washing your hands and drying them out actually makes you more likely to contract infections?
grace
have you talked to anyone about your excessive hand washing issue? do you realize that over washing your hands and drying them out actually makes you more likely to contract infections?
grace
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
