Oral HSV-2

Hi, I have a question. Let's say that someone acquired HSV-2 orally. Would the HSV-2 only show up on the mouth or would it then also begin to show up in the genital area?

[petal130]

Herpes on a certain part of your body doesn't just travel to other parts. One would get it where there was skin-to-skin contact with a herpes + person. So, having oral HSV2 almost certainly would be acquired from performing oral sex on a person who has genital HSV2. The only way you could possibly get HSV2 genitally would be if you had vaginal/anal sex with that person. Remember too, HSV1 can be oral or genital, same logic.

[PurellGirl]

Okay, I think I get what you're saying. What I'm just worried about is let's say a guy had HSV-2 genitally and when he went to the bathroom he didn't wash his hands afterwards and touched his mouth and transferred it to his lips. If I then made out with his lips with the virus trasferred there, the HSV-2 virus would only manifest itself on my lips and not on my genital region since I did not have any type of sexual encounter with him?

[Mistakeguy789]

What your talking about doesn't happen.  Herpes doesn't live long on the hands. Plus really its not as easy as you think to spread herpes.  First off if this guy had HSV-2 he would have to have an active outbreak or be shedding the virus.  Simply touching it wouldn't infect another site.  The body has immune response to fight the virus at a new location and the person needs heat and friction to be transmitted.  

It requires direct skin to skin contact with a HSV + person to transmit the virus when they have an outbreak or asymptomatic shedding (which isn't all the time).