Oral Sex and Genital HSV1

[Kalahari]

The advice and mutual support in these forums is superb. A quick question. I've read many replies to questions e.g. by auntiejessi, that if a male recipient of unprotected oral sex gets herpes, it will be HSV1 and not HSV2 (assuming there was no vaginal sex involved)? Is this correct? Thanks.

[waringblender]

Yes.

[auntiejessi]

Just a note for others reading this - the same holds true for a woman receiving oral sex.

Hsv1 doesn't turn into hsv2.  You would have genital hsv1.

The number indicates the strain of the virus, not the location.

AJ

[Kalahari]

But, doesn't it depend on how the woman contracted HSV? For instance.....assuming no intercourse.....if a woman gave unprotected oral to a man, and that man had genital HSV2, then she would get oral HSV2? Then, if she gave a man unprotected oral, the man would receive genital HSV2? Thanks.

[waringblender]

It doesn't work like that. HSV2 stays "below the waist," for the most part. It is rare to contract it orally. That is just the nature of the HSV2 virus, as opposed to the HSV1 virus. Go sift through the doctor STD forum archives. You will find several comments by Handsfield saying that in 30 years of practice in an STD clinic, he's either never seen a case of oral HSV2, or if he has, it's 1 or 2 cases. It just doesn't happen. And it's not something to concern yourself with.

Of course, your partner should tell you if he is having symptoms of HSV2 so that you can refrain from sexual activity. But 90% of people with HSV2 don't even know they have it. How many of those people do you think are out having unprotected oral? A lot! And yet we are not seeing "epidemic" numbers of oral HSV2 outbreaks.

Contracting oral HSV2 from an HSV2+ person is not worth worrying about.

[waringblender]

I guess it's worth mentioning too that oral sex is generally much safer than genital sex in terms of contracting STDs. It's just more difficult to get an STD through oral sex. Something about mouth bacteria and whatnot.

Do you have a reason to be concerned about herpes specifically?

[auntiejessi]

The stds to be conerned about getting orally are gonorrhea and syphilis.  Oral chlamydia is possible, but not at all likely.

I have seen MANY cases of oral gonorrhea though.

And Waring is right - oral hsv2 is considered rare.