Transmission risk- child- please help

[Cancergirl722]

Hi, I have oral hsv (1). I havent had a cold sore in years. I have lately been paranoid about transmitting it to my toddler as I understand you can still shed…

I was changing her diaper today and had some saliva coming out of my mouth I rubbed it off with my forearm. My 15 month old was wiggling around and in effort to grab her I lifted her up with same forearm a few seconds/ minute or 2 later. Without realizing I used this forearm to wipe my mouth/ saliva.

I’m terrified I could have given her hsv genitally.

Please tell me what risk this is. I’ll note that I currently have a breakout in that area (pimple not blister ) under my lip.

I’m not entirely sure if the same part of my forearm that touched her genitals but I’m so concerned bc it definitely was the same forearm. And it may have still been wet from the saliva. What's the likelihood I was shedding and saliva got on her genital skin amd transmitted hsv?

Thank you

Author

[auntiejessi]

The only way you'd give her genital hsv1 is if your mouth came into contact with her vagina. Obviously, that would be with inappropriate sexual contact.

Herpes starts to degrade/die quickly once it's exposed to air, and with all the movement and time, even just the minute or two, there's no way your daughter was infected.

We say that it takes "skin to skin" contact a lot. That means direct, unclothed, skin to skin contact of mouth to mouth, mouth to genitals/anus, genitals to genitals/anus. The skin on the rest of your body is too thick for the virus to penetrate.

Your daughter is fine. :)

[Cancergirl722]

Thank you sooo much for answering me auntiejessie! What if it was closer to 30 seconds and my arm was still wet?? I don't recall if it was but thinking worst case scenario. Also, are the odds less if I had no active cold sore and no cold sore in like 10 years? Thank you again!

[auntiejessi]

It's all the same. Your mouth needs to come into direct contact with her mouth, her genitals or anus to transmit.

We don't have studies to show shedding over time of oral hsv1, and how much it decreases, but we know that genital herpes 1 and 2 both decrease over time, and we know that if you are asymptomatic, you shed less than if you are symptomatic.

There's no reason to think that oral hsv1 is different. You've had it for a long time, and been asymptomatic for a long time. You are definitely still shedding, but not as much as you would be in a new infection, or one with frequent outbreaks.

Here are some responses from Terri Warren, a clinician and researcher with 35+ years experience, that may help -

https://westoverheights.com/forum/question/cold-sore-transmission-to-children/

https://westoverheights.com/forum/question/please-help-very-scared-for-my-newborn-baby/ - I hesitate sharing this one with you, because the woman has OCD, but there's good info in it.

When looking for these, I see that you've asked Terri about this. Just a note - it can take her several days to answer. If you bump it up, it reads as a newer post in her queue, and she answers the oldest ones first. Don't bump it again or it will just take longer. :(

[Cancergirl722]

Oh ! Thanks for response again and thanks for the heads up!!

[Cancergirl722]

Hi AJ- I have another query. Medhelp removed my separate post and indicated I should continue it here. This is entirely unrelated. Appreciate your help and attention.

To be honest, I recently had a baby and it is surfacing some hidden health anxiety. I am seeking help for this. But asking here for anyone's thoughts - Aunt Jessie I hope you see this!

1. Post in August 2018 highlights some concerns I have about getting 2 papercuts above clitorus 10 days after a protected encounter with a male of unknown status. I believe they went away on their own a few days later .

2. Sept 2018- had a cut in labia skin (fatty part by thigh/ near middle of vaginal) ... this cut was not swabbed as I was watching it. Didn't bother or anything, just went away a few days later. I do believe I cut myself with nails in shower altho my memory has me doubting but it's what I think I remember.

Pic here: https://imgur.com/a/SNu9iVr

4. December 2018- I had another set of cuts which were swabbed and were hsv negative. I did test positive for yeast and treated and they never came back.

Pic here: https://imgur.com/a/b5Oiufz

* during that time (year of 2018) I was exercising alot and going out after gym without showering, probably harboring yeast (which I have always been prone to yeast and BV )-- could it be probable I had this yeast inflection since August that came and went with period? It feels like it could be but I'm not sure.  

5. Years later- present day. Havent experienced anything out of the ordinary since then. Got pregnant had a baby no herpes symptoms

I'm just now terribly paranoid about having acquired it. Doctor tells me I don't- because I would have known if I had tn outbreak.

I don't want to take a blood test unnecessarily for fear of my anxiety and do plan on getting anything further swabbed.

But do you think what I described is worrisome or indicative of an outbreak back in 2018?


Thank you so much for your help.

[auntiejessi]

I just answered your PM, and will just copy the response here, so we can keep the discussion in one place.

You had the cuts in Sept 2018, and nothing since? I wouldn't worry about herpes.

I definitely wouldn't recommend a test for you right now. There are false positives on the hsv2 IgG test and your anxiety can not handle that. It takes weeks and several hundred dollars to unravel that with a Western Blot test.

If I thought you had a good chance of having hsv2, I'd recommend a test. I don't.

Most importantly, are you getting help for your anxiety about all of this? Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.