controlled purposeful infection?

i'm curous about anyone thinking about becoming infected?! i mean, in certain momogamous situations some people decide not to worry about it and become hsv positive with their partner...

of course, from everything that i've read it would appear that the site of infection is the site that will in future provide blisters and viral shedding. once the body has been exposed the antibodies are created and the virus cannot infect another site.

now lets face it... the genitals are not the site of choice for infection! i get quite jealous of hearing about athletes who like... have it on their arm! they can have unprotected sex all they like! just don't touch that spot on my arm.

so has anyone ever heard of controlled purposeful infection. a selection of a spot and infection from a partners blister? mega dose of antiviral at sign of symptoms to mitigate primary infection symptoms?

it seems to make sense to me...

[gracefromHHP]

We don't have studies to show if getting it on a non-genital body part will help prevent you from getting it on the genitals from a partner.

grace

[gogoboy]

but isn't it true that once i have the virus then i can't innoculate myself in another area due to the antibodies that my body has for that particular virus?

thanks in advance.

[gracefromHHP]

yes and no. It gives you some protection but not 100%.  For instance there's some studies out there on gay males who first get hsv2 orally and then end up with hsv2 genitally later on from their partners.  We know hsv1 orally seems to help a lot with preventing hsv1 genitally but we don't have good info with hsv1 on other body parts - for instance herpes gladiatorum as you mentioned with athelete's.  

You can keep your risk of contracting hsv2 from a partner down to 1% a year.  Trying to innoculate yourself on another body part to avoid it genitally just doesn't make sense when you are so unlikely to contract it in the first place if your partner takes suppressive therapy daily and you use condoms.  

grace

[gogoboy]

my understanding is that one cannot re-innoculate themselves after primary infection.

it is possible to be infected with another strain of the virus from someone else. but my understanding is that if you've been infected by a partner then they cannot re-infect you again with the same strain and you cannot re-infect yourself again.

[gracefromHHP]

The risk is low but it's not 100% protection.

grace