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HSV questions
Hello everyone. I have some questions regarding HSV infection and I am hoping to get some clear answers as opposed to the mixed and conflicting information I've received thus far.
I am in a monogamous relationship and my girlfriend and I enjoy a very free and satisfying sex life together.
Since childhood I get cold sores on my lip or ulcers on the inside of my mouth about once a year. I was never educated about the fact that these blemishes could infect a partner with the herpes virus, so I've never thought twice about performing oral sex on a partner while having a cold sore.
Recently I had a cold sore on my lip, and since I hate them I did as I normally do, I lanced it, drained the fluid and let it scab over. It took about two weeks to heal. During that time I performed oral sex on my girlfriend.
About a week after that particular encounter she began to complain about pain and discomfort in her vagina and anus. At first she thought it was just irritation, an allergic reaction or an injury sustained during sex. It was only when a friend mentioned the fact that Herpes could be transmitted through a cold sore that she became nervous.
The symptoms continued for several days, at which point she decided to get tested for HSV infection as soon as possible. Her symptoms seem very light compared to what she and I have researched over the past few days and the few external "bumps" she had cleared up within a few days. She got tested this past thursday, August 2nd. The doctor said she couldn't be certain if the symptoms were necessarily HSV on sight. She will not know for sure until monday whether she actually has herpes or if her symptoms are unrelated, but looking at the facts we are both convinced it is a HSV infection.
She and I had sexual intercourse twice since she began complaining of pain and discomfort, but stopped the moment we discovered herpes was a possiblity and have since limited ourselves to oral sex and mutual masturbation. The last time we had sex was one week ago today.
I have several questions and concerns and I hope you all can help.
I have noticed an increased urge to urinate, symptoms that are consistent with a bladder infection or UTI. Could these symptoms be indicative of my having caught genital HSV from having sexual intercourse with her?
If so, can she get oral HSV from performing oral sex on me or, for that matter, can she get oral HSV from kissing me after I've performed oral sex on her?
Since I already have oral HSV, am I protected from getting genital HSV?
How likely am I to catch genital herpes from having sexual intercourse with an infected partner who is not having an outbreak? She is on the pill and we haven't used condoms in months. I would hate to have to go back to them.
Can I catch genital herpes from having anal sex?
Finally, for those of you who are living with HSV - how much will this affect our sex life?
I am in a monogamous relationship and my girlfriend and I enjoy a very free and satisfying sex life together.
Since childhood I get cold sores on my lip or ulcers on the inside of my mouth about once a year. I was never educated about the fact that these blemishes could infect a partner with the herpes virus, so I've never thought twice about performing oral sex on a partner while having a cold sore.
Recently I had a cold sore on my lip, and since I hate them I did as I normally do, I lanced it, drained the fluid and let it scab over. It took about two weeks to heal. During that time I performed oral sex on my girlfriend.
About a week after that particular encounter she began to complain about pain and discomfort in her vagina and anus. At first she thought it was just irritation, an allergic reaction or an injury sustained during sex. It was only when a friend mentioned the fact that Herpes could be transmitted through a cold sore that she became nervous.
The symptoms continued for several days, at which point she decided to get tested for HSV infection as soon as possible. Her symptoms seem very light compared to what she and I have researched over the past few days and the few external "bumps" she had cleared up within a few days. She got tested this past thursday, August 2nd. The doctor said she couldn't be certain if the symptoms were necessarily HSV on sight. She will not know for sure until monday whether she actually has herpes or if her symptoms are unrelated, but looking at the facts we are both convinced it is a HSV infection.
She and I had sexual intercourse twice since she began complaining of pain and discomfort, but stopped the moment we discovered herpes was a possiblity and have since limited ourselves to oral sex and mutual masturbation. The last time we had sex was one week ago today.
I have several questions and concerns and I hope you all can help.
I have noticed an increased urge to urinate, symptoms that are consistent with a bladder infection or UTI. Could these symptoms be indicative of my having caught genital HSV from having sexual intercourse with her?
If so, can she get oral HSV from performing oral sex on me or, for that matter, can she get oral HSV from kissing me after I've performed oral sex on her?
Since I already have oral HSV, am I protected from getting genital HSV?
How likely am I to catch genital herpes from having sexual intercourse with an infected partner who is not having an outbreak? She is on the pill and we haven't used condoms in months. I would hate to have to go back to them.
Can I catch genital herpes from having anal sex?
Finally, for those of you who are living with HSV - how much will this affect our sex life?
How was she tested? was it a culture of active lesions? If so she'll need to follow up with a blood test for hsv1 and hsv2. Meanwhile I encourage you to get yourself a type specific herpes igg blood test for hsv2 too just to confirm that hsv1 is all you have just to err on the side of caution.
grace
grace
Well, as luck would have it, she got her test results back and she tested negative for HSV. That's a good thing, but I am still a little concerned as to what actually caused her to have this kind of irritation. Hopefully this is an isolated incident of irritation brought on by heat or some type of allergic reaction. I am a little worried that it may be a sign of a larger problem.
If this really is hsv1 genitally, hopefully your gf's recurrences will be few and far between. When it comes to hsv1 genitally - ~ 50% of folks never have another ob. Of those who do - the average is 1 additional ob the first year and then 1 ob every other year. Only a small percentage of folks who have hsv1 genitally get ob's more often. If she thinks she is getting ob's frequently - she needs to follow up on it to see if anything else is going on like vaginitis especially.
Acyclovir is available in a generic form and is very affordable. She can use episodic therapy from walmart for $4 for each ob. I think you can afford that ! Her doctor will need to write the prescription as acyclovir 200mg, dispense 30. They'll give you 30 tablets for $4. She can then take either 2 pills at a time 3x/day for 5 days to speed healing or 4 tablets 3x/day for 2 days. Both doses speed healing of lesions the same amount. She'll still have lesions but they'll be healing as fast as antivirals can cause them to at those doses.
grace
Acyclovir is available in a generic form and is very affordable. She can use episodic therapy from walmart for $4 for each ob. I think you can afford that ! Her doctor will need to write the prescription as acyclovir 200mg, dispense 30. They'll give you 30 tablets for $4. She can then take either 2 pills at a time 3x/day for 5 days to speed healing or 4 tablets 3x/day for 2 days. Both doses speed healing of lesions the same amount. She'll still have lesions but they'll be healing as fast as antivirals can cause them to at those doses.
grace
So then, interesting1, what you're saying is that since the infection came from my cold sore, it is a HSV1 infection? Just from how it's looking right now, even though the doctor said she wasn't sure, both my girlfriend and I believe it is HSV1. This being her first outbreak, it's actually not too bad. After the first few days it didn't really bother her much at all. I can even finger her vagina and anus pretty aggressively without her being in any pain. I hope this is something that she will only have to deal with once in a very great while.
heartborne herpes comes in two strains HSV1 and HSV2.
HSV1 is oral herpes (cold sore) it can be transmitted to genitals if person who is performing oral sex has a outbreak( cold sore). HSV 1 is less active and stressful then HSV 2(genital herpes)
HSV2 is what people refer as genital herpes it can be transmitted to the mouth(lips) if person whom is being performed oral sex has an outbreak. HSV2 is little more aggressive then HSV1 but all together both as skin infection . Grace put it together in very creative way when she answered your question "how much will this affect our sex life?".
HSV1 is oral herpes (cold sore) it can be transmitted to genitals if person who is performing oral sex has a outbreak( cold sore). HSV 1 is less active and stressful then HSV 2(genital herpes)
HSV2 is what people refer as genital herpes it can be transmitted to the mouth(lips) if person whom is being performed oral sex has an outbreak. HSV2 is little more aggressive then HSV1 but all together both as skin infection . Grace put it together in very creative way when she answered your question "how much will this affect our sex life?".
Thank you Grace, your help is much appreciated. You've really put my mind at ease!
I have been very anxious and distressed as has my girlfriend, but we're coming to be more comfortable with the situation.
I'm a little concerned about how expensive her treatments might be; we're college students from low income families, so money and insurance and all that is pretty limited. Luckily, she is extremely healthy and never gets sick, which, according to her doctor, means she'll have outbreaks far less frequently and they won't be too bad.
Thanks again!
I have been very anxious and distressed as has my girlfriend, but we're coming to be more comfortable with the situation.
I'm a little concerned about how expensive her treatments might be; we're college students from low income families, so money and insurance and all that is pretty limited. Luckily, she is extremely healthy and never gets sick, which, according to her doctor, means she'll have outbreaks far less frequently and they won't be too bad.
Thanks again!
have noticed an increased urge to urinate, symptoms that are consistent with a bladder infection or UTI. Could these symptoms be indicative of my having caught genital HSV from having sexual intercourse with her?
- you are probably just very anxious about all this. Your own hsv1 oral infection makes it unlikely you'll contact hsv1 genitally. It can happen but it's far more likely not to happen.
If so, can she get oral HSV from performing oral sex on me or, for that matter, can she get oral HSV from kissing me after I've performed oral sex on her?
- no
Since I already have oral HSV, am I protected from getting genital HSV?
-yes - not 100% but it's not likely to happen
How likely am I to catch genital herpes from having sexual intercourse with an infected partner who is not having an outbreak? She is on the pill and we haven't used condoms in months. I would hate to have to go back to them.
-if she has hsv1 genitally that she got from oral sex from you you two have no worries. Just avoid sex whenever she has any genital symptoms just to err on the side of caution.
Can I catch genital herpes from having anal sex?
-you can contract genital herpes from anal sex. all the above answers also apply to this question.
Finally, for those of you who are living with HSV - how much will this affect our sex life?
- I have to avoid sex every now and then. that's it. otherwise I'm swinging from the chandeliers, tying up my man and punishing him like the bad boy he is and letting him ride me around the house like a pony just like everyone else I know.
grace
- you are probably just very anxious about all this. Your own hsv1 oral infection makes it unlikely you'll contact hsv1 genitally. It can happen but it's far more likely not to happen.
If so, can she get oral HSV from performing oral sex on me or, for that matter, can she get oral HSV from kissing me after I've performed oral sex on her?
- no
Since I already have oral HSV, am I protected from getting genital HSV?
-yes - not 100% but it's not likely to happen
How likely am I to catch genital herpes from having sexual intercourse with an infected partner who is not having an outbreak? She is on the pill and we haven't used condoms in months. I would hate to have to go back to them.
-if she has hsv1 genitally that she got from oral sex from you you two have no worries. Just avoid sex whenever she has any genital symptoms just to err on the side of caution.
Can I catch genital herpes from having anal sex?
-you can contract genital herpes from anal sex. all the above answers also apply to this question.
Finally, for those of you who are living with HSV - how much will this affect our sex life?
- I have to avoid sex every now and then. that's it. otherwise I'm swinging from the chandeliers, tying up my man and punishing him like the bad boy he is and letting him ride me around the house like a pony just like everyone else I know.
grace
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You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs 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.
