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Asymptomatic Shedding
I'm so frustrated with this asymptomatic shedding info. Have had cold sores on lips for several years but the last one was about 5 years ago. My girlfriend of 3 years doesn't have the HSV-1 virus and I'm constantly on the look out for an outbreak. Recently, I gave her a small kiss on the lips before I left for work. About 2 hours later I felt something and noticed I was getting a cold sore. What are the chances I passed this along to her? As a note, 20 minutes before I left the house I slightly burned my lip on some oatmeal which I'm guessing could have been the trigger for the outbreak. This is really crazy - if you are to believe some readings, asymptomatic shedding can occur several days before an outbreak. What do we have to do - give up kissing altogether? Thanks.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
Oral herpes isn't all that easily transmitted. It takes more than just a little virus. Although asymptomatic shedding of HSV-1 occurs in oral herpes, most of the time there probably isn't enough virus to transmit the infection. Unlike genital herpes, most oral herpes transmission appears to occur from overt cold sores. And without any recognized oral herpes outbreaks for 5 years, you may have little asymptomatic shedding anyway. These are the reasons that the large majority of partners (kissing partners, sex partners) of people with oral herpes remain uninfected after many years and even decades.
And I also have to ask what you are so worried about. Half of all adults have HSV-1, mostly oral. If your girlfriend were to catch oral herpes, she might never know it; and if she gets symptomatic outbreaks, they are easily treated. Even if she were to get genital herpes from oral sex, it probably wouldn't be a big deal. Genital HSV-1 infections have few recurrences and are not easily transmitted to other people.
Finally, I'm assuming your cold sores were accurately diagnosed. But how do you know your partner hasn't been infected? If she hasn't had a blood test, it's impossible to know, since most infections cause no symptoms. If she has had HSV-1 in the past, she can't catch a new infection with it.
Bottom line: It is time to stop overreacting and stop worrying. Avoid kissing and oral sex if and when you have a new outbreak. Otherwise, this really shouldn't be as big a deal as it seems to have been.
Regards-- HHH, MD
Oral herpes isn't all that easily transmitted. It takes more than just a little virus. Although asymptomatic shedding of HSV-1 occurs in oral herpes, most of the time there probably isn't enough virus to transmit the infection. Unlike genital herpes, most oral herpes transmission appears to occur from overt cold sores. And without any recognized oral herpes outbreaks for 5 years, you may have little asymptomatic shedding anyway. These are the reasons that the large majority of partners (kissing partners, sex partners) of people with oral herpes remain uninfected after many years and even decades.
And I also have to ask what you are so worried about. Half of all adults have HSV-1, mostly oral. If your girlfriend were to catch oral herpes, she might never know it; and if she gets symptomatic outbreaks, they are easily treated. Even if she were to get genital herpes from oral sex, it probably wouldn't be a big deal. Genital HSV-1 infections have few recurrences and are not easily transmitted to other people.
Finally, I'm assuming your cold sores were accurately diagnosed. But how do you know your partner hasn't been infected? If she hasn't had a blood test, it's impossible to know, since most infections cause no symptoms. If she has had HSV-1 in the past, she can't catch a new infection with it.
Bottom line: It is time to stop overreacting and stop worrying. Avoid kissing and oral sex if and when you have a new outbreak. Otherwise, this really shouldn't be as big a deal as it seems to have been.
Regards-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Of course you could infect your girlfriend, either by kissing or oral sex. But it isn't very likely if you take the precautions I suggested above. And I can't say HSV-1 has never been transmitted by the mechanisms you mention. Probably it has, but rarely.
Half of all adults in the US (more in other countries) have oral HSV-1. For the most part, they don't spend their lives fearful of transmitting to other people. That's not to say it doesn't happen, and you should take the common sense precautions I suggested above. But otherwise forget it.
That should end this thread. Really, mellow out. This isn't worth the amount of time and psychic energy you are devoting to it.
Half of all adults in the US (more in other countries) have oral HSV-1. For the most part, they don't spend their lives fearful of transmitting to other people. That's not to say it doesn't happen, and you should take the common sense precautions I suggested above. But otherwise forget it.
That should end this thread. Really, mellow out. This isn't worth the amount of time and psychic energy you are devoting to it.
Thank you Doctor, So I would assume that it would be doubtful that my girlfriend would be infected, right. I appreciate your infomation as there is so much disinformation on the internet. In a follow-up, is it correct that HSV-1 has never been transmitted through an inanimate object (i.e., sharing a drink, a cigar etc.)? Thanks so much for your time.
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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.
