Aa
HSV-1 Contraction (childhood versus affair)
Hello,
I am hoping you all can help me with a question. My husband had an affair with a woman with known oral cold sores (Nov 06- Feb 07). At no time did she have a cold sore while they were sexually involved (that he ever saw - he saw her with one after the affair ended). I was tested for all STDs including HSV-1 & HSV-2, both of which came back negative.
However, my husband was tested last week and his HSV-1 result was positive at 1.24 (HerpeSelect). We've been together for 16 years and neither has had a cold sore on the mouth (or genitals for that matter) before. In fact, following the affair he's not had a cold sore.
What's the likelihood that he contracted the HSV-1 from his affair partner versus having had it all along from childhood and never giving it to me in those 16 years?
We are trying to decide if we can more or less definitivelyy say the affair partner gave it to him. This would I suppose, have an impact on how we proceed based on the assumption that the viral outbreaks lessen over time and that might lessen chances of transmission.
Thanks for any and all insight.
I am hoping you all can help me with a question. My husband had an affair with a woman with known oral cold sores (Nov 06- Feb 07). At no time did she have a cold sore while they were sexually involved (that he ever saw - he saw her with one after the affair ended). I was tested for all STDs including HSV-1 & HSV-2, both of which came back negative.
However, my husband was tested last week and his HSV-1 result was positive at 1.24 (HerpeSelect). We've been together for 16 years and neither has had a cold sore on the mouth (or genitals for that matter) before. In fact, following the affair he's not had a cold sore.
What's the likelihood that he contracted the HSV-1 from his affair partner versus having had it all along from childhood and never giving it to me in those 16 years?
We are trying to decide if we can more or less definitivelyy say the affair partner gave it to him. This would I suppose, have an impact on how we proceed based on the assumption that the viral outbreaks lessen over time and that might lessen chances of transmission.
Thanks for any and all insight.
Alot of people have HSV1, it is very common. HSV1 is the type that causes oral herpes, coldsores on the lips. HSV2 is the type that causes genital herpes sore. You don't want to kiss or have oral sex with a partern durning an outbreak of HSV1 because it is contagious either way. I am not sure if you can spred HSV1 to the genitals if you give or recieve oral while having a mouth sore, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I suppose it is possible for the virus to have remained dormant for several years. He really could have gotten HSV1 from anyone. By sharing a soda, or kissing someone with a mouth sore. You will not be able to track where he got the virus, you just have to be careful.
Thanks jena,
Do you know what the likelihood of my contracting it from him if he doesn't have a sore (outbreak)?
Do you know what the likelihood of my contracting it from him if he doesn't have a sore (outbreak)?
I'm assuming that your husband has never been tested for herpes before since most folks haven't been.
Statistically his hsv1 infection is not a new one and is one that he contracted at some point earlier in his life - either from a family member or care giver as a child or from one of the many gals he's kissed in his lifetime. Over 60% of adults in the US have hsv1 orally though only 20-40% of them ever get obvious cold sores to know it. I'm willing to bet that hsv1 has been a part of your relationship all along and you were blissfully unaware of it up until the affair.
So what do you do now? Well just the regular precautions of if he has an obvious cold sore avoid contact with his oral area goes a long, long way. Also when he has a cold or the flu he might also be actively shedding the virus so avoid letting him perform oral sex on you when he's ill. If it really bothers you to know now that he's hsv1+ then consider barrier protection when he performs oral sex on you. Statistically if you spend the rest of your life with him you are probably going to contract hsv1 orally. There's also a small chance that you could contract it genitally too but depending on how long you've been married and what your sexual practices have been up until now you know yourself how unlikely that is to happen ( after all you haven't even contracted hsv1 orally from him at this point even right? ).
Are you two in counseling to try to work thru the affair and to strengthen the relationship?
grace
Statistically his hsv1 infection is not a new one and is one that he contracted at some point earlier in his life - either from a family member or care giver as a child or from one of the many gals he's kissed in his lifetime. Over 60% of adults in the US have hsv1 orally though only 20-40% of them ever get obvious cold sores to know it. I'm willing to bet that hsv1 has been a part of your relationship all along and you were blissfully unaware of it up until the affair.
So what do you do now? Well just the regular precautions of if he has an obvious cold sore avoid contact with his oral area goes a long, long way. Also when he has a cold or the flu he might also be actively shedding the virus so avoid letting him perform oral sex on you when he's ill. If it really bothers you to know now that he's hsv1+ then consider barrier protection when he performs oral sex on you. Statistically if you spend the rest of your life with him you are probably going to contract hsv1 orally. There's also a small chance that you could contract it genitally too but depending on how long you've been married and what your sexual practices have been up until now you know yourself how unlikely that is to happen ( after all you haven't even contracted hsv1 orally from him at this point even right? ).
Are you two in counseling to try to work thru the affair and to strengthen the relationship?
grace
Have an Answer?
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.
