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Herpes 2
Dear Dr,
I am a 50 year old woman that entered the dating world 3 years ago. No STD's. In July of 2010 I spent the weekend with a 47 year old man that said he did not have herpes 2 or any other STD. We had genital to genital frottage with no ejaculation. This has been my only experience in 3 years.
I know from reading most all of your answers that this is a low risk situation. However, I have been afraid and checking myself regularly for any signs of Herpes. None has appeared. My questions to you are:
1) Do you still feel that frottage is a poor way to get Herpes?
2) Do you still think that in the absence of any outbreak, testing is not needed?
3) After 3 years, do you think I can stop checking myself so much?
Thank you. I appreciate your help in this matter.
I am a 50 year old woman that entered the dating world 3 years ago. No STD's. In July of 2010 I spent the weekend with a 47 year old man that said he did not have herpes 2 or any other STD. We had genital to genital frottage with no ejaculation. This has been my only experience in 3 years.
I know from reading most all of your answers that this is a low risk situation. However, I have been afraid and checking myself regularly for any signs of Herpes. None has appeared. My questions to you are:
1) Do you still feel that frottage is a poor way to get Herpes?
2) Do you still think that in the absence of any outbreak, testing is not needed?
3) After 3 years, do you think I can stop checking myself so much?
Thank you. I appreciate your help in this matter.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. I'll be pleased to provide some information and to comment. HSV is rather common and as you may know, over 80% of persons with HSV do not know that they have it. Figures like this a certainly frightening and the misinformation on the internet does not make things any better. At the same time, it is perhaps not emphasized that the reasons that folks with HSV do not know it in not because they don't have symptoms but because they attribute them to other causes. Your partner was not particularly high risk, frottage is not likely to lead to transmission of infection and you have not noted symptoms in three years of observation- considering all of these variable, it is time to not worry further and to be comfortable that you did not get HSV from the encounter you describe. We do not recommend blood tests for HSV for person such as you as they are often unreliable, being prone to false positive test results. Time for you to move on.
In response to your specific questions:
1) Do you still feel that frottage is a poor way to get Herpes?
Yes. HSV transmission from penetrative sex is far, far more common than from frottage.
2) Do you still think that in the absence of any outbreak, testing is not needed?
I would not recommend blood tests for HSV for you.
3) After 3 years, do you think I can stop checking myself so much?
Absolutely. time for you to move forward without concern.
I hope my comments are helpful. EWH
In response to your specific questions:
1) Do you still feel that frottage is a poor way to get Herpes?
Yes. HSV transmission from penetrative sex is far, far more common than from frottage.
2) Do you still think that in the absence of any outbreak, testing is not needed?
I would not recommend blood tests for HSV for you.
3) After 3 years, do you think I can stop checking myself so much?
Absolutely. time for you to move forward without concern.
I hope my comments are helpful. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Glad to help. EWH
Thank you so much Dr. Hook.
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.
