Oral HSV-2 herpes becomes genital?

Hi HHH,

I've read information about "site of preference" of HSV-1 and HSV-2.

If I had an oral infection with symptoms inside my mouth by HSV-2, could I also have been genitally infected without symptoms?  If the original site of infection by HSV-2 was inside my mouth, does it mean that the HSV-2 virus will travel down the body and recurs as genital herpes infection in the future? Or will the HSV-2 virus be shedding in the genital area, causing potential transmission to another person through genital-genital intercourse?

I guess most people would not think this can be the case because most oral herpes are caused by HSV-1, which tends to stays in the upper part of the body.

I'm quite worried that my oral HSV-2 herpes will turn into genital herpes.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

How do you know your oral herpes is HSV-2?  As you say, that would be very rare; and if you had oral HSV-2, you probably won't have recurrences.

And if it's oral HSV-1, no, you won't transmit it to your genitals.  However, it is conceivable that you acquired oral and genital HSV-2 simultaneously, especially if you had both genital and oral sex with the person from whom you caught it--and the genital infection could be asymptomatic.

But this is a far-out possibility.  Have a specific test for oral HSV-2 if that hasn't been done.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[sara176]

A related discussion, oral sex was started.