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Vaccinating myself against HSV
My fiancee has oral herpes, while I am seronegative for HSV-1.
I know that HSV-1 is not too terrible an affliction, but it is still a great source of anxiety for me, and affects our sex life. I can count on one hand how many times I've allowed him to perform oral sex on me, in the course of 3 years, and even that made me uncomfortable, I cannot enjoy myself because I worry about becoming genitally infected. I feel like I am missing out, but there is a very strong mental block, the anxiety is too strong.
I wonder about infecting myself with HSV-1 intentionally in some innocuous place on the body, by abrading the skin and attempting to transfer the virus. I dont' think this is crazy, as I see it, it is simply a vaccine, not unlike Edward Jenner's cowpox innoculations to ward off smallpox. When I do a cost-benefit analysis, I think this will be able to alleviate my worries, and hepretic whitlow is not too bad of a price to pay.
In addition...the current Herpes vaccine in development is essentially on this same basis (I think)...so that seronegative individuals will have the same moderate protection against HSV-1 and 2 that HSV-1 infected individuals have. Only without physical manifestation. I dont want to wait years for this vaccine, if it is ever aproved.
Now what I have not been able to clear up through my research, is wether having and HSV-1 infection anywhere in my body make me truly immune, or am I still succeptible to another HSV-1 infection elsewhere? Or does this risk only exist in the primary infection before antibodies are built up?
Also...second question...
I was signed up for this herpes vaccine trial, and when my bloodwork came back, I was HSV-1 seronegative but for HSV-2 an indeterminate result was obtained. The blood tests were repeated 3 months later with the same results.
This disqualified me from the study, but the nurse said this 'probably' means i dont have HSV-2.
I have never had any symptoms. How should I interpret the result?
I know that HSV-1 is not too terrible an affliction, but it is still a great source of anxiety for me, and affects our sex life. I can count on one hand how many times I've allowed him to perform oral sex on me, in the course of 3 years, and even that made me uncomfortable, I cannot enjoy myself because I worry about becoming genitally infected. I feel like I am missing out, but there is a very strong mental block, the anxiety is too strong.
I wonder about infecting myself with HSV-1 intentionally in some innocuous place on the body, by abrading the skin and attempting to transfer the virus. I dont' think this is crazy, as I see it, it is simply a vaccine, not unlike Edward Jenner's cowpox innoculations to ward off smallpox. When I do a cost-benefit analysis, I think this will be able to alleviate my worries, and hepretic whitlow is not too bad of a price to pay.
In addition...the current Herpes vaccine in development is essentially on this same basis (I think)...so that seronegative individuals will have the same moderate protection against HSV-1 and 2 that HSV-1 infected individuals have. Only without physical manifestation. I dont want to wait years for this vaccine, if it is ever aproved.
Now what I have not been able to clear up through my research, is wether having and HSV-1 infection anywhere in my body make me truly immune, or am I still succeptible to another HSV-1 infection elsewhere? Or does this risk only exist in the primary infection before antibodies are built up?
Also...second question...
I was signed up for this herpes vaccine trial, and when my bloodwork came back, I was HSV-1 seronegative but for HSV-2 an indeterminate result was obtained. The blood tests were repeated 3 months later with the same results.
This disqualified me from the study, but the nurse said this 'probably' means i dont have HSV-2.
I have never had any symptoms. How should I interpret the result?
A related discussion, disclosing status was started.
I also wanted to point out that giving yourself herpes whitlow is not going to help with your anxiety over this either. Recurrences of it when you have young children in diapers in the house will also be anxiety provoking too.
Why not utilize barrier protection for oral sex if you are interested in receiving it? You can buy flavored condoms and cut them open on one side and lay them over your genital area while your partner performs oral on you for protection. Sure beats abstaining completely from something you want to enjoy with your partner don't you think?
Send your friend with herpes to the herpes forum here so we can help her work thru this. The stigma that surrounds genital herpes is completely unwarranted and the first step is to stop believing in it yourself! We'll also make sure she's treating her herpes properly and doing everything she can to keep ob's to a minimum.
grace
Why not utilize barrier protection for oral sex if you are interested in receiving it? You can buy flavored condoms and cut them open on one side and lay them over your genital area while your partner performs oral on you for protection. Sure beats abstaining completely from something you want to enjoy with your partner don't you think?
Send your friend with herpes to the herpes forum here so we can help her work thru this. The stigma that surrounds genital herpes is completely unwarranted and the first step is to stop believing in it yourself! We'll also make sure she's treating her herpes properly and doing everything she can to keep ob's to a minimum.
grace
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I assumed you were talking about the GSK vaccine trial, in which case Western blot testing probably was done.
I still think you're overreacting and should not consider auto-inoculation and I won't have anything more to say about it. Your friend's experience with herpes is irrelevant. That some people have severe cases doesn't change the fact that most genital herpes cases are mild or asymptomatic; and she probably has HSV-2, not HSV-1. (If she is truly "rendered celibate" she probably needs improved management. That almost never is a necessary or rational response to genital herpes.)
You should discuss your fear of infection/contamination with your personal health care provider. This can be a sign of a fairly severe (or later to become severe) mental health disorder. (Howard Hughes was an extreme but not rare example. Rent "The Aviator" if you didn't see it in the theater.) I predict that even if you were to follow the autoinoculation strategy, it would make no difference in your fears. You need to deal directly with the psychological problem and not seek apparently easy routes around it. I suggest it out of compassion and concern, not criticism.
I still think you're overreacting and should not consider auto-inoculation and I won't have anything more to say about it. Your friend's experience with herpes is irrelevant. That some people have severe cases doesn't change the fact that most genital herpes cases are mild or asymptomatic; and she probably has HSV-2, not HSV-1. (If she is truly "rendered celibate" she probably needs improved management. That almost never is a necessary or rational response to genital herpes.)
You should discuss your fear of infection/contamination with your personal health care provider. This can be a sign of a fairly severe (or later to become severe) mental health disorder. (Howard Hughes was an extreme but not rare example. Rent "The Aviator" if you didn't see it in the theater.) I predict that even if you were to follow the autoinoculation strategy, it would make no difference in your fears. You need to deal directly with the psychological problem and not seek apparently easy routes around it. I suggest it out of compassion and concern, not criticism.
Thank you for the response.
I will try to get the details of the test, can I still get back to you in this forum in a week or so? It is the Herpevac trial from GSX, and the info sheet said they do "very accurate" blood testing to check. Still I will try to find out about what exactly was found.
I know you probably cannot endorse such a practice in good conscience, hippocratic oath and all, but I know doctors have done voluntary amputations to body dysmorphism sufferers etc. RIght now I would say I am SUFFERING, i have a huge fear of pathogens in general.
Yes I am in a monogamous relationship, but I am not all starry-eyed and deluded with "together forever" romantic notions, and I can conceive of the possiblity of having other
sexual partners. My friend has genital herpes and it has had a devastating effect on her, she has been effectively rendered celibate. Herpes seems for the most part an inconvenience/cosmetic problem, but social stigma remains.
I will try to get the details of the test, can I still get back to you in this forum in a week or so? It is the Herpevac trial from GSX, and the info sheet said they do "very accurate" blood testing to check. Still I will try to find out about what exactly was found.
I know you probably cannot endorse such a practice in good conscience, hippocratic oath and all, but I know doctors have done voluntary amputations to body dysmorphism sufferers etc. RIght now I would say I am SUFFERING, i have a huge fear of pathogens in general.
Yes I am in a monogamous relationship, but I am not all starry-eyed and deluded with "together forever" romantic notions, and I can conceive of the possiblity of having other
sexual partners. My friend has genital herpes and it has had a devastating effect on her, she has been effectively rendered celibate. Herpes seems for the most part an inconvenience/cosmetic problem, but social stigma remains.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Second question first: The investigators doing the HSV vaccine research probably are highly expert in interpreting the blood test results, so I imagine their conclusion that you probably don't have HSV-2 is correct. However, if you can provide details about that test, perhaps we can sort it out. Which test? If the HerpeSelect test, what were the numerical results? Was a Western blot test done? You might contact the investigators to learn these details and let me know in a follow-up comment.
The idea of self-inoculation to prevent HSV comes up from time to time. Probably it would work in the way you imagine, but I cannot endorse it. Rarely HSV-1 is in fact a dangerous infection (very rarely it is even fatal), and no responsible expert would condone intentional infection.
Anyway, I see no need. So what if you acquire your partner's HSV-1 infection of the mouth or even genital infection? Over half the population has HSV-1, so you would simply be joining the majority. Genital herpes due to HSV-1 typically does not keep recurring with any frequency; 40% have no recurrent outbreaks at all. And for most people, the biggest fear of acquiring genital herpes is because of the potential for future transmission to other sex partners. But that should not be an important issue for someone intending a permanent monogamous relationship (which applies to most but not all people intending to marry). And genital-to-genital HSV-1 transmission is rare anyway.
I don't want to completely trivialize genital HSV-1 infection. You should be particularly careful not to acquire genital infection late in pregnancy. If or when you become pregnant, you and your partner should avoid cunnilingus during the last 3 months before delivery.
All things considered, rather than an unproved and potentially unsafe strategy, I suggest you just put your partner's HSV-1 infection into perspective and not worry about it. This simply is not an important health issue for you, and should not be an important psychological one.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
The idea of self-inoculation to prevent HSV comes up from time to time. Probably it would work in the way you imagine, but I cannot endorse it. Rarely HSV-1 is in fact a dangerous infection (very rarely it is even fatal), and no responsible expert would condone intentional infection.
Anyway, I see no need. So what if you acquire your partner's HSV-1 infection of the mouth or even genital infection? Over half the population has HSV-1, so you would simply be joining the majority. Genital herpes due to HSV-1 typically does not keep recurring with any frequency; 40% have no recurrent outbreaks at all. And for most people, the biggest fear of acquiring genital herpes is because of the potential for future transmission to other sex partners. But that should not be an important issue for someone intending a permanent monogamous relationship (which applies to most but not all people intending to marry). And genital-to-genital HSV-1 transmission is rare anyway.
I don't want to completely trivialize genital HSV-1 infection. You should be particularly careful not to acquire genital infection late in pregnancy. If or when you become pregnant, you and your partner should avoid cunnilingus during the last 3 months before delivery.
All things considered, rather than an unproved and potentially unsafe strategy, I suggest you just put your partner's HSV-1 infection into perspective and not worry about it. This simply is not an important health issue for you, and should not be an important psychological one.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
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.
