transmission help

[mariposa231]

I was recently diagnosed with genital hsv-1 through a culture test. My blood came back negative for the antibodies which I am guessing puts my infection recent.(I had the Select test done) I had sexual relations with one guy this past month and he has been the only guy I have had any type of sex with in the past two years. He gave me oral sex which I am almost positive that is how I got it. (I got the symptoms 4 days after that encounter) But he had his blood tested a few weeks back and after I talked to him about it..a few days ago. His blood test came back negative.

I am at a loss as to how it was transmitted.

Is it possible that I contracted it by kissing my son (I do not know if he has oral herpes or not..but he is the only other person I have kissed) and spread it to the guy by kissing him and then him going down on me? I do not have any symptoms of an oral infection.

Or could the guy have been infected recently and gave it to me?

I guess I am just really confused.

Thank you for you time.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Given the timing, the most likely scenario is that you indeed acquired your infection from an oral HSV-1 infection in your partner.  Either he acquired it recently, as you suggest, or he had a false-negative test result.  There is a slight chance you have been infected for a long time, have a false negative test yourself, and that the timing of your symptoms is coincidental with the oral sex exposure--but that seems a reach.  The least likely explanation, which is not a realistic possiblity at all, is your other idea--that you aquired it from your son (or from kissing anyone else) and then auto-inoculated your genital area.  You can put that one to rest.

If your partner is willing, I suggest he be retested.  Most likely it will be positive for HSV-1 antibody.

Perhaps most important, don't let this bum you out.  It sounds like nobody is to blame; if your partner wasn't aware of an oral herpes infection, he obviously isn't at fault.  And if you are like most people with genital infection with HSV-1, you will have few recurrent outbreaks (40% have no recurrences at all) and will not be at high risk for transmitting to future sex partners.  If you have to get genital herpes, HSV-1 is the type to have.

Best wishes---  HHH, MD

[mariposa231]

Thank you.

I will suggest to him to get retested after a while for it. He has had 2 blood tests done and they came back negative for it. As will I get re-tested.

I have read up on all the info about genital hsv-1 and actually am not all that bummed out about it. It is just frustrating that I do not know how it was done..him being negative and all.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Sometimes figuring out the exact source can be very difficult.  I'm not sure how much effort it's worth.  But I'm glad you have a level-headed understanding about genital herpes and genital HSV-1 in particular.  I didnt mean to imply otherwise--but it's easy to forget, because most questions on the forum come from people who are more uptight than you are!

Cheers--  HHH, MD