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STDs  (Expert Forum)
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transmission help
Answered by
University of Washington Seattle - WA
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.

transmission help

by mariposa231, Aug 29, 2007 01:11PM
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.

by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Aug 29, 2007 01:29PM
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
Member Comments (3)

by mariposa231, Aug 29, 2007 01:41PM
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.

by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Aug 29, 2007 10:37PM
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
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