transmitting herpes

Hi,
I was tested for all STD's 2 years ago, and the results all came back negative. I'd never had any symptoms of an STD until a few weeks ago when I noticed a bump on my lip. At first I thought it was acne, because I had severe acne as a child, and would sometimes get it on my lips. When I noticed it didn't go away, grew bigger, and I had a tingly/stinging sensation, I thought it could be something else. Last week I noticed it's progression and it had developed tiny white blisters which opened and leaked the following 2 days. It's begun to shrink and is almost gone now. I'm quite certain this is a cold sore. Since I was tested, I dated one person breifly, and then began dating my current boyfriend of 1.5 years. I never noticed cold sores on anyone I've dated, so I'm not sure how I could have gotten it. Is it possible to transmit herpes 1 by kissing someone that is not experiencing a current outbreak? I know many experts say that most adults were infected as children, but wouldn't my test results have been positive if that were the case for me? And lastly, if this was a herpes outbreak and I have been kissing my boyfriend regularly, how likely are the chances that he will definitely get it from me?
Thanks!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the STD forum.

I'm not sure why you suspect your problem might be an STD.  From your description, it sounds possible that you have oral herpes -- but that isn't normally sexually acquired and is not considered an STD.

As for your statement "I'm quite certain this is a cold sore":  Cold sores usually are more superficial than pimples, and usually there would be more than a single lesion -- usually a cluster of a few blisters in a group.  Still, I agree a cold sore is possible.  It would be helpful to know whether your tests for "all STDs" two years ago included a blood test for HSV-1.  If not, you could have oral herpes that goes back to a distant past infection, perhaps in childhood.  (This is possible even if you had a negative HSV-1 test.  The HSV-1 blood test is not very accurate and misses lots of infections.)  Finally, even if you have new oral herpes, there is no reason to suspect it was sexually acquired.  (OK, maybe kissing is a form of sex.  But diseases transmitted by kissing are not considered STDs.)

If you have oral herpes, transmission to anyone else is unlikely if you're not having another outbreak.  Unlike genital herpes due to HSV-2, asymptomatic viral shedding of oral HSV-1 is fairly uncommon and most infections are transmitted during overt outbreaks.

Is your boyfriend at risk from kissing you?  If he is the person you caught it from, then definitely not:  people are resistant to new infections with the same HSV type, and couples do not "ping pong" their herpes infections back and forth.  If you caught it somewhere else, he might be at risk -- but there's a 50% chance he has had HSV-1 himself, in which case he also is resistant.

Bottom line:  If and when a similar outbreak appears, see a health care provider within 1-2 days for professional examination and perhaps testing for HSV-1.  You could also have an HSV-1 blood test -- but even if positive, it won't mean that herpes was the explanation for the sore on your lip.  In the meantime, to be safe, avoid kissing anyone when you're having a similar outbreak.  Otherwise don't worry about it.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[Daisy217]

Thanksk so much!! Your input helps. I thought of one other thing... is it possible to transmit through sharing food (food specifically, and not eating utensils)?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

No.  People never get HSV except by close personal contact with infected persons, or the overt exchange of body secretions.