HSV 2 Fragility?

[curiousone1110]

I have read so many different things on the internet.  I have read that the HSV 2 virus dies quickly once when exposed to air (about 10 seconds) and is inactivated with soap and water.  Is 15 seconds of hand washing with warm soap and water sufficient enough to kill the virus?    If an HSV 2+ man uses the bathroom and washes his hands with warm soapy water and very shortly after (maybe 10 seconds later) comes in contact with the genitals of a woman, is transmission going to occur here?  He did dry his hands with a towel.  I have read that the anatomy of a woman is likely to absorb anything that is left on the hands.  I have read that some 1% of cases occur this way.  If there was enough force behind the hand, could transmission occur this way?  Is this something I should worry about?  Is this unlikely due to the fragility of the virus?  Do you think lathering of the hands is also causing exposure to air at the same time?  Do you think these elements, when exposed to the virus, is likely to inactivate it completely?  If there was any virus left, do you think that it would be such a small amount that transmission would be impossible?  Does there need to be a significant amount of virus in order for transmission to occur?  If an HSV 2+ person were to touch themselves, and then immediately touch another person, what do you think the time frame would be in order for transmission to occur?  A few seconds?  5 seconds?  10 seconds?  15?  Ever since my encounter I have been washing my hands ridiculously and I am trying to get myself to believe that all of this worrying is irrational.  I can't help but remain skeptical because all of the information I have gathered is so varied.  I had a hotline nurses tell me after my experience, a there was a 25% transmission rate, which I thought was a little high.  I spoke with a nurse from my OBGYN and she seemed to confidently tell me that she honestly thought I thought I didn't have anything to worry about.  What do you think?  

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Let me see if I have this straight:  You are the female.  There was a man with HSV 2 genitally who used the bathroom, washed his hands, then touched your genitals and you are wondering what the risk of acquiring herpes is?  And someone told you 25%?  That hotline nurse should be fired and without continuing education, should never work in the field of STD counseling again.  That is, unless she completely misunderstood your description of the situation.  This situation you describe is not a risk.  Very brief handwashing removes the virus.  The particular virus is covered with a lipid layer, and the job of soap is to disrupt lipids.  Once the outer layer is gone, the virus falls apart.  I have absolutely ZERO concerns about transmission of herpes to your genitals in this situation.  I'm not sure why you are washing your hands, either.  Why is that?

Terri

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I have answered this question.  You are bordering on obsession here!  
Your partner washed his hands.  You are not at risk.  Period.
There will be no more responses on this thread.

Terri

[curiousone1110]

Are you confident this is a zero risk case because of the 15 second hand washing or because this was not direct skin to skin contact?  Would you say both, equally?  I have read that most cases require skin to skin contact.

If an HSV2+ individual were to touch themselves, how very soon (a few seconds?) would they have to touch another person to transmit the virus?

I only want to find out as much information as possible so I can absorb it, deal with this rationally, and move on with my life.  

I appreciate your help.  

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

YES

Terri

[curiousone1110]

I just want to be sure that 15 seconds is an adequate amount of time for a complete risk factor of 0.  

[curiousone1110]

I talked to many nurses who seemed to think 30 seconds of hand washing was needed and one even said 2 minutes (these were not STD hotline nurses, just general information nurses, I guess).  

It's wild to think that only 15 seconds would be enough to completely inactivate the virus.  I'm sorry for so many questions.  I want to absorb as much information as possible so I can deal with this rationally and move on with my life.  I deeply appreciate any feedback you might have.  

[curiousone1110]

This is all very calming to hear.  

You don't suppose it is possible for a small portion of the virus to remain on his hands in any way?  If this were to happen, would a short 10 seconds of air exposure certainly kill the virus?  

I apologize for my paranoia.  The infectious stigma of the virus has me unsettled.  There was such a short amount of time between after hand washing and genital touching.  

I thank you so much for your time.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

No, I absolutely do not think it makes a difference what sort of soap.  Herpes is not a bacteria it is a virus so antibacterial soap would make no difference.
I have never, in 32 years of practice, heard of any cases of hand to genital transmission.  Never.  You have no need to worry here.  Period.

Terri

[curiousone1110]

It was also a plain unmarked bar soap vs. a labeled liquid antibacterial.  Do you believe this would have made a difference?

Thank you for your time.

[curiousone1110]

The hotline nurse told me a full 30 seconds would have been better to kill the virus.

[curiousone1110]

Yes, I am a female and I had an instance where I had a HSV2+ man touch me after using the bathroom (after washing his hands for 15 seconds with warm soapy water).  

You made my week so much better, Terri.  I thank you so much for your response.  The hotline nurse did tell me 25%.  She did not specialize in STD's.  She went on about microscopic tears in the vagina created by fingernails and because of this, the likelihood of transmission increasing.  My OBGYN nurse told me she honestly felt like I had nothing to worry about.  

I am washing my hands because I feel infected and I feel like I am going to infect other people.  

I feel blessed to be able to speak with somebody who knows about the virus so well.

I am very relieved to hear that you believe my transmission risk is 0.  You are fully convinced that a thorough 15 second hand washing after a man holding his genitals is enough to kill any possible infected secretions?

I cannot imagine he would have had much of the virus on his hands, either, after simply holding his penis for a short amount of time to urinate.  

There was a very short amount of time (maybe 10 seconds) after he came out of the bathroom before he was touching me.  I suppose the likelihood of secretions still being on his hands after this is very low (my anxiety is getting the best of me).  

Do you know how long the virus stays active outside of the body?  Is it about 10 seconds?  Do you know at all what the percentages of genital to hand to genital transmission for HSV 2 is?  

I was told by a doctor this was very very rare (so rare that I should not worry about it).  Do you agree with this doctor?

I did not explain to her the whole story because at the time I was somewhat paralyzed by fear and could not think to articulate my words in that way.

I suppose in some sense I feared there could still be virus left on his hand somehow.

What do you think?