Aa
HSV Transmission Risk Before Outbreak
Three weeks ago I had sex with a woman who has had herpes for about 8 months. It was the first time she had had sex since being diagnosed. She told me she was on Valtrex, and we used condoms, so I felt reasonably well protected. However, the next day, she had an outbreak on her inner thigh, near the groin. I have read that sex after prolonged absintence can cause an outbreak, but also know that she could have been in the prodromal stage of an outbreak when we were together. I know that transmission rates are low, and that overall, the risk from a single exposure is minimal. However, given that we had sex the day before an outbreak, I'm wondering how worried I should be, even though I haven't had any signs of an outbreak. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.
Thanks, everyone who responded. I really appreciate the good advice and the reassurance.
It's also probably worth noting that on Valtrex she would have been shedding less if she were taking the medication properly (every day). It's also possible the lesion being discussed isn't a herpes outbreak.
I agree about getting the baseline IgG test now. If you are already HSV2+, you know it didn't come from this episode. If you are negative, get tested again in 4 months and watch for unusual symptoms until then.
A condom + Valtrex gave you good protection. It's the best you can do, and you guys were doing it. You can't really put a percentage number on what your possible risk was for this one encounter, but I would imagine it's really low.
I agree about getting the baseline IgG test now. If you are already HSV2+, you know it didn't come from this episode. If you are negative, get tested again in 4 months and watch for unusual symptoms until then.
A condom + Valtrex gave you good protection. It's the best you can do, and you guys were doing it. You can't really put a percentage number on what your possible risk was for this one encounter, but I would imagine it's really low.
In this instance though the skin on the thigh area is thick and probably shedding wasn't occuring from that area until there was an actual lesion. Yes there was probably shedding from the anogenital area unless of course the recurrence ( if indeed this is one ) was triggered by the sex act. If the sex act triggered it then shedding didn't occur until after the sex was over.
Contracting herpes is just as much about bad luck as anything else. You do the best you can do and using condoms, taking suppressive therapy and avoiding sex when you have any genital symptoms does go a long way but it's not perfect. Indeed as you've mentioned ineed2knowpls condoms only cover a specific part of the genitals and do leave room for infection anyways but it's still better than nothing. Only time will tell if infection resulted from this or not. If it was a one night stand sorta thing then yes getting tested in a few months isn't a bad idea ( though others would argue against that I"m sure ) but if it's to be an ongoing relationship then my advice is no obvious lesions, no bother with testing until a later point in the relationship out of curiosities sake or a few months after the relationship has ended ( hope that makes sense ). If you've never had a herpes blood test before then I recommend a baseline herpes igg blood test now and then repeat it in 4 months. The majority of folks who have hsv2 have no idea they have it until tested so why place blame on this situation if it wasn't the cause of the infection - a baseline test helps you sort that part out.
grace
Contracting herpes is just as much about bad luck as anything else. You do the best you can do and using condoms, taking suppressive therapy and avoiding sex when you have any genital symptoms does go a long way but it's not perfect. Indeed as you've mentioned ineed2knowpls condoms only cover a specific part of the genitals and do leave room for infection anyways but it's still better than nothing. Only time will tell if infection resulted from this or not. If it was a one night stand sorta thing then yes getting tested in a few months isn't a bad idea ( though others would argue against that I"m sure ) but if it's to be an ongoing relationship then my advice is no obvious lesions, no bother with testing until a later point in the relationship out of curiosities sake or a few months after the relationship has ended ( hope that makes sense ). If you've never had a herpes blood test before then I recommend a baseline herpes igg blood test now and then repeat it in 4 months. The majority of folks who have hsv2 have no idea they have it until tested so why place blame on this situation if it wasn't the cause of the infection - a baseline test helps you sort that part out.
grace
Daisy's not 100% accurate.
I too recently made a mistake (2 months ago) and have since read as much as I can on this subject.
Though you are protected where the condom is, the area which is generally covered by your boxer shorts is where a person with herpes can shed without signs. (One of the first things I read..) Since your friend had an outbreak on her thigh it would suggest to me that she may have been shedding in that area. I am not a professional just someone that has read more on this subject in the last two months than I care to think about.
Try not to freak out over time, get through your four months and have a type specific blood test done. (Western Blot)
Good Luck!
I too recently made a mistake (2 months ago) and have since read as much as I can on this subject.
Though you are protected where the condom is, the area which is generally covered by your boxer shorts is where a person with herpes can shed without signs. (One of the first things I read..) Since your friend had an outbreak on her thigh it would suggest to me that she may have been shedding in that area. I am not a professional just someone that has read more on this subject in the last two months than I care to think about.
Try not to freak out over time, get through your four months and have a type specific blood test done. (Western Blot)
Good Luck!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
