Herpes 2 Reassurance

[llesiant]

Hi there.  I have posted in the experts forum but I thought I'd get a second opinion here.  I live in the UK and hsv 2 is not something we really talk about much here!  My husband has probably never heard of it, but I am a bit obsessed by it!  We've been married for 11 years and before that I had outbreaks of cold sores on my lips.  Ever since I have known him my husband has had what he calls "stinging bottom"!  I had a look once but couldn't see anything and we just put it down to a hereditary hemorroids problem, (his dad recently had an operation after suffering for years).  If he does feel his stinging starting he jumps into the bath and this tends to solve the problem so it lasts really only a short while, say a few hours.   I had blood type testing done this year because I was curious and it came back as HSV 1 which I expected.  My question is really this; if after 11 years of not contracting hsv 2 can I safely assume that my husband has not got this?  We have had a really active sex life for the whole of the 11 years and had two children.  I have never worried that he had hsv 2 so have never abstained whilst he has his "stinging bottom"!   It's not something I can really talk to him about as he would think I was completely mad, so if I am not reassured by you, then I expect to just carry on regardless as I have done the past 11 years.  Thanks for your help.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

You are most welcome.

Terri

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

You are so welcome, I know this can be challenging for many people.

Terri

[llesiant]

Hi thanks for your detailed response, it is much appreciated.  I think I am a bit obsessive about things because I spend hours trawling sites like this for any information about similar experiences to mine!  I haven't found one single similar question to mine but I read other tortured souls messages and realise that I should just put this out of my head and get on with life.  But your reply has given me something to focus on and whenever I feel the compulsion to google about herpes, I just read what you have told me and feel a bit calmer!! Thank goodness us poor obessives have someone like you to turn to! Thanks again.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Well, I can't really know if your husband has herpes or not.  But the stinging bottom thing doesn't sound like herpes to me.  Let's say for the sake of argument that he does have herpes (which I have no reason to believe).  If you've not acquired it from him after this many years, then it is quite unlikely that you will.  We know that in long term couples where one is infected with HSV 2 and the other is not, that the longer they are together, the less likely they are to transmit virus to the uninfected partner, So that's a good thing!  I'm not sure why this is a focus of concern for you, but from my perspective, I think the chances of you getting herpes, either because he doesn't have it or because transmission is unlikely now, are very low indeed.

Terri