am I contagious

[snowflake62]

never had breakout but test possitive for hv2 am I contagious?

[girlygirl87]

then you definitely need to see a different doctor-- antivirals aren't just for the supression of outbreaks, they're also for the supression of asymptomatic shedding. If you have been DEFINITIVELY diagnosed with HSV 2 (that is, the doctor knows for sure you have it), antiviral therapy can benefit you!

also, just because you haven't had an outbreak to date doesn't mean you never could. antivirals could help prevent outbreaks in the future i would think!

[gracefromHHP]

The only herpes antiviral that we have any info on on its effects on hsv1 genitally is famvir ( STD, nov 2007 ) as far as I'm aware. In the study folks with hsv1 genitally on average shed the virus 2% of days while on placebo and 0% of days while on famvir. It's up to you if you think it's worth taking medication every single day to reduce a 2% shedding rate ( that would be 2 out of every 100 days the virus was detected via pcr ).  We have no info on any of the 3 herpes antivirals on if taken suppressively that they reduce transmission of hsv1 to a partner either orally or genitally as far as I'm aware.  

If you have a partner who you are trying to protect then you would want to take antivirals every single day - not just on days you know you are maybe going to have sex or try to take them just for a few days before you typically see your partner or whatever your situation is.

If your partner has hsv1 orally - then the risk is too small to even make it worth suppressive therapy to be honest.

grace

[stateofconfusion]

My question is:   I have HSV1 (genital).  If I decide to persue a sexual relationship, would taking suppression drugs a few weeks prior to the sex help with potential asymptomatic shedding?  Or will I have to literally take the suppression meds MONTHS and MONTHS on end before there is a definite decreased risk in transmission?

[gracefromHHP]

Have you ever posted your test results here for anyone to look at to see if you need additional testing done ( I can only vouch for myself, HHH and Dr Hook - no idea what the level of expertise is of any of the other posters )?  If you haven't - get a copy of the results and post them here or on the doc's std board to make sure you don't need additional testing done.

I also encourage you to read the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com to learn more about herpes and how to reduce the chances of transmitting it to a partner. There is also a terrific patient counseling video there too to watch if you have a high speed connection.  

Yes - even if you've never had a herpes symptom that you are aware of - you can still transmit the virus to others.  Most folks who think they've never had a symptom though just aren't aware of what to look for which is why it's important to do some basic reading and learn more.  Don't be surprised if over time you are able to recognize signs of the virus being active now that you know you are hsv2+.

grace

[waringblender]

The gold standard of care is to offer antiviral therapy to people with HSV2 regardless of their outbreak status, since the medication is also used to protect partners who are HSV negative. Girlygirl is right - find another doctor.

[snowflake62]

doctor won't give a med unless i have breakout.

[girlygirl87]

people with asymptomatic HSV 2 infections still shed the virus from time to time. the cruddy thing is, although you only shed the virus a small percentage of the time, there's no way to know when you're shedding and when you're not.

the good news is, if you take antivirals like acyclovir or valtrex (there are several more, i can't remember all of them), the number of days you shed the virus will be reduced. using a condom on top of this recudes the risk even more!