Herpes Scare

[tvia2020]

Hello. This may be a little too early to be worried about this. So last night, I went to a party with my friends and I was a little drunk. I met a boy at the party and we went to his car to smoke from his vape pen. We didn’t do anything else. When I told my friends about him the dude, they told me he might have herpes. Will I contract herpes from him? Would this be classified as a high risk?

[auntiejessi]

I'm sorry in advance, because I hate rumors like this. Most of the time, they aren't true, and they are vicious.

I have no idea if they meant oral herpes or genital herpes, but I'll address both.

Genital herpes - no risk at all. None. The only way you'd be at risk from him if he had genital herpes is if you had some kind of sex with him.

Oral herpes - no risk. He had no visible sores, or you'd have mentioned that, and herpes dies quickly outside of it's human host. Sharing utensils and the like isn't really a risk either. The only way you'd get oral herpes from him, in reality, is if you kissed him.

However, if you want to vape, get your own. This is a great way to spread colds, the flu, etc.

[auntiejessi]

Oh and don't repeat this rumor. Don't be that person. You have no idea if it's true, and even if it is, unless you're having sex with him, it's none of your business.

Also, about half the adult population has oral hsv1, and 90% will never get a cold sore. The friends of yours spreading this rumor could have it, and not know it. So could you.

To find out, you can ask your doctor for a type specific IgG blood test.

You might educate your friends, too. This kind of rumor is ugly.

[tvia2020]

auntiejessi, thank you so much. I don’t know why they’re trying to freak me out about it. I wouldn’t even dare kiss the dude, only just took a hit from his vape pen. Just seeing that it doesn’t pose a risk towards me took the pressure off of my chest. So once the virus hits the are, then it’s weakened?

[auntiejessi]

Yes. It takes a pretty specific set of circumstances to get herpes.

There has to be enough virus present. This can happen without an outbreak present, with asymptomatic viral shedding, and we don't know how much virus needs to be present, as it probably differs from person to person. We also don't know how much a person is shedding each time they shed.

There needs to be some friction. This is why it's able to transmit during kissing or sex. Herpes is spread by skin to skin contact, but there has to be some friction to it to get to transmit.

It needs a human host. A vape pen, eating utensil, etc., are not human hosts. Once outside the human host, it dies quickly.

Your friends sound immature. Or like jerks, really, if I'm being honest. My friends wouldn't do that to me.

[tvia2020]

auntiejessi So I shouldn’t be worried about this situation?

[auntiejessi]

I wouldn't be, even if your friend does have oral herpes. I wouldn't worry at all if I were you. :)

I might worry about my friends, though.

[tvia2020]

Also, I only smoked from his pen twice for a short period of time.