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Questions About Autoinoculation
I'm an 18-year-old female. I have never had any kind of contact - direct or indirect - with anyone else's genitals, and no part of anyone else's body has ever had any kind of contact with my genitals. Not including kisses from my parents and other adults as a child, I have kissed only one person one time. I have masturbated before, sometimes after putting my fingers in my mouth. Let's assume that I have oral herpes, since so many people do. I do not recall ever having an outbreak. There have been a few times when I've gotten two or three sores in my mouth, though I always assumed that they were canker sores as they looked and felt like the canker sores that I've gotten all my life. I have had what I've assumed were pimples around my lips, but never anything on the actual lip or that looked like a classic cold sore. So my questions are:
1. Is it possible for me to have genital herpes? I believe I've read that it is possible to transmit your own oral herpes to your own genitals, though I am very confused as to how that can happen as I've also read on these forums that, 1) herpes is spread through direct skin to skin contact, which one cannot have between their own mouth and their own genitals, and 2) STDs cannot be spread through hand-to-genital contact. So is it possible to give yourself genital herpes without having an established herpes lesion or infection of the fingers?
2. If I have given myself genital herpes, can I spread it to my fingers through minor contact, assuming I wash my hands afterwards? I've read on the doctor's forum that fingering does not appear to be a risk of transmitting herpes to the fingers, though I've also read in other places that the fingers are one of the most common sites of autoinnoculation in people with genital herpes. A week ago, I masturbated using a vibrator. Naturally, my hands made some contact with the pubic area. I washed my hands afterwards, but initial contact may have occurred ten to fifteen minutes beforehand. I was not aware of any cuts on my hands, though I know that it is very common to have small cuts on the fingers that go unnoticed. Also, on some of my fingers the cuticle does not go all the way across the bottom of my nail. Nothing is or ever was bleeding, just toward the ends the skin is not connected to the nail by that little clear layer.
So is there a realistic risk of me spreading herpes to my fingers through this event? I want to say that it seems unlikely to me, especially considering the huge number of times that I have had lots of contact between my fingers and my mouth and been fine, though I may just be thinking that because I don't want to believe that I may have contracted herpes on my fingers. I'm feeling a lot of anxiety over this. If this did happen, is it true that I can expect to see symptoms within the next two weeks (as the event of concern occurred exactly a week ago)?
Thanks!
1. Is it possible for me to have genital herpes? I believe I've read that it is possible to transmit your own oral herpes to your own genitals, though I am very confused as to how that can happen as I've also read on these forums that, 1) herpes is spread through direct skin to skin contact, which one cannot have between their own mouth and their own genitals, and 2) STDs cannot be spread through hand-to-genital contact. So is it possible to give yourself genital herpes without having an established herpes lesion or infection of the fingers?
2. If I have given myself genital herpes, can I spread it to my fingers through minor contact, assuming I wash my hands afterwards? I've read on the doctor's forum that fingering does not appear to be a risk of transmitting herpes to the fingers, though I've also read in other places that the fingers are one of the most common sites of autoinnoculation in people with genital herpes. A week ago, I masturbated using a vibrator. Naturally, my hands made some contact with the pubic area. I washed my hands afterwards, but initial contact may have occurred ten to fifteen minutes beforehand. I was not aware of any cuts on my hands, though I know that it is very common to have small cuts on the fingers that go unnoticed. Also, on some of my fingers the cuticle does not go all the way across the bottom of my nail. Nothing is or ever was bleeding, just toward the ends the skin is not connected to the nail by that little clear layer.
So is there a realistic risk of me spreading herpes to my fingers through this event? I want to say that it seems unlikely to me, especially considering the huge number of times that I have had lots of contact between my fingers and my mouth and been fine, though I may just be thinking that because I don't want to believe that I may have contracted herpes on my fingers. I'm feeling a lot of anxiety over this. If this did happen, is it true that I can expect to see symptoms within the next two weeks (as the event of concern occurred exactly a week ago)?
Thanks!
agree- not realistic. type 1 likes the mouth. type 2 likes the genitals. it is possible to get type 1 on the genitals, but doesn't occur as often. i believe that herpes on your finger is herpes whitlow which is a different strain of the virus. it is unreasonable to be worried about this.
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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.
