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Risk of Contacting Herpes? Could I Have Gotten It?
Hello.
I'm reasonably sure I'm blowing all this out of proportion but haven't been able to get this thought out of my head for the past 4 days now and, honestly, am freaking out a little bit about it... I don't feel like doing anything and all my time is spent wondering if I could have gotten it, looking in the mirror for any signs, etc.
In short I'm wondering what my chances are that I could have/get herpes the way outlined below.
On Wednesday night, on my way home from visiting a friend I stopped at a gas station to get a pack of cigarettes (I know, disgusting habit and while I have been trying to quit for some time now I have finally told myself once and for all this is it, no more, never again). When I went in to buy them from the clerk he was busy helping another gentleman out so I patiently waited until it was my turn. Upon getting to the front of the line I asked for my pack, paid and as I was getting my change I noticed the gentleman working behind the counter had what appeared to be a herpes sore that was in the process of healing up (all red, like new skin... Not the actual blister or the crust like you see in pictures). I thought about this as I walked out and thought "I didn't touch him, he didn't touch me, I didn't see any oozing or anything, I'm safe" but to be on the safe side I went and removed on the plastic wrapping on the entire package and threw it out. I got in the car and moved it out of the way, touching the leather steering wheel and gear shift in the process, then remembered that I forgot to use the hand sanitizer that I always have with me. I stopped the car and I used it, putting a generous amount on my hands and rubbing it all in until it was gone and off I went (for years now, due to the nature of my job I've been carrying around hand sanitizer and use it often). Later on as I was driving home I decided I want a cigarette, maybe 5 minutes after all of this, so I grabbed the pack and had one. It wasn't until I was almost home and had already had a few that it occurred to me that I could have transferred the virus to my gear shift, steering wheel or even the outside of the cigarette package which caused me to freak out even more. Immediately I got home and started searching, trying to find answers and that lead me to even more unknowns as everything I'd read in the past had said how herpes did not live long outside of the body, how it was transferred from skin to skin contact, etc but this time I found answers about how the virus could live outside of the body for hours on various surfaces (plastic being one of them if I remember correctly).
Could I have contracted herpes? I've always tried my best in the past when having a cigarette to keep my fingers away from the filter or my face/mouth, instead holding it more on the tobacco part but as anyone who has smoked before knows the closer you get to the filter the better a chance you might touch it/your face/mouth.
As I said earlier, I've been monitoring my situation since that night (this was the night of the 24th, it's now the middle of the day on the 28th of September, almost 4 days later), far too much, but don't believe I've noticed anything. However, I also know from what I've read that from initial exposure to the signs of symptoms can be anywhere from 2 days to almost a month... If there are any symptoms at all.
I'm almost afraid to post this just in case the answer confirms my worst fear and have been toying with posting it for a day now, undecided if I want to or not.
I will say that I wish I was stronger and wish I hadn't gone in there to buy that pack of cigarettes... If I was then I wouldn't be in this situation :'(
I'm reasonably sure I'm blowing all this out of proportion but haven't been able to get this thought out of my head for the past 4 days now and, honestly, am freaking out a little bit about it... I don't feel like doing anything and all my time is spent wondering if I could have gotten it, looking in the mirror for any signs, etc.
In short I'm wondering what my chances are that I could have/get herpes the way outlined below.
On Wednesday night, on my way home from visiting a friend I stopped at a gas station to get a pack of cigarettes (I know, disgusting habit and while I have been trying to quit for some time now I have finally told myself once and for all this is it, no more, never again). When I went in to buy them from the clerk he was busy helping another gentleman out so I patiently waited until it was my turn. Upon getting to the front of the line I asked for my pack, paid and as I was getting my change I noticed the gentleman working behind the counter had what appeared to be a herpes sore that was in the process of healing up (all red, like new skin... Not the actual blister or the crust like you see in pictures). I thought about this as I walked out and thought "I didn't touch him, he didn't touch me, I didn't see any oozing or anything, I'm safe" but to be on the safe side I went and removed on the plastic wrapping on the entire package and threw it out. I got in the car and moved it out of the way, touching the leather steering wheel and gear shift in the process, then remembered that I forgot to use the hand sanitizer that I always have with me. I stopped the car and I used it, putting a generous amount on my hands and rubbing it all in until it was gone and off I went (for years now, due to the nature of my job I've been carrying around hand sanitizer and use it often). Later on as I was driving home I decided I want a cigarette, maybe 5 minutes after all of this, so I grabbed the pack and had one. It wasn't until I was almost home and had already had a few that it occurred to me that I could have transferred the virus to my gear shift, steering wheel or even the outside of the cigarette package which caused me to freak out even more. Immediately I got home and started searching, trying to find answers and that lead me to even more unknowns as everything I'd read in the past had said how herpes did not live long outside of the body, how it was transferred from skin to skin contact, etc but this time I found answers about how the virus could live outside of the body for hours on various surfaces (plastic being one of them if I remember correctly).
Could I have contracted herpes? I've always tried my best in the past when having a cigarette to keep my fingers away from the filter or my face/mouth, instead holding it more on the tobacco part but as anyone who has smoked before knows the closer you get to the filter the better a chance you might touch it/your face/mouth.
As I said earlier, I've been monitoring my situation since that night (this was the night of the 24th, it's now the middle of the day on the 28th of September, almost 4 days later), far too much, but don't believe I've noticed anything. However, I also know from what I've read that from initial exposure to the signs of symptoms can be anywhere from 2 days to almost a month... If there are any symptoms at all.
I'm almost afraid to post this just in case the answer confirms my worst fear and have been toying with posting it for a day now, undecided if I want to or not.
I will say that I wish I was stronger and wish I hadn't gone in there to buy that pack of cigarettes... If I was then I wouldn't be in this situation :'(
I know I'm overly paranoid about it Life360 and I'm sorry. I knew it was a relatively long shot that it could have been transmitted but thought there was a possibility and it completely freaked me out and got me worried. Thank you for weighing in and letting me know, I do appreciate it.
Herpes is not some out of control spreading disease thats lingering everywhere. It needs direct contact to be at risk. Those that do get it from sharing dribbling toys and such are young children whose immune systems are not yet strong but for adults its not any issue.
Thank you Life360.
I guess my concern is "what if he touched his mouth/lip/the sore before I walked in, before or while he was helping the other customer and I didn't notice" then he touched the package, which I then touched before throwing out the plastic wrapping, then touched after that (and the leather steering wheel/gear shift) but before I put hand sanitizer on my hands. I know from what I read it's more likely to enter through cuts and the mucous membrane's which is where the concern is I guess since our mouths are one big mucous membrane.
Sorry, not second guessing your opinion, just talking it out I guess.
I guess my concern is "what if he touched his mouth/lip/the sore before I walked in, before or while he was helping the other customer and I didn't notice" then he touched the package, which I then touched before throwing out the plastic wrapping, then touched after that (and the leather steering wheel/gear shift) but before I put hand sanitizer on my hands. I know from what I read it's more likely to enter through cuts and the mucous membrane's which is where the concern is I guess since our mouths are one big mucous membrane.
Sorry, not second guessing your opinion, just talking it out I guess.
Hi, herpes is not contracted this way but needs direct skin rubbing contact even to be at risk. No issue at all.
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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.
