Transmission of Herpes

[Worried5247]

If someone should have an active cold sore on their lip and touches their runny nose while out on a cold day skiing then uses a pen to write and you use the pen just a minute or less after them, what's the likelihood of getting HSV-1. Does it lives in nasal mucus and saliva? Just to caveat this person with the lesion on their mouth did not wash their hands before using the pen and then the pen was used by another within a minute or two.

[auntiejessi]

There are very few ways to become infected with the herpes virus.

They are:

* genital to genital contact, usually requiring some friction

* oral to genital contact, usually requiring some friction

* oral to oral contact

* wrestling with someone who has herpes (called herpes gladitorium)

You will NOT get it any other way.  People who worry about contracting an std from a doctor's office or equipment tend to have OCD or anxiety disorders.  You need to focus on getting help for that, not about something that isn't going to happen.

Please visit the anxiety forum, and talk to your doctor.  We can help you here when you have real risk.  You don't have that.

Aj

[Worried5247]

Hi Grace,

Given that you have said you work in the health profession from what I recall,
I'm in the GYN's office and she asks me after all my tests come back if she can take a look at everything externally yesterday and I say ok. I don't see her wash her hands which is common practice before they don gloves(this was only my second visit with this GYN and I had changed docs specifically to get her to do the herpes type specific testing). She exclaims she has washed her hands outside the room(I noticed her touch her nose before this)and then puts on the gloves and looks at my vaginal area. IS this ok practice? I'm used to visibly seeing them wash their hands in the room. Anything they can pick up on the door knob etc? I know have what I thought was a pimple and now looks worse a week later. Could I have got anything from her not washing her hands and then putting on gloves?? Or from the probe that used for intravaginal sonogram 3 weeks prior?

[Worried5247]

Hi Grace,

Given that you have said you work in the health profession from what I recall,
I'm in the GYN's office and she asks me after all my tests come back if she can take a look at everything externally yesterday and I say ok. I don't see her wash her hands which is common practice before they don gloves(this was only my second visit with this GYN and I had changed docs specifically to get her to do the herpes type specific testing). She exclaims she has washed her hands outside the room and then puts on the gloves and looks at my vaginal area. IS this ok practice? I'm used to visibly seeing them wash their hands in the room. Anything they can pick up on the door knob etc?

[gracefromHHP]

you are totally obsessing about this NON RISK.  Please - no more questions - you absolutely did did not contract herpes from this.  Don't confuse a run of the mill upper respiratory virus with being herpes.  

grace

[Worried5247]

Hi Grace,

Are you sure about that 100%? I've been taking Mucinex D for the last few days and now just completely lost my voice. I've never had laryngitis in my life. I'm going to the ENT but have read there is a link to laryngitis and HSV-1.......

Also, to add I got back blood work done for HSV-1/HSV-2 and they were both neg. Blood work done on the third week of Dec. I was happy about this. I'm in the GYN's office and she asks my after if she can take a look at everything externally yesterday and I say ok. I don't see her wash her hands which is common practice before they don gloves. She exclaims she has washed outside the room and then puts on the gloves. IS this ok practice? I'm a little worried... should I be about this technique and above about my concern that the girl had an active cold sore and was touching it and her runny nose before using the pen I used.

[gracefromHHP]

you aren't going to get hsv1 from a pen.

grace