transmission question

[waterwater]

Hi Terri, i was just wondering if i could ask you a few questions about genital herpes type 1. i contracted it quite a few years ago from an ex boyfriend. i had a primary outbreak with flu like systems, swollen glands etc. it was awful! since then i never had another outbreak. i have gone on to have 2 children. earlier this year, i took some steroidal asthma treatment, not knowing that this is a common trigger for reoccurrence. i had what i thought was thrush- and during that time shared a bath with my 2 young children, as i had done with them since birth. i later discovered that it was actually a herpes outbreak that i was having. a couple of weeks later my older child developed oral herpes. as you can imagine, this has been extremely upsetting for me. i feel like i gave it to him and i carry a lot of guilt. my doctor has convinced me that it was a coincidence and he more likely got it from his pre-school or other children. i came on the internet and i just can't seem to get a straight answer about sharing a bath during an outbreak. is there any chance at all that i have now given my other child genital herpes from sharing the bath with me? i am so anxious and worried. do children ever get genital herpes? am i being irrational? there was definitely no skin to skin contact in the bath, we were well away from each other but can it spread through the water. please help me. i have ordered your book and am waiting for it to arrive. thank you

[pimpjuice28]

I am right there with you when you said that the internet is adding to your anxiety.  It seems like the internet states that everything in the world is possible when it comes to herpes.  Every red mark and bump is apparently herpes these days.  

[waterwater]

ok. my appointment is on january 11th. just in case i try to post before then. i really do want to fix this and move on.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

see above

[waterwater]

ok Terri. i understand.

one more question i need to have clear before i speak to the psychologist:

do i have a reason to be worried about sharing a bath with my kids when i had an outbreak or is this all just in my head?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

You are correct.  
Now we are going to stop posting here until you've had an opportunity to speak with the psychologist.  Research show the continually seeking reassurance and getting a response prolongs the time to acceptance.
Enjoy your family!

Terri

[waterwater]

thanks for your advice Terri. i will try the tactic of setting aside a specific time to worry. it will be hard but i'll try!

i just wanted to say thank you to you for helping me out with this. i hope that someone else out there is reading this thread as well and getting some help out of it. i know I'm probably annoying you now, with my need for constant reassurance, but i just wanted to check over my understanding to give me some reassurances over this christmas period before i can talk to someone in real life about it all. as i understand:

1) the virus would've been diluted millions of times over in a bath tub full of water so there would not have been enough virus to transmit another person

2) even if there was virus available in the water, it would have needed to be rubbed in or applied with firm pressure (ie. sexual type contact) which would not have happened in this situation

am i correct? are there any other medical or scientific reasons behind this?
sorry to be such a pain seeking reassurances from you here! you have helped me out so much though.

i hope you have a merry xmas and new years. i am looking forward to a new year with less worry!