Avoiding transmission

[anon]

I’m a female who was with the same male partner for over 10 years. We both got the occasional cold sore. I got them a bit more frequently, maybe two or three a year. I typically get a tingling sensation the day / evening before the cold sore appears on my lip. From the time of the tingling feeling until the sore was healed, we refrained from kissing and oral sex. We did, however, sometimes have sexual intercourse during this time period. Neither of us ever had any indication of a sore anywhere other than on our lips.

That relationship ended and I am now seeing someone new. I didn’t have sexual contact with anyone between the previous relationship I described above and this new one. I have been with this new man for about four months and we are exclusive. So far, we have had intercourse with condoms. We both recently got STD tests with the hope of not needing to use condoms in the future. All of our tests came back negative — except for my herpes tests. These are my results:

HSV-1 IGG ANTIBODY <=0.89 Index 34.90
HSV-2 IGG ANTIBODY <=0.89 Index 1.90

I wasn’t at all surprised by the positive result for HSV 1. I was surprised by the HSV 2 results.

I’ve read many forum questions and answers on this site as well as the handbook. So I now have a better understanding of many things. But I wanted to see if you could confirm / clarify a few things.

–From what I’ve read on this site, my understanding is that there is a possibility, given the relatively low antibody number, that my HSV 2 result is a false positive. Is that correct? And that a second test to confirm this would be the Western Blot test? Would a second blood test — essentially a repeat test to check the HSV 2 IGG ANTIBODY again — be of any use?

–If I am positive for HSV 2, does that mean I have two different cases of herpes — one genital (that I wasn’t aware of) and the one on my lip (that is obvious when I have a cold sore)? Could I really have had HSV 2 all this time without ever noticing? Is it possible that the outbreaks I get on my lip are from a mixed source, in a sense, in that they’d be caused by something that is a blend of HSV 1 and 2? Or could the cold scores I get be from HSV 2?

–I never kissed my former boyfriend when I felt a cold sore coming on (or when I had a cold sore). At the same time, I wasn’t overly stressed out because I knew that he already had HSV 1. My new boyfriend has never had a cold sore in his life. And I’d hate to give him this virus. I’m pretty good at noticing the signs of an impending cold sore and would certainly refrain from kissing or performing oral sex on my boyfriend if felt a cold sore coming on. But I’ve read that people can spread HSV 1 even when they don’t have an active cold sore. If it’s possible to spread the virus without knowing it, is there any way to prevent the spread of HSV 1 to my boyfriend or is it likely that he’ll eventually get cold sores from me?

–If I have a cold sore, HSV 1, is it ok to have intercourse without a condom? Or could I be passing the virus even if I don’t touch my boyfriend with my mouth or saliva? Is the virus present in all of my body fluids in a way that would allow him to get HSV 1 on his penis if I have intercourse with him while I have a cold sore?

Thank you for what you do here.

[Terri Warren]

I think there is an excellent possibility that your HSV 2 result is a false positive. You do need a western blot for confirmation. If you’ve been reading, then you probably know how to get one. If you are positive for HSV 2 by western blot, then yes, it is likely that have both oral and genital herpes.

If your boyfriend does not have HSV 1, then it is possible that you could infect him yes, either through kissing or by giving him oral sex. But intercourse does not pose a risk if you are negative for HSV 2 by western blot. You would not transmit HSV 1 to your current partner if you don’t kiss him or give him oral sex. The virus is only present in your oral area if you only have HSV 1 orally.

I think you may wish to consider taking daily antiviral therapy to reduce the risk of infecting your current partner who is HSV 1 negative. Remember that more than half of the people in the US between the ages of 14-49 have HSV 1 so you are certainly not alone.

Terri

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