Both me & my partner have HSV1 so confused

[BK]

Hi Terri

I am a 38Y old female that was diagnosed with GHSV1 in Sept 2021. The initial outbreak was confirmed with a swab & was the only outbreak I ever had, it was very mild.Two tiny little sores I thought it was from shaving. I have been dating a guy who has OHSV1 since he was 12 he is now 37. He gets outbreaks here & there on his lips & is very quick to recognize his symptoms. We have been intimate without a condom from day 1 after I had disclosed my diagnosis without any problems at all, at times we will use fingers and salvia during foreplay. Only recently he performed Oral sex for the first time on me, he never did before because he said he gets CS very easily like to the point if his sister has one & they are around each other he will get one. So he gave me oral 2 nights ago, neither one of us felt anything prior to this happening & boom he wakes up in the AM with tingly lips & sure enough within hours he developed an OB. I don’t know if I was the cause.I saw a Gyno recently to ask questions about my diagnosis because I can’t believe I haven’t had another OB. From time to time I do get itchy, tingly, and I get shooting pains in my butt and thighs that goes away within 48hrs but I have never ever seen a sore.my gyro says its not related but I can’t help but read forums with people saying the same thing. Can this be symptoms of a possible OB or prodrome symptoms? I only take Lysine daily. I want to know the best way to manage this in the future? just in case we are passing it on to each other. Can he be that sensitive? this happened 2 days ago & currently I am experiencing major itchiness & discharge & the area looks red but no visible sores. Can having GHSV make you more susceptible to a yeast infection? Are we at any risk for developing it else where? could this have been from oral? any other advice will be greatly appreciated. if we took ! valtrex the day of could that help with transmition or would it need to be taken daily ? thank you so much Terri

[Terri Warren]

First, I am so sorry to have missed your post.
It doesn’t work biologically that you will pass this back and forth. Each of your own immune systems will handle this virus in its own way. HSV does not make you more susceptible to yeast infection, except perhaps with a primary infection. You are not at any real risk of developing an outbreak elsewhere unless you were infected elsewhere without showing any symptoms and then, one day, show up there with lesions.

With genital HSV 1, you may never have another outbreak – many people don’t

Please feel free to keep asking questions.

Terri

[BK]

Hi Terri,
I am recently single & my last partner had HSV1 as well so this convo was pretty self explanatory. I need some more Information on future transmission if my new partner doesn’t have It.I have GHSV1 (female) since September 2021 diagnosed via swab. Not sure when I actually acquired it but I believe it was from a partner at that time because I have never ever had a single symptom and he had OHSV and preformed oral sex one & 4 days later I started getting symptoms.Since my initial diagnosis and OB in Sept 2021, I have only had 1 OB about 6 months ago that was 1 tiny dot and to be honest it was so difficult to see I don’t even know if it was an actual OB. I had a ton of other symptoms ie flu like symptoms, swollen glands, burning down there which made me believe it was an OB. My prodrome symptoms seem to worsen during or right after my period. I get this burning sensation in my groin, super itchy & a tingle right in the same spot as my initial OB. When I get these symptoms I am literally checking myself evert single day. All I have ever seen was a tiny tear ( not sexually active when I am seeing these tears so I have no idea how I am getting them. I asked about this on a reddit group & a lot of women commented this was the way their OB presented. Have you seen this? is this common? can it in fact be the way my OB is presenting even tho my first one was a little circle not a linear tear.
Here are some questions I have if my new partner doesn’t have HSV1 and I am not having any symptoms or visible OB.
1. If he gives me oral sex what are the chances he acquires it orally?
2. If he fingers me & put his fingers in his mouth or on his penis can he get it?
3. Dry humping without undergarments?
4. How risky is unprotected sex at this point for the amount of time I have had it? And in the future for female to male?
5. Should I be taking any Anti-virals before my period to lessen these prodrome symptoms

[BK]

6. Is there one anti-viral that is better than the other? I heard some have a higher percentage of lessening the viral load. If so which one?
7. Do my prodrome symptoms sound like prodrome ? I am trying to understand and recognize my body and how OB show up.
8. I heard GHSV1 is the most mildest and rarely has OB and has the lowest transmission, is this true?
9. How long do prodrome symptoms last?
10. Does prodrome symptoms mean you are shedding?

Thank you so much Terri, your forum has been the best thing to help me through this new world of HSV.

[Terri Warren]

1. If he gives me oral sex what are the chances he acquires it orally?
I’m sorry, but we don’t have that information, but I would say likely low. You should find out if he already has HSV 1 and if he does, then there is no risk.

2. If he fingers me & put his fingers in his mouth or on his penis can he get it?
extremely unlikely

3. Dry humping without undergarments?
extremely unlikely

4. How risky is unprotected sex at this point for the amount of time I have had it? And in the future for female to male?
not very risky at all – you are two years out, almost, from infection – at least.

5. Should I be taking any Anti-virals before my period to lessen these prodrome symptoms
We don’t know that these are prodromal symptoms. You should consider getting a swab test done when yo have these symptoms so you can know if the virus is active or not. I would be surprised if it was.You could take daily antivirals for a while and see if it eliminates the symptoms.

6. Is there one anti-viral that is better than the other? I heard some have a higher percentage of lessening the viral load. If so which one?
Not really -but valacyclovir 500 mg once a day is easy to dose and is very effective indeed.

7. Do my prodrome symptoms sound like prodrome ? I am trying to understand and recognize my body and how OB show up.
not necessarily only because HSV 1 genitally after two years normally doesn’t behave in this way

8. I heard GHSV1 is the most mildest and rarely has OB and has the lowest transmission, is this true?
Yes

9. How long do prodrome symptoms last?
Usually a couple of days.

10. Does prodrome symptoms mean you are shedding?
Sometimes yes, again, a swab would tell you that.

Terri

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