GSVH1 Transmission and General Q

[Kingbreak]

Hi Terri!

I read your responses and really appreciate how thorough, considerate, and direct you are with your responses. I’ve done countless amount of research online over the years but want your opinion mainly on transmission in my situation:

I am 27 now, and contracted ghsv1 (and oral same time) when I was 18. It was from oral.

I only had one initial outbreak, and NEVER anything since. Not one.

This has been a whirlwind for my anxiety/mental health. At first, I thought it was hsv2, and lived my life that way for two years. Then me and the girl I got it both got blood tests and both of ours were negative for hsv2, positive for 1.

This made sense, but made things more gray in terms of transmission/disclosure.

I’ve had a few girlfriends since, literally no one has had a problem with it after explaining it, but I am still figuring out the most reasonably, peaceful way to live my life with this incredibly common thing. (I usually just tell women I have sex with more than once, or enter a relationship with and we dont wear protection)

From this description, I ask my q’s:
1. Am I reasonably putting anybody at risk if I wear protection during intercourse?

2. After around 10 years of initial contraction, and I saw you say after 2 years it becomes 4 days out of the year shedding, is it possible that the virus is 100% dormant in my system?
(I don’t drink, smoke.. im in the fitness industry very healthy)

3. If not 100%, then do we have the data on shedding genitally after those 2 yrs?

4. I know this is up to the individual, but based on a variety of factors (most ppl have hsv1, been 10 years etc..), would you recommend disclosure on every sexual encounter? Even one night stands? (I always disclose for oral sex, but not genital)

I don’t want to make this more of a deal than it needs to be, and it’s been so long I would like to fully move on and be at peace with whatever I decide to do after hearing your wisdom.

Thanks 🙂

[Terri Warren]

1. Am I reasonably putting anybody at risk if I wear protection during intercourse?
I would say no

2. After around 10 years of initial contraction, and I saw you say after 2 years it becomes 4 days out of the year shedding, is it possible that the virus is 100% dormant in my system?
(I don’t drink, smoke.. im in the fitness industry very healthy)
I don’t think we can ever say that, no

3. If not 100%, then do we have the data on shedding genitally after those 2 yrs?
We don’t, no.

4. I know this is up to the individual, but based on a variety of factors (most ppl have hsv1, been 10 years etc..), would you recommend disclosure on every sexual encounter? Even one night stands? (I always disclose for oral sex, but not genital)
That’s a tough question. I don’t have a perfect answer but I will say this. When someone decides to have a one night stand and no one insists on condom use, then everyone takes some degree of risk. You take the risk of acquiring HSV 2, for example, or gonorrhea or chlamydia or HPV or Hep B or Trich or My coplasma genitalium or HIV. Your partners take a very small risk of getting your hSV 1. Just food for thought.

I don’t want to make this more of a deal than it needs to be, and it’s been so long I would like to fully move on and be at peace with whatever I decide to do after hearing your wisdom.

I think in a relationship that looks like it will be longer, it would be good to disclose, not because it is about transmission because I believe that to be a very low risk, but because of trust and openness
Terri

[Author]

Posts