HSV-1 and sex between women risks

[emmakk]

I am a 49 yo woman who only has sex with women. A single exception to this was a six month period of dating a man, during which time I contracted HSV-1. This was five years ago. I had an initial outbreak of GHSV-1 after two occasions of unprotected vaginal and oral sex. I therefore assume it was contracted via the oral, even though he had no visible cold sores, as genital to genital transmission is so rare. I had a few tiny blisters and some pain, but the outbreak was fairly mild and was gone within a week. I took acyclovir and had a blood test at a clinic that confirmed I had HSV-1. I have had no symptoms in the five years since and forget that I even have it.

My question is as the rate of asymptomatic shedding for GHSV-1 after two years is so low at 4 days per year, and as I don’t have PIV sex, how could I realistically transmit to a female partner? Am I right in thinking that this would only be possible if a sex toy was inserted into me and then immediately inserted into her, as the virus doesn’t live for long once outside the body, while the volume of virus required for transmission is very low via mutual manual stimulation?

The only other risk I can see might be from me receiving oral sex and her contracting HSV-1 orally as a result, but I read on another of your posts that genital HSV-1 is rarely shed from the genital tract. As I only date women who are in their 40s, I imagine by this age the vast majority will already have HSV-1 antibodies anyway.

I’m struggling to assess the risk here as there is such little data for transmission rates etc. for sex between women while the risk seems incredibly low. Thanks for your help.

[Terri Warren]

I think your thoughts about this are correct. Transmission would be very unlikely through a sex toy as the virus is so rarely shed from the genital tract and most women in that age group will already have HSV 1 and virus will be lost between the two of you on the toy. We don’t have good transmission data on the question that you ask, specifically but I overall the risk is really low for your partners.

Terri

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