Hsv1 Transmission

[Clarifyplease]

14 years ago I was diagnosed by visual inspection with herpes after having some sensitivity on my anus and blisters on my buttocks. No tests ran. I have had maybe 5 few bouts of tenderness in the area since. Never a blister or sensitivity on my vagina. A few years after being diagnosed I began having cold sores. For years I would take a valtrex if I feel any tenderness in either area and typically wouldn’t have an outbreak. My tenderness 99% of the time is my lip not my genatils. I recently went in and had an IgG test to find that I am positive for HSV1 (greater than 5) and negative for HSV2. I would assume by this result and what I have read that I have both oral and genital HSV1. Now that I have done all this research I began taking a daily valtrex.

The only relationship I had was the one I was in when diagnosed and has come to an end. With that being said this is my first time actually dealing with and learning about the virus and transmission since he too was visually diagnosed. I’m considering my first relationship, preparing to share with him the fact that I have herpes and I have several questions. I’m happy to purchase more questions if needed.
1) Does my test score indicate anything, like after 14 years the virus isn’t as strong, being that it is positive but lower?

Assuming he is negative
2) What is the likelihood of transmitting HSV1 genital to genital and genital to oral? I see in previous posts there isn’t alot of data, but what’s the likelyhood based on your knowledge. When asked this question how do I respond?
3) The guy I began seeing works with his hands and often has small cuts, torn cuticles etc. What is the likelihood of transmitting HSV1 to his hands assuming i don’t have an outbreak.
4) When you refer to a 1% transmission chance does this mean that 1 in 100 chance because I found a site that states it means a 1/40,000 chance. Is the site accurate stating 1 in 40,000? The latter doesn’t sound very high risk. http://www.dynamiclear.com/blog/herpes-transmission.htm
5) if it’s been years since I’ve had a cold sore are the risks lowered transmitting when kissing?
6) I am so attuned to my body I can tell if I have any sensitivity. My question is does shedding happen even without an outbreak coming on?
7) when shedding is referenced orally it states 5-19% of days. Does this mean 5 out of 100 days? Does this lessen the longer you have had the virus?

Assuming he is positive (I will be asking him to test)
8) can we give hsv1 to each other in a different place? In other words if he has it orally and I give him oral sex can I transmit this to his genitals?
9) being that 2 out of 10 hsv1’s are missed with the IgG test would it help to get a second test if it came back negative or is this specific to people and not the test?

Thank you for your time and patience.

[Terri Warren]

1) Does my test score indicate anything, like after 14 years the virus isn’t as strong, being that it is positive but lower?
It does not mean anything other than you are positive.

Assuming he is negative
2) What is the likelihood of transmitting HSV1 genital to genital and genital to oral? I see in previous posts there isn’t alot of data, but what’s the likelyhood based on your knowledge. When asked this question how do I respond?
Well, first of all, we don’t know for certain that you have HSV 1 genitally. You might but a visual diagnosis is an error about 20% of the time. We don’t have statistics about transmission rates with HSV 1 unfortunately. I have very rarely seen HSV 1 genital to genital transmission but certainly have seen HSV 1 mouth to genital transmission.
3) The guy I began seeing works with his hands and often has small cuts, torn cuticles etc. What is the likelihood of transmitting HSV1 to his hands assuming i don’t have an outbreak.
Again, I don’t have a percentage there. But it is possible to get herpetic whitlow in this way but would be unlikely from the genital area to his hands.

4) When you refer to a 1% transmission chance does this mean that 1 in 100 chance because I found a site that states it means a 1/40,000 chance. Is the site accurate stating 1 in 40,000? The latter doesn’t sound very high risk. http://www.dynamiclear.com/blog/herpes-transmission.htm
If I say, for example, there is a 5% chance transmission would occur, that means, based on previous research, if a discordant couple is having sex about twice per week and there were 100 couples in this exact same situation, about 5 our of 100 would end up infecting their partner.

5) if it’s been years since I’ve had a cold sore are the risks lowered transmitting when kissing?
Are you certain they were cold sores not canker sores? Yes, with time, people shed virus less thus transmission is less likely over time.

6) I am so attuned to my body I can tell if I have any sensitivity. My question is does shedding happen even without an outbreak coming on?
Yes

7) when shedding is referenced orally it states 5-19% of days. Does this mean 5 out of 100 days? Does this lessen the longer you have had the virus?
Yes and yes

Assuming he is positive (I will be asking him to test)
8) can we give hsv1 to each other in a different place?

No
In other words if he has it orally and I give him oral sex can I transmit this to his genitals?
NO

9) being that 2 out of 10 hsv1’s are missed with the IgG test would it help to get a second test if it came back negative or is this specific to people and not the test?

If he is negative for HSV 1 and wants the absolutely best test for HSV 1 it would be the western blot.

Please ask other questions that you have.

Terri

[Clarifyplease]

I’ve had blisters on my lower lip (same place every time) so I assumed they were cold sores.

When I was originally diagnosed it was following anal sex and they originally thought it was fishers and after a few days I went back as symptoms were not getting better and the doctor barely glanced at the blisters on my buttocks and diagnosed me. Since I have had sensitivity on my anus a few times yet again I take a pill and nothing comes of it. I beleive I have had a few minor blisters in the same spot but again it’s difficult to tell. I know I did when I was pregnant but it could have been a hemmoroid. How would I know for sure if I had it genitally? I assume i should disclose this part yet is it safe to say that it is very rare for transmission genital to genital – how rare?

are you aware of transmission likelihood genital to oral for Hsv1?

Since it takes friction can you transmit with a soft kiss assuming no break out?

Thank you so much.

[Terri Warren]

I’m sorry but we don’t have studies about HSV 1 genital to genital or genital to oral transmission. I get asked this so often, it seems like a good study to do. The problem would be that I think this events are uncommon so you would have to follow people a really long time to get good results and that takes lots of money.

I would say that if you get these symptoms around the anus ever again, you need to not take medicine and go right in for a PCR swab test to see if this is HSV 1. A visual diagnosis only for herpes is wrong at least 1 out of 5 times. You need to know for sure and swabs should have been collected to avoid the exact situation in which you find yourself.

I think the circumstances suggest that if you do have HSV 1 anally (and thus genitally), you may have acquired HSV 1 orally and genitally.

A soft kiss would not transmit herpes to a partner or a child

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Terri

[Clarifyplease]

Should I have HSV1 on my anus would it be able to transmit vaginally and if so is it as likely being that I have never had a break out in this area? Thank you

[Terri Warren]

Yes, even when outbreaks are only anal, you can also shed virus from the genital tract as well. The virus infects the entire sacral ganglia, which is why outbreaks can occur anywhere in the boxer shorts area. anal herpes IS genital herpes.

Terri

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