Oral HSV-2 Unlikely Transmission?

[ElliParticipant]

I’m in a really weird situation & need your opinion. I’m negative for both HSV-1 & HSV-2. Six weeks ago I had oral sex with my asymptomatic HSV-2 positive boyfriend. About two weeks later I noticed a small bump on the vermillion border on my bottom lip. It was never pruritic, painful, or itchy & went away within a few days. I didn’t give it a second thought.

During the time the bump appeared, I was visiting my sister and 8-year old niece. We’re very open & affectionate, & my niece & I will kiss/peck on the lips when saying good night. We also shared drinks and food.

I just saw her again this past weekend, & she has a sore in the corner of her mouth that my sister said has been there for the past four weeks, meaning it appeared about a week after my visit. I was told that it was never painful or produced puss but also that she has never had anything like it before.

Against my better judgment, I’m freaking out. The sores never looked or felt like classic herpes lesions, but what are the chances of bumps/sores appearing in the timeframe that perfectly fits what would be expected between exposure & an outbreak? I can’t ask my sister to have my niece tested for herpes. Should I write this off as coincidental, or is it logical for me to be worried? I have two pictures I can post but don’t see how to upload them to the thread.

[Terri WarrenKeymaster]

Can you describe the bump you experienced on your lip and bit more completely? People have posted pictures here but honestly I’m not sure how to do that. I would encourage you to try harder.

Having asked that, I think transmission in your situation is really unlikely. You being a double negative person (no HSV 1 and 2) might have a bit more dramatic presentation if this is a first infection. Not everyone who gets new herpes has that, however, there is a lot of variation between people on that one. But then we also have your niece who has had something in the corner of her mouth for a month? Most people with new herpes do not have it for a month at a time. But there is condition called angular chelitis that we sometimes see in children and adults that is not caused by herpes, I’m wondering if it could be something like that? Or chapped lips from the cold weather?

Antibody tests for children are NOT accurate so even if you could ask, it wouldn’t be good to ask.

Overall, this doesn’t sound like herpes to me but I understand that you are worried. So do you know that you have neither HSV 1 nor HSV 2 because you have been antibody tested? If yes, then what I would suggest is that you get retested now. What are you – six weeks out now? If you are negative for both still, there is a 70% chance that you will stay that way at this point. Does your boyfriend take suppression? If yes, the likelihood of transmission in this way is additionally lower.

Terri

[ElliParticipant]

Angular cheilitis is a sound explanation for the sore in the corner of my niece’s lips. I searched images & breathed a sigh of relief because hers looks quite the same (only milder) as what I saw.

I’m sorry, I’m not very tech savvy & can’t figure out how to post the pictures. Their quality isn’t all that great anyway. The bump was maybe 2 mm in diameter and pinkish/red about the same color as my lip itself. When I touched it I could tell that it was there because it was ever-so-slightly raised, but there was no pain or any unusual sensation. It went away within a couple days without ever becoming more noticeable.

My boyfriend doesn’t take antivirals. I was antibody tested (low negatives for both) a couple weeks ago & am going in again tomorrow. Honestly I’ve never been worried about contracting HSV-2 orally because I thought it’s nearly impossible to get. Is genital-to-oral HSV-2 infection just as easy as genital-to-genital infection?

[Terri WarrenKeymaster]

The bump, from your description, does not sound herpetic at all. You can get HSV 2 orally from giving oral sex, but probably no where near as easy as genital to genital transmission.

You have one more question coming if you think of anything else!

Terri

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