Risk of transmission

[Winter]

I had condom protected sex with an HSV 2 positive person for about five to ten minutes. He told me the next day he found two sores on the shaft of his penis right by the head. He has only had outbreaks in this area and has been infected for 2-3 years. He was not on herpes medication at the time. His naked penis did have brief contact with my bum cheek and thighs as we snuggled naked but other than that he had boxers on. He may have touched his penis and then put his fingers inside me. I am having severe anxiety about having contracted the virus and i am unsure how to proceed sexually. This was eighteen days ago. The internet has tortured me and i have pretty much manifested every atypical symptom out there.
Would a person have prodrome without producing sores?
Can herpes bumps dissappear in one day?
What is the likelihood here that i caught the virus?
Thank you

[Terri Warren]

Herpes bumps would not disappear in a day particularly with new infection.
If the lesions were near the head of the penis they were definitely covered with a condom and I think the chances that you acquired this are really low. The snuggling and penis contact with your bottom is not really a risk as the buttocks skin is too thick for easy penetration of the virus. I’m not worried about the fingers either. If you have not had lesions within 18 days, I think the chances that you acquired herpes is very low indeed.

Have you had any baseline herpes antibody testing done?

Terri

[Winter]

I live in canada and general herpes testing is discouraged although i think i may just pay for it myself to see where i stand. Thank you for your insight. If one of the legions happened to come in contact with my vagina for a brief moment is that enough to pass on the virus? There was no rubbing of his naked penis on my vagina but i can’t be sure of zero contact altogether. Also would he only be shedding from the sight of his outbreak? Am i alright to move forward at this point by having protected sex or am i putting others at risk?
Thank again

[Terri Warren]

I think it would take more than a glancing blow from his penis to your vagina to transmit herpes.
I would never give anyone complete reassurance against putting others at risk. he would have been shedding at the site of the outbreak but I can’t say for certain that he wasn’t shedding anywhere else. Without testing, it is so much harder to say what is or what is not going on.

Terri

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by Terri Warren.

[Winter]

So what should i do now in your opinion?
I want to feel hopeful. I want to be responsible.

[Terri Warren]

My opinion is that if you weren’t infected with HSV 2 prior to this, this encounter is extremely unlikely to have produced an infection. I think you should definitely feel responsible and careful and thoughtful. I just don’t see this particular experience as risky. Now whether you had herpes going into this experience, I cannot say.

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Terri

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