Scared and Confused about Autoinoculation

[shreya.desh20@gmail.com]

I have HSV-1 orally. I get them inside my mouth, in my nose, and on my lip. The part that scares me is inside my mouth (I know that it is HSV-1 in my mouth because I have gotten it swabbed almost every time and for the past year it has been happening frequently, about every couple months or so) and I have had HSV-1 since I was a little girl.

So my question is about transfer. If I am talking, and I get some droplets of spit in my eye or my hands (i have very dry hands filled with cuts because of obsessive hand washing which I am trying to get under control), will I give myself ocular herpes or herpetic whitlow?

Just yesterday, I was talking while applying lotion to my hands with open cuts and I realize a droplet of my spit might have gotten in my lotion which I have been applying to my cuts. I let my dad who doesn’t have HSV-1 use that same lotion. Is that lotion and my hands now contaminated and at risk for giving my herpetic whitlow?

I know there is not much of a chance of autoinoculation because of how long I have had HSV-1 but I feel like I don’t have a good immune system because I have been getting the sores in my mouth almost every month. I used to only get cold sores on my lip of in my nose about once or twice every year.

[Terri Warren]

Autoinoculation is still highly unlikely. But may I ask why you are not on suppression with outbreaks this frequently?
I think spit or dry hands are very unlikely sources of infection in you – if I were you, I wouldn’t give it a second thought, honestly.
Terri

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