Should I assume I have genital herpes (HSV 1)?

[QuestionAsker]

Hi Terri,

I took a series of full panel STD tests after 2 sexual encounters.

The 1st one was 2/3 weeks after the 2 episodes, the 2nd one was 4/5 weeks after, and the 3rd one was 3 1/2 months after.

All 3 tests showed positive value for herpes 1 (IGG blood test).

The reason I went and got tested was because about 2 weeks after sex I had about 3 sores close to my genital area (but none on my penis or testicles). I didn’t get swab-tested because I didn’t have insurance at the time so I used stdcheck.com instead.

I wore protection for both times I had sex, even during oral sex, but the first time I did it there was a malfunction that might have or might not have put me in contact with vaginal fluids [when I pulled my penis out, the condom was stuck inside] and the partner was also lightly biting the tip my penis during oral sex.

The sores that were close to my genitals might actually have been from any of the events that happened concurrently that month (seen no preceding vesicles and they weren’t painful to touch):
-I started wearing tight leggings under my jeans because of winter
-My cat had a bacterial sore (which was swabbed and confirmed) on its face and it slept between my legs with its face pressed against the area I got sores
-I have psoriasis

And also, I think it’s highly likely that I had asymptomatic (oral) HSV-1 from childhood because my mom had a herpes cold sore when I was about an adolescent (and statistically it’s 1/2 a chance anyway).

If I had asymptomatic oral HSV1 from childhood, the chance that I got symptomatic genital HSV1 from those sexual encounters would be low, right?

My HSV1 IGG after 3 1/2 months of sexual contact is 47.30

After 4-5 weeks it was 39.6.

After 2-3 weeks it was 42.20.

The reason I feel that this is relevant is because I had a high IGG score for HSV1 only 2-3 weeks after sex.

Doesn’t that suggest that I had oral HSV1 before my last sexual encounter (which would protect me from genital hsv1)?

[QuestionAsker]

My follow-up question is this:

How should I approach disclosure with this uncertainty?

I don’t ever want to infect someone’s genitals with herpes but, at the same time, if it’s uncertain that I have genital HSV1 (and genital HSV1 itself rarely transmits genital-to-genital), should I even disclose if I don’t want to scare off a person I would like to someday marry?

[Terri Warren]

I think it is virtually certain that you were infected well before the sexual encounter that you describe. And we can’t know if it is oral or genital.
Disclosure is a tough one. Oral infection is more likely than genital infection with HSV 1, so my guideline is to disclose your HSV 1 status prior to giving someone oral sex. Others have different recommendations. But that’s mine. genital to genital transmission of HSV 1 is uncommon for sure. But oral to genital transmission is quite common.

Terri

[QuestionAsker]

Hi Terri,

Do I have to disclose if I don’t intend on giving oral sex?

If I didn’t get HSV1 from those recent sexual encounters, then I’m certain that it’s not on my genitals.

[Terri Warren]

you don’t have to disclose, but you should know that you can transmit HSV 1 by kissing as well as by giving oral sex. That’s really your call.

Terri

[QuestionAsker]

Thanks Terri.

I won’t disclose because it seems that the risk only comes from oral sex, which I won’t give.

Nobody would be distraught from getting cold sores on their face (and risks for that are still low because most people already have oral HSV1), but many people would go into shock if they get it on their genitals and it seems that I don’t have to worry about that.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by QuestionAsker.

[Terri Warren]

The risk is also possible from kissing. About 47% of the population between the ages of 14 and 49 have HSV one infection.
Terri

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