Viral Shedding

[JJ90]

Hi Terri,

I’m a gay male in my mid 20s who was diagnosed with HSV-2 3 years ago, after engaging in protected anal sex. Since then I’ve had at most 2-3 outbreaks a year in my pubic area, just at the base of the shaft of my penis.

The Dr. I originally saw describe what he thought was a fail safe of 30 days to wait for after an outbreak, and after signs and symptoms became asymptomatic, for any residual viral shedding to cease. My question is: what is the most accepted number of days to wait for after an outbreak, and after the site has become asymptomatic, for it to be relatively “safe” to engage in sexual activity again?

I’ve heard 7 days and 30 days but I wanted to know if there was a general consensus, instead of going with what seems to be the most conservative wait.

Thank You

[Terri Warren]

Unfortunately, there is no “accepted” number of days that one should wait after having an outbreak to have sex. We now know that people can shed virus at various times and many times with no symptoms at all. Some people shed before an outbreak, others after, and of course during. Some shedding occurs no where near an outbreak. So since we know all of that, my guideline is wait until new skin has replaced the outbreak to think about having sex again . And of course to reduce your risk of transmission, you want to use condoms and use daily antiviral therapy.

Terri

[JJ90]

Thanks. I attached a few photos from my most recent outbreak in February. It shows the original site of clustered blisters in the lower Left, but also a new formation of smaller blisters farther up, about 7 of them. These blisters did not weep or sting but were simply there, probably from auto innoculation. Does this mild reaction mean there’s less of a chance for the virus to re-surface at that site again?

Finally, the site of the original outbreaks has a pinkish blemish to them (shown in pic #1) and lasts throughout the year. Is it normal for the skin to change pigment permenantly after the first outbreak?

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by JJ90.

[Terri Warren]

That is not autoinoculation, that is just the virus being active slightly farther down the shaft of the penis, at least that’s how it looks to me. You can have subsequent outbreaks anywhere between waist and midthigh and it is just the virus traveling along a slightly different nerve to get to the surface of the skin.

Terri

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