Yes, hypothetically speaking that is correct. I have heard Dr. Anna Wald, considered the nation’s expert in genital herpes, make this statement on more than on occasion at professional meetings. And I have had female partners of men with HSV 2 genitally tell me that they did this exact thing to avoid getting it genitally since oral HSV 2 is such a very limited problem and if it recurs, looks just like a cold sore. Their purpose was to avoid getting hSV 2 genitally and having to deal with the possibility of infecting a baby at birth. There are no clinical trials that have looked at this issue.
HSV 1 is more easily transmitted to the genitals by giving oral sex than HSV 2, that is correct.
Terri