1. Autoinoculation is a concern only with primary infection. Once a person has mounted a hardy immune response (about four months after infection), this is no longer a concern. So for you, this is not a concern
2. If you’ve never had an outbreak in other places (especially during the time immediately after first infection), then you likely do not need to worry about this. The situation where someone has HSV 2 in one location and in subsequent years it shows up in another nerve group has not been seen in my clinic in 32 years of practice. I am not at all concerned about your spreading this to your child either with or without symptoms. This is GENITAL herpes and is a sexually transmitted infection, not one spread through normal social contact. I think for now you should assume you do not have it in other places on your body – there is just no evidence for that to impact you life ongoing.
3. I have absolutely no concerns about your child taking a bath in your bathtub. You will not infect him through shower water. Using a separate towel isn’t a bad idea just to be ultra cautious as the virus likes moisture and heat, but there are no documented cases of herpes transmission through a towel that I know about.
4. He should NOT have been tested at birth. Right after birth, he would have your antibody. The tests give many false positives in children and not recommended for use in children. If he has had no symptoms, he is not infected
5. Just wash your hands ONCE after using the restroom. That’s all that you need to do. The other thing you need to do is put this worry about infecting your child behind you. Just behave normally. Remember that this is an STI, and not an infection transmitted to household members.
Terri