Hello everyone,
I had my first outbreak a while ago, it started with a tingling feeling on my vulva and painful urination for 2 days straight I was drinking a lot of water to ease the pain while urinating, I then started to notice two open cuts on the inside walls of the labia and a small bump on the left labia majora with a light white discharge that stayed for almost 10 days. I couldn’t properly sit with crossed legs for a whole week as it was painful and then everything disappeared within 10 days. I was on vacation so I couldn’t get anything swabbed or checked (yes it was not a pleasant vacation). So I had to wait a while in order to test for all of the possible STDs/STIs. I was positive for the HSV1 with an IgG of 2.3 and an IgM of 1.2 and negative for HSV2, I have a lot of questions and would really like it if anyone can help me:
1-Can the virus spread to another areas like the mouth for example for future outbreaks?
2-Does this mean that unprotected cunnilingus is no longer possible for me as I might infect other partners even if I have no outbreaks?
3-Is it true that HSV1 has less recurrences than HSV2 and that it is less likely for women to pass it on to men?
4-With the right medication the virus cannot be transmitted anymore? For the people who are on medication and with new partners you did not transmit the virus to the new partner?
Thank you in advance for the replies, and for the people who are worried that they might be infected or are already infected and want to speak to someone I am there for you I know exactly how you feel, you can always message me in private.
Hi, I’m sorry for the news but it’s really common and you are not alone.
1-It depends of the point of contamination. You might never experience outbreaks around the mouth. Time will tell.
2-Oral sex will never be without risk for your partners. You should be transparent and honest so they can decide if they want to use protection or not.
3-HSV1 future outbreaks are less frequent than HSV2. Women have more skin surface than men so they are more likely to get infected than a fully covered penis with a condom.
4-There is no cure for HSV and you’ll always be contagious. However you will not be contagious at all time. Medication will help keep the virus inactive and prevent outbreaks. With a healthy lifestyle and strong metabolism, you might never get an outbreak again but there will always be a risk of contagion.
You’ll be fine. Good luck.
Thank you for the quick reply! and I do have one more question am I contagious through my saliva as well? I can’t kiss someone or perform unprotected oral sex?
I’m not sure about body fluid… I’ve heard you can catch it when sharing a spoon or a glass but the chances are minimal.
I’ve never asked someone if they had HSV1 before kissing them. And there’s a strong possibility I have kissed many people infected that showed no blister at the time. There’s some kind of hypocrisy thinking it’s okay to have and common cold sore on the mouth but not okay to have genital sores when it’s the same disease. At the end it’s your decision to disclose you have the disease or not but it always better to be honest. And it’s their decision to take the risk or not. Many people will be fine with it.
You will have a normal life with an understanding partner. You’re asking good questions and I’m sure you will never put anyone at risk 