I am a 63 year old woman whose blood test came back positive for genital herpes. I have been married for 43 years. My husband states he has never been unfaithful. We have not had any sexual contact or intercourse for the last 7 years, as he is in kidney failure and a diabetic.
Ok so how can this be? And how did I get it? How long can the virus be dormate? I know he slept with 2 females prior to us getting married.
Studies have shown that a surprisingly large number of mouth area "cold sores' and "fever blisters" are actually caused by what is technically the genital strain of herpes (and vice-versa, by the way). Kissing--or even touching--a cold sore or fever blister on the face of someone else can spread herpes.
Your husband may well be telling the truth about being faithful...
I have read many credible sources re the behavior of HSV 1 & 2 in the body. I have also spoken two two STD specialists specifically about oral HSV 2. Oral HSV 2 recurrances are extreemly rare if they happen at all. For a rational view online regarding the spread of HSV I highly recommend Medhelps website and read the posts by this man. He is highly qualified to comment. get the facts, loose the fear.
I have been having outbreaks on my mouth and face since I was 11 years old. As far as I know, I never had any sexual contact by that age. I really don't know how I first got it. As an adult, I have been tested (more than once) as positive for HSV2 only, negative to HSV1. There have been times I have gone for years with no outbreaks, sometimes I get them every month, sometimes one outbreak will last for close to 2 months. I get it on my mouth, on my anus, and on my genitals. I have been married twice. My first husband never got anything. My second husband got sores, but only tested positive for HSV1. Makes no sense. I had a boyfriend who got it as bad as I did (condom broke). So...when I read about things being possible and not possible, I say you really never know for sure. For me, stress (particularly relationship stress) is a big trigger, as are foods with a high level of arginine. St. John's Wort also seems to be a trigger.
Every time I read that oral hsv-2 is rare it sends me into anxious break down mode again because my husband caught the hsv-2 virus from me and he gets it on his chin. It has been dermatologist confirmed from a sample of the outbreak!! It was coming back every month (not rare) until we discovered valtrex, this was 2002! I wish I had been on it right from the get go when I got in oin the early 90s, but no doctor I had consulted ever suggested it. My sister finally was the one who informed me about it. Maybe he wouldn't have it if I knew about valtrex and maybe I wouldn't be so freaked out now because hsv-2 is out "orally" in our family, and I could be a better parent. I wouldn't be seeing a therapist to help calm my fears of passing it on inadvertently to our children through touching or hugging or licking my fingers at the wrong time to test the spaghetti sauce ....you get the picture. I finally reconciled that I had hsv-2, then my fault I carelessly pass it to my husband, on his face no less, and I'm completely off the deep edge again. I DO NOT want our kids to get anything like that and am extremely nervous and anxious whenever anyone around them (teacher, classmate) has one, and certainly have them all anxiuos about even giving their mother a hug. What a mess. I would classify myself as crazy, although the therapist chooses not to use that word, but facts are facts, I am now an anxious crazy mess! Get me on a trial, any trial for hsv-2.
I was just diagnosed with genital herpes last week after a severe outbreak with sores, fever, muscle aches, urinary difficulties, etc. I am a 53 year old woman who has been married for 34 years. I have NEVER had any sexual contact beyond kissing with anyone other than my husband. He has the same sexual background. I have no reason to doubt him. Before I was diagnosed I suspected what I may have based on the symptoms and was depressed and suspicious of my husband. EVERYTHING I read about genital herpes indicated that sexual contact (intercourse, oral, etc.) was the only means of transmission. I am here to tell you that there is some other way. I am living proof. I hope you aren't beating yourself up about this at all. It is possible to contract the herpes virus in the genital area by other means. My doctor suspects a toilet seat on a packed international flight was where I picked it up. Hang in there!
I am a 57 yr old woman & have been married 34 yrs this coming July. My husband went to the Dr last week with some blisters around the anal area. He told him that he had the herpes virus, put him on Valtrex & Bactrim. He seems to be better but our question is - where & how did he get it? We've had no other sexual partners so where this came from we don't know either. The Dr asked him if he had been stressed about anything but he says he hasn't been. I have a lot of questions about this.
You CAN NOT get genital herpes any other way besides some form of sex. If you could get it from a toilet seat I think everyone would have it and even kids...this is a sexually transmitted disease. Your dr. is very wrong and probably didnt want to ruin your relationship, granted the disease can sit dormant but you really need to do more research and find another dr.
I hate to say this but your husband may not be telling you the whole truth. Herpes outbreaks normally happen where the virus was introduced. If he has them around his bottom that means that is where he was introduced to the disease, granted herpes can spread but generally you only get outbreaks where the initial site of the infection was caught. Look it up, the whole bathroom, knobs etc is a bunch of crap. You also have to realize that there are two types of the disease...
I have to disagree with you on him being unfaithful. We spend 24 hrs a day with each other - there is no way there could have been any hanky panky. We work together, drive to & from work together, live together, eat, sleep & breath together. I think my Dr is wrong - I don't think he ever had herpes.
I have to put my two cents in. But I believe the doctor is right! Are you a doctor? It might not have actually went that way but it does mean she or her husband been cheated on each other one they might have all ready had it or two they could have had skin to skin contact with a person that had. example: shaking hands with someone that had an outbreak no their hands, or kissing a relative that had a cold score (outbreak) it is very command. So if you are not a doctor or havent read to much in to it then i believe you shouldnt say the doctor is lying.
I have to disagree. I am a large woman and those airline toilet seats are tiny. My genital area was definitely in contact with the toilet seat. Also, my husband has never had any symptoms and has never had either type of herpes which he wold have had to have in order to infect me. And I promise that I have never had sexual contact with anyone other than my husband. If you have an explanation for my "immaculate infection" I am willing to listen.
Most people dont have symptoms...a lot of people are "carriers" of the disease and have no knowledge of it. Just because you have it doesnt mean you will have outbreaks. The general std testing doesnt test for it...a simple blood test will tell you if you have it and how long you have had it. I had it a LONG time before my first outbreak according to the antibodies in my blood test. I am not saying that rare instances dont occur but in general you cant just get it from hand shaking and touching.
Not sure this helps. I know of a case where the herpes was spread to the groin area through massage. The masseur had virus on her hands and passed it on to her customer while massaging his groin area. She probably touched someone who had the virus prior to the massage. Apparently, a communicable disease doctor believes it is possible for the virus to transmit in this manner.
before i slept with my boyfriend i was tested and all my results came back negative. my then boyfriend had a test and his results were negative too. so neither of us had any diseases we had the all clear. a few weeks after we split up i had a sore up my nose for a long while that took a long time to heal..i then heard that the coldsore virus can also live in the nose? a friend said the sore would have been a coldsore..i have to admit i did pick at the sore because it was showing and it looked awfull having a brown sore sticking out my nostril. is it possible that i could have spread the virus to myself by touching the sore on my nose then touching my genital area?.. because my ex had another test after finding out i had the virus...but his cameback clear again?. so i could not hav got it from him and we wer both faithul and i havent slept with anyone since we split?. it is all so confuseing?. the nurse who gave me my test told me i had stage 1 of the virus?. which is the mouth coldsore one so she said it was spread from my boyfreind having a coldsore..but he did not have a coldsore at the time we had oral sex?. ive met someone new now and im terrified to tell him i have the herpes virus..i have made excuses not to sleep with him e.g time of the month..the old head ache one ha ha! and that im not on any contraceptive. i will tell him before we have sex just hope he sticks around because i realy have fallen for him.
were the sores on his cheeks or around the actual anus? i have heard of transmission due to sitting on a contaminated toilet seat... but if the sores were around or on his actual anus then i'm afraid the obvious conclusion is anal sex. there could be another reason of course, such as using a contaminated towel at the gym or pool. it is very rare for non-physical transmission to occur though.
i'm sorry but you are misinformed. while extremely rare, it is possible to transmit the disease through non-physical contact. if you have an outbreak on your genital area and butt cheeks and use a public bathroom you are putting everyone who uses that bathroom after you at risk for infection for up to two hours. the same thing goes for wiping yourself with a towel at a tanning salon, gym or pool. the disease, while active in your skin, can live on an inorganic object for a couple hours. the skin touching the object has to be contagious in order to pass it on just like with physical contact transmission. a doctor is not going to try and protect your relationship by lying to you about medical facts. they can be sued because of that.
Hold on... that's not true. I am male of the hetrosexual type. I've had episodes occur on my cheeks near the anus. As a child, I suffered from the classic cold sores, but not so much as an adult. These slowed down somewere in my forties. That's when the episodes near the anus began to occur. But, I may have had syptoms of that type earlier and believed it to be an ingrown hair. Therefore, just because he has sores on his bottom cheeks does not make anal sex obvious!
Regards.
The herpes virus does not live outside of the body except for seconds it is a weak virus out of the body. Usually, a man will cheat with a woman who has no visible signs of herpes and it takes months for the symptoms to show up in the male, unknown to him that he has it transfers it to the wife as in my case. The very first symptom is a bruise type spot on the behind, then any and all mucus membranes can have an outbreak including the gums in your mouth. Also, there are many strains of herpes so if you think you can sleep with another person with herpes and be ok wrong he or she may have a different strain then it is like getting it all over again, but the toilet seat is very, very unlikely. Unfortunately I know and it makes me cry.
i, too, have just been diagnosed with hsv2. i was told it was contracted in the past 1 1/2 months. i have been married for the past 23 years & had no extramarital affairs. my husband has not either. he just tested negative on a culture for hsv. i am devastated. i was told to get a culture done, also. where did this come from? i have been under enormus stress, not getting rest, eating poorly and had a hernia operation recently. i did step on a nail aprox 1 1/2 mths ago. my husband & i are very happy & very much in love. this is devastating me more than him. i am beside myself & cannot function at all. i am returning to the PA who diagnosed me for a culture. i am ready to kill myself!
Oh Marie! I can understand your feelings, truly. I went through all of them myself when I was diagnosed. My doctor did not do a culture which I now regret because it might have confirmed my own suspicions about how I contracted the virus. I promise things will get better. It is so discouraging when literally everything you read tells you that there is only one way to get HSV, but you and I and, I suspect, others are living proof that there has to be another way. I pressed my physician to put me on Acyclovir as my husband was extremely concerned about the impact on our sex life and he foresaw a lifetime of having to be wary. I am on Acyclovir for a year. I have not had any outbreaks since the initial severe one that sent me to the doctor. It is not 100%, but my husband has been tested twice in the last 9 months and so far he shows no evidence of exposure. I mean it when I say that life will look better in time and don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise.
i was devastated to find out I had genital herpes in my throat. I went in for a persistent sore throat and they called me and said it was positive. I said for what! I had been married (and faithfull) for 10 years, 15 now, and I couldn't understand how this could happen. My husband is negative for hsv2. this must have happen earlier in my life and I didn't know. everyone feels great shame at first. there are more of us out here than you can imagine. once i found out i had it, it was like people who had it were waiting to give a supportive word. hang in there. it does get easier.
Your doctor can do a simple blood test to see how long the antibodies have been in your system. I am not sure what it is but the doctor told me that I had it for some time before the first outbreak. Now he could have been telling me that because I was so upset but seeing they have a medical oath to obtain I dont see that happening...but I was really upset because before my husband I was only with one person and that was my first time with a condom..Please dont talk about killing yourself as this disease is managable, medically it is only looked at as a mild skin infection. The name sounds worse that it is, but I understand your feelings...I have been there. Once the shock of it all passes, you will be ok. I still am pissed at my EX-husband but I have moved on and it gets better. I used to have outbreaks twice a month...now with Valtrex they are few and far in between. There will be others that will accept you with it and then you may have the ones that dont, but life does go on and you will be ok.
Check out this link from webmd...http://www.webmd.com/genital-herpes/guide/sexual-health-genital-herpes
I was recently in the hospital with a bad flu over the past weekend the oncall dr ended up diagnosing me with pneumonia. the day proir to the hospital visit i woke up in the morning with a little pain around the vagina. i took a look and thought it was a little in grown hair. bright red and swollen. as the day went by i noticed another one form. when i showed the dr at the hospital he automatically looked and diagnosed me with genital herpes. the next morning i looked again and noticed tinnier little red pimple looking bumps with little white centres. the other area was already broken and bleeding after 24 hours?? i dont understand. so i went to my family dr's and she looked and had no idea what it was she said it could be herpes but she didnt think it was or she said it may have been something called molluscum contagiosum. i looked it up and it fit the discription very well. is it possible that the dr at the hospital misdiagnosed me? my boyfriend has been my only partner for the last 4 years and i was a virgin before that. i get coldsores and also sores in my nose once so bad that it spread all the way to the side of my nostril! my boyfriend has never had any symptoms of the herpes type 1 or 2 virus. if someone can please help me i havent slept in 3 days and i am completely devestated over this. i am a mess and so is he he told me he doesnt know if he can stick with me cause hes afraid of all this!! we just bought a house together which will be ready in 4 weeks and he is in the process of ring shopping with my sister. i feel like my world is falling apart and i m helpless!! can someone tell me what genital herpes looks like?
re understanding...............i am extremely grateful to my husband's dr who recommended i return to the PA/C who diagnosed me with hsv2 for a culture...........remember she diagnosed me w/hsv2 by just an exam? my husband called me at work today, he said the clinic called & said "well, you just hit the lottery!" your wife has hsv1, not hsv2. my husband has cold sores quite frequently. the PA said that my case was rare, but the culture definately came back as hsv1. now, i have been living in hell for the past week over this sloppy diagnosis. yes, i am greatly relieved, but i was ready to kill myself!! i was made to feel i cheated on my husband as this was the only way to contract hsv2. not to mention the pyschological impact this had on me,...i was quite hysterical. i thank God above for my wonderful, understanding husband. he did not believe for a minute i had cheated & contracted this disease. i knew it was a mistake, but how do you refute healthcare givers when they tell you, you have this & you got it this way. then, offer no other answers, or possible scenarios for contracting the disease. yes, i am bitter. we should not have to stand for this from our healthcare providers. i am praying for all who have been diagnosed with hsv. i do have hsv1, but the simple fact that i did not f**k someone other than my husband to get this disease is comforting to me. thank you to my wonderful husband....i love you very much.
This is true...for now.. HVS 1 is not genital herpes and should not interfere with sexual intercourse; however, if you even have a cold sore on your mouth, lip, nose etc (even just the bump before the blister) DO NOT give your boyfriend oral.
A couple years ago, my husband performed oral sex on me while having just a very small red bump on his lip... 4 days later, I broke out with the worst episode of blisters, etc and went to the doctor. He diagnosed me with herpes just by looking at the sores, he then turned to my husband, who by this time had a full blown cold sore, and asked if we had had oral sex recently. Of course, the answer was yes and then he talked to us about how he had spread it to my genitals. Blood test also confirmed both HSV 1 and 2 in my blood. Come to find out, that when my husband was younger he had several episodes of cold sores, fever blisters, and rashes along thighs and mouth. Doc says that some severe colds and fevers at an early age are HSV-1.
Marie I understand. I was diagnosed today well, actually visually and waiting the blood resultss. it's soo puzzling where and how this has happened and I"d like to know how long it can lay dormant. It would help figure out where I contracted it because there's been one person since I was with my husband 2 years ago and no one for 7 years prior. I am committed to one person whom I trust with my life and we've had very candid conversations. It would have to have been dormant in me for many many years.
I'm trying not to beat myself up but i want to kill myself and not sure i'm not entirely still numb. HOw on earth did they know you contracted it in the past1 1/1 months?
There is a lot of misinformation floating around. This is one of the myths that is not true. The antibody tests are either positive or negative. The numbers associated with them are only relative and cannot indicate how long the infection has been there. The ONLY way to know how long you've had herpes is to have a reliable test that is confirmed negative and later have a test that is positive. Then you know it happened somewhere between the two tests.
The fact of the matter is that a large majority of people who are infected never know it because they have no recognizable symptoms. If you had not gone to the doctor, with that minor irritation, you still would not know.
I'm around your age and have had GH for over 10 years. It has not slowed me down. LOTS of people have this so you're not alone. Find a friendly herpes support group online and talk with others in a similar situation.
I'd like to tell you about something that has proven effective in treating genital herpes. it is easy to get, as there are many bodytalk practitioners in the us and all over the world. It is based on western med, physics, mathematics, chiropractic, acupuncture, kinesiology, and osteopathy. Basically, it's the new medicine based on new research and great results.
The founder of bodytalk was cured of Epstein's Barr - thought to be incurable. Of course, the Western Medical Modalities will not tell you that herpes can be cured. They are mostly drug based - not healing/well-being and holistically based. Any time you add a drug to your system it can cause an imbalance. There are side effects to taking drugs - always and your body actually KNOWS how to heal itself!
With BodyTalk there are no side effects - sometimes with a virus that is being attacked by your immune system you will see a brief inrease in antibodies or have a high fever - then it goes away. What have you got to lose? Bodytalk sessions cost between $85 to $250. Find an advanced practitioner or Dr. Pilopovich to treat you. Look online. It's worth a try. you don't have to hate yourself anymore! The site is: 3 w's and then bodytalksystem and then dot com.
Also, don't eat lots of coconut or high arginine foods in the meantime, as these can cause symptoms. Find some quiet time and relaxed breathing time, as stress can make your breakouts occur more often. Love yourself again, as your attitude has much to do with your health levels.
I hope this helps. When it does - please report back so others can find the light again.
I'd like to tell you about something that has proven effective in treating genital herpes. it is easy to get, as there are many bodytalk practitioners in the us and all over the world. It is based on western med, physics, mathematics, chiropractic, acupuncture, kinesiology, and osteopathy. Basically, it's the new medicine based on new research and great results.
The founder of bodytalk was cured of Epstein's Barr - thought to be incurable. Of course, the Western Medical Modalities will not tell you that herpes can be cured. They are mostly drug based - not healing/well-being and holistically based. Any time you add a drug to your system it can cause an imbalance. There are side effects to taking drugs - always and your body actually KNOWS how to heal itself!
With BodyTalk there are no side effects - sometimes with a virus that is being attacked by your immune system you will see a brief inrease in antibodies or have a high fever - then it goes away. What have you got to lose? Bodytalk sessions cost between $85 to $250. Find an advanced practitioner or Dr. Pilopovich to treat you. Look online. It's worth a try. you don't have to hate yourself anymore! The site is: 3 w's and then bodytalksystem and then dot com.
Also, don't eat lots of coconut or high arginine foods in the meantime, as these can cause symptoms. Find some quiet time and relaxed breathing time, as stress can make your breakouts occur more often. Love yourself again, as your attitude has much to do with your health levels.
I hope this helps. When it does - please report back so others can find the light again.
Dear Affraid,
I know that your post is now a month and a half old and I hope that the surprize diagnosis of HSV has had time for the shock to wear off. I too was taken by surprize and freaked out about 12 years ago. My wife (girlfried at the time) had a cold sore that we thought had went away and I ended up with both oral and genital HSV 1. I am one of the fortunate people that has never had another outbreak, the first was horrible enough. As I read your post you stated that you have to leave your boyfriend in order to protect him. This is not so and I hope that you have worked out this issue over the past 6 weeks. About 1 out of every 5 people that you walk past everyday have this also. Bottom line up front, you have it and you have to learn to manage it, but it does not make you a leper. Hang in there, I for one understand how frightened you were to be told that you have this and the shock that comes from that news. It does not make you any less of a person than you were before.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. I'M A 52YR OLD SINGLE FEMALE, WHO WAS JUST DIAGNOSIS TODAY. THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS I'M bEWILDER AND OVERWHELM. I HAVE BEEN WITH ONE PARTNER ON AND OFF FOR 15 YEARS. DURING OUR OFF PERIODS I ABSTAINED FROM ANY SEX ACTIVITY. IN 2004, DURING A ONE YEAR BREAK UP, I HAD WHAT I THINK WAS MY FIRST OUT BREAK OF HSV2. IT WAS VERY PAINFUL. i CALLED MY GYN FOR APPOINTMENT. WHEN I DESCRIBED MY SYMPTOMS, SHE SEND ME A PRESCIPTION FOR A YEAST INFESTION. AFRAID AND NOT SATIFIED WITH HER DIAGNOSIS, I THEN WENT TO THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. THEY WERE UNSURE AND REFERRED ME BACK TO MY PRIMARY MD. WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS I HAVE BEEN READING INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS WEB SITES AND THE SYMPTOMS THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING IN 2004 SEEM TO HAD BEEN CLEAR CUT. I'M UPSET AND CONFUSED TO WHY IT TOOK THIS LONG TO DIAGNOSE. I HAVE TO FIGUR OUT WHERE DO I GO FROM THIS POINT.
Having the blood test and knowing for sure you have herpes 1 or 2 is the start. After you know realize taking good care of yourself and on massive outbreak times take the Valtrex it reduces outbreaks and helps them heal up quicker. Do take Lysine it messes up the Herpes DNA and retards the growth or spread and you can get large quantities in Fish or chicken right. It does go into a remission for years thankfully but any type of stress can cause it to reappear, sunlight can cause outbreaks at times, various foods so you just have to learn what are triggers for you and like I said when it is bad take the medicine because it makes it easier to deal with this problem. I am 51 and I have had herpes since my xhusband gave it to me from cheating he had no symptoms whatsoever but he was a carrier and he got it from a woman who had multiple sex partners because he did not wear a rubber bad, bad choice.
i was told by my dr (on my 2nd opinion visit to a medical dr, not a pa/c) that it is most likely i contracted the disease 1 1/2 months prior to my outbreak. i keep a journal & i am a great recorder of "things" on calendars i keep. nothing unusual was recorded during this time except for the amount of stress i was under at work. my marriage was the best it has ever been. my husband & i "rediscovered" each other, after a hernia i had, left our sex life in shambles. i had surgery in june to remove the hernia, my outbreak was in october, 4 months apart, so i ruled out the operation as a cause. recently, after going thru blood tests, i was informed by my gynecologist that hsv1 can be contracted through oral sex. my husband has developed cold sores since he was a child. i am certain this is how i was infected. i dont know if my husband has hsv1 or 2. he went for a blood test, but they took every test but the hsv! he will go back for testing, but frankly, since i have not had an outbreak apart from my original one, you tend to forget about it. i have valtrex on hand in case i feel a "tingling". i pray i never do. i have never been in so much discomfort/pain/embarrassment in my life than during my outbreak. the thing that stands out most when i reflect back is how the medical personnel i saw each had their own opinion on how it was contracted. i have since obtained a new dr & ob/gyn. i pray for everyone who endures this disease.
Here is a fourth. I am a 61 year old woman, divorced, and have not had sexual intercourse with anyone since I left my husband six years ago. BEfore that, he was the only person I had sex with since I was 22. This past week I was in agony with blisters and sores in the rectal area and finally went to the doctor because it hurt to sit, urinate, etc, had a swollen lymph node in my groin, was exhausted and I couldn't sleep at night because of the pain. Herpes!!!!!!! How is this possible?? I have never had a cold sore.
herpes is more common than people realize. it is highly possible you caught it from a toilet seat, door handle, shared cigarette or beverage, even a doctors office. herpes tests in women almost always come back positive. if you dont get outbreaks you are like the high percentage of asymptomatic carriers of the virus and are very lucky. if you do get outbreaks valtrex can get expensive so i reccomend the generic version acyclovir. its upsetting to find out you have anything unwanted but its part of life and its not the worst virus you can catch!!
herpes can lay dormant in the body for a lifetime without knowing. most people infected will never know. viral shedding DOES NOT need any sign of an outbreak to transmit itself to another person. get your partner tested before you indulge in sexual intercourse. check the results yourself. herpes testing is not standard testing. it needs to be requested.
You are right about everything except the toilet seat, because the virus can not live outside of the body but for a few seconds and soap and water kills it on a toilet seat. The herpes 1 yes can be transferred with direct contact with a sore or using someones tooth brush and most everyone has herpes 1 even kids from sharing toys or whatever. Herpes 2 is the killer and you only get that from having sex with a person who has it and yes it is very true that they usually have zero symptoms so you have no way of knowing they have it unless they tell you that is what is so scary. Then boom it shows up out of the blue and your thinking how in the heck did I get this problem not knowing a xhusband or boyfriend did not want to share they had it because they wanted sex more than anything else and is in denial they have it anyways.
You've had this disease for so long that it finally showed up. There are many people who don't have any idea that they have it until years later and it becomes full blown at that stage of finding out. My ex husband had herpes for more than four years and knew he had it but didn't tell me until I divorced him. He cheated on me 7 times with many females and gave the STD to all of them along with one woman that died at 22 from being overweight. Her body couldn't produce because of the STD she had that she didn't know about until I told her. There are careless people out there who don't take care about other people's health along with their own. Thank God I dodged the bullet of getting herpes twice! I still don't have it. This is why I say that you play Russian Roulette with your health everytime you have sex with anything and anyone. It will either kill you, sterile you or mess up your love life forever. Herpes is a viral disease. It's only contacted in your blood and can't ever be cured.
I'd like to dispel some myths regarding the spread of herpes. FACT: Approx. 80% of humans have herpes, yes, 80%, either type 1 or type 2. Fact: you can get herpes non sexually!! Fact: both types are interchangable; you can have type two on your lips or mouth, and type one on your genitals and you can transmit oral herpes to your genitals with your own hands!! no sex needed. WASH YOUR HANDS WELL and OFTEN. Use rubbing alcohol often helps kill the virus. FACT: The herpes virus can't live on toilets seats for more than a minute, BUT- It can live on the toilet rim- the porcelain part for up to 4 hours, research has shown that to be true. Wipe down the seat and rim with rubbing alcohol before use and you guys DON'T let your weiner touch the rim part of the bowl while sitting. Most children by the age of 18 have been exposed to the herpes virus most due to the fact they are not taught basic hygeine like washing their hands and not to kiss someone if cold sores are present. Parents and teachers it's up to you to pass down common sense PREVENTATVE hygeine measures and be insistant your kids carry them out. NO WONDER 80% OF US HAVE THE DAMN VIRUS!!! Also, most guys don't wash their hands after urinating, yes I know ladies it's disgusting but as a guy I happened to notice these things. After he comes out of the john be sure to ask if he washed his hands and make him do so if he didn't. Some of this sounds a little radical but not so if you think about it. People will slack off if not pushed to do the come sense things. P.S> please read up on the strong possibility Herpes causes Alzheimers disease Ma'am, good luck on contolling the infection
i definitely agree with this poster. 20% of type 1 goes to the genitals and 20% of type 2 goes to the mouth. my daughter had an especially virulent case of oral herpes when she was in grade school----and i developed genital herpes. the doc asked me if i or my husband had a cold sore. i told him no, but that my daughter did. he said all it would take would be for me to come in to contact with her active cold sore with an open would. he then looked at my hands which almost always have open wounds due to having atopic dermatitis---it really was pretty much a no-brainer----although, i didn't have it typed and always wish i had, because my husbands ex-wife was unfaithful to him. he could actually have been a carrier. but, since i have been at least 15 years without a break-out, the doc says that kind of points to it being type 1 rather than type 2. just my 2 cents worth.
Chris , you are way too funy.LOL.You do make alot of sense.But i do have to say in my own situation,I'm that person who did not get it sexually.Let God strike me down.I had gotten it from my own bestfriend! She allowed me to try on her shorts right after her.How was i suppose to know the girl had herpes? Ewhhh.No more trying on someone's clothes to see if it fit's.Not a good idea for girls playing dress up..Then it was only week later when she came "out "about her std..Did she really know at that time or not? We will never know.
Your right Chris-- i'm proof of that
I was in my forties when i got checked for a burning on my lips and tongue.
Initially the doc found nothing. There were no blisters, just a burning feeling.
about a week later, I now have the same burning feeling in the genital area and around my anus- along with feeling like i had a bad flu.
I'm single and hadn't had sex in months.
It went away after a month or so I wrote it off as who knows.
a few weeks later ,the burning feeling came back in the genital area, this time a slight burning on my penis and pimples on my butt.
Again dissappeared in a week , only to come back a few weeks later.
It took two doctors and a specialist ( and a blood test ) before i found out i have hsv2-- but only very mild they told me--isn't that like being sorta pregnant ?
I find out later that if it's your first contact with herpes, its very easily spread to other parts of your body.
i've never had hsv1-- now a few years later i'm rarely bothered by it anymore. I've never had any symptoms in or around the mouth since the first episode.
Herpes, like many viruses, is transmitted by a parasite. The parasite goes from body to body mostly through genital sexual contact. However, if the parasite is on the hands or lips (oral sex) it can spread that way as well. Get the book "The cure for all deseases" By Dr. Hulda Clark she'll tell you the real reasons for 90 % of the deseases in this country.
REDICULOUS!
Read this:
"You can become infected with genital herpes when the herpes simplex virus (HSV) enters the body through sexual or other direct contact with herpes sores.
Under a microscope, HSV- 1 and 2 are virtually identical, sharing approximately 50% of their DNA. Both types infect the body's mucosal surfaces, usually the mouth or genitals, and then establish latency in the nervous system. For both types, at least two-thirds of infected people have no symptoms, or symptoms too mild to notice. However, both types can recur and spread even when no symptoms are present.
The primary difference between the two viral types is in where they typically establish latency in the body- their "site of preference." HSV-1 usually establishes latency in the trigeminal ganglion, a collection of nerve cells near the ear. From there, it tends to recur on the lower lip or face. HSV-2 usually sets up residence in the sacral ganglion at the base of the spine. From there, it recurs in the genital area.
Even this difference is not absolute either type can reside in either or both parts of the body and infect oral and/or genital areas. Unfortunately, many people aren't aware of this, which contributes both to the spread of type 1 and to the misperception that the two types are fundamentally different.
"People don't understand that you can have type 1 genitally or orally, that the two types are essentially the same virus,' says Marshall Clover, manager of the National Herpes Hotline." One type is associated with stigma, the other is "'just a cold sore"- our society has a euphemism for it so we don't even have to acknowledge that it's herpes.
The reality? Some 22% of adult Americans from all backgrounds, income levels, and ethnic groups have HSV-2. Like HSV-1, type 2 is usually mild-so mild that two- thirds of infected people don't even know they have it. Type 2 rarely causes complications or spreads to other parts of the body. It is the most common cause of neonatal herpes, a rare but dangerous infection in newborns; however, type 1 causes up to one-third of neonatal infections.
...most people infected with HSV-1 in the genital area have few, if any, outbreaks after the initial episode, far fewer than is typical with either oral HSV-1 or genital HSV-2. While experts estimate that some 30% of genital herpes infections in the United States may be caused by HSV-1, only 2- 5% of recurring genital outbreaks are caused by HSV-1. Research conducted by Lawrence Corey, MD, and colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle shows that genital HSV-2 recurs 10 times more often than genital HSV-1.
How Easily Spread?
As a number of readers have attested over the years, many people with genital herpes are at least as concerned about transmission-the likelihood of spreading the virus to a partner-as about their own health. On the other hand, few people with oral herpes, share this concern. Is this because one type is more contagious than the other?
The short answer is no. Both viral types are easily transmitted to their site of preference, and can also be spread to other sites. Both are most contagious during active outbreaks, but are often spread through viral shedding when there are no recognizable symptoms. According to Spruance, people with recurrent oral HSV-1 shed virus in their saliva about 5% of the time even when they show no symptoms. In the first year of infection, people with genital HSV-2 shed virus from the genital area about 6-10% of days when they show no symptoms, and less often over time. (Both of these figures reflect shedding as detected by viral culture.)
On a practical level, this means oral HSV-1 is often the most easily acquired herpes infection. Usually the first herpes simplex virus that people encounter, oral HSV-1, is typically spread simply by the kind of social kiss that a relative gives a child. Because children have no prior infection with any HSV type, they have no immune defense against the virus.
By the time they're teenagers or young adults, about 50% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies in their blood. By the time they are over age 50, some 80-90% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies.
By comparison, almost all HSV-2 is encountered after childhood, when people become sexually active. Those who have a prior infection with HSV-1 have an acquired immune response that lowers - though certainly doesn't eliminate-the risk of acquiring HSV-2.
"People think of oral herpes as the "good" herpes and genital herpes as the "bad" kind," says Glover of the National Herpes Hotline. "It's partly that they don't understand the similarities between HSV-1 and 2. But it's also that good and bad is how our culture views sex and our bodies."
The inescapable fact is that HSV-1 is usually spread through contact with infected lips, while HSV-2 usually spread through contact with infected genitals. From a social point of view, the problem is not the disease; it's how you got it.
Whether we like it or not, the social prejudice against genital herpes, no matter which virus causes it, is a reality. "People have more trouble explaining to a new partner that they have genital herpes, even if it's HSV- 1, than if they have a cold sore," says Glover. "Just saying the word "genital" is like an anvil that pulls the sentence down".
THANK YOU!!! FINALLY someone who has well-informed, documented information to share with the public. I reccommend to all who use this site as a means of scientific advice, PLEASE do not believe anything you hear unless it is backed up by a doctor. I have a good friend who is a doctor that I am so thankful to get great advice from. There are support lines with professionals that you can call, and you can also always call the family doctor/gynocologist. Although many of us do not like to hear it, HSV1 and HSV2 are extremely easy to contract and it is incredibly unfortunate that the general public has a distorted (socially unacceptable) view on the disease. Practicing safe sex and taking preventative medication are the two most reliable methods in ensuring the prevention of spreading the Herpes Virus.
I think that the old boy might have jumped the fence without telling you, Tell him to admit to it. You are both at an age where you wont be getting divorced or anything. So the truth is the best thing for the both of you. Dont be mad at him, its too late now, just treat it when it flares up, and I would be taking a close look at his genitalia also. Kez from Australia
When I was 13 I had a huge cold sore breakout all around my mouth. Over the years cold sores usually occured around the time of my periods. I am now 50 yrs old and was diagnosed with genital herpes 2 years ago. When I was shocked by my diagnosis, as neither my husband or I had ever 'seen' other people during our 30 year marriage, my physician's reply question was, "Do you wash you hands BEFORE you change your tampons?" No, actually I didn't but it makes perfect sense. On a side note, about the same time I was diagnosed, I had frequent headaches and gastric distress. I decided to quit eating wheat and any gluten containing foods. The headaches and gastric distress went away within two days. Since then the only times I've had a herpes outbreak is when I accidentally ingest gluten.
well i hardly kn ow where to begin. im 64. i was just dumped , aka taken advatage , aka,typical old guy hooked up with a young lady. she was 37. seems she had been with the guy she left with for some year plus. during this time we had bother reg sex plsue oral . after finding out that allshe had told me were lies. i decided i want to have a blood test for any aneverthing. i was told by doc i was positive for herpes2. now im reasonable sure she gave ot to me, but the doc and what i read say it could have lay dormanint for years. i have been div since 96. an have slept mostly in long term relation ships. i have had no out breaks, no sore none. i hav e over my life had fever blisters. that sincei was child.
i never saw any sores on this person, but what i read i or she could pass it even ifno sores are present. since thisis all new im kind in the search for what do i do , how and etc. i also read that there seems to be a possibilty of a false positive results to this. when i had my bllod taken i had a fever blister. now, my question is, should i bet tested, blood test i mean agin. is it possible i could have had it for year, never showing any sores. i read that semen, saliva, blood, etc cannot passit along. only body contact by skin. some one explain allthis im trying to sort allthis out. thanks to any one that can shed any light on this. if i have not provided enuff info tell me. we had dated 3 plus years, some time in later 07 or earl y 08 is when she hooked up with this guy. im getting a lot from friends in law enforement. i was with a sheriff dept. so seem she either had it, gotit from her new bf or she never had it an i was one that passed it. i am more concerned about the chances of a false positive . the rest is not an issue, if she has it thatshis problem now. by the way he never knew about me,so she wasa pieace of work. thanks for any info
I was told something similar by a blood bank representative but on further investigation I took it to mean that the antibody gets passed along through blood, not the virus itself since the virus lies dormant in nerves not blood cells. So someone who received blood from an infected person will have anitbodies that show up indicating a possible false positive -- however over time the antibodies will die off and the person will test negative.
hope this makes sense...
can someone help me.. im a 16 years guy.. i have this ball of meat on my penis .. look like a big pimple and million of little tiny one look like ungrowth hair . I know pop it and it come out the white stuff just like pimples but it keep staying there .. is that mean i have hearpes or any virus like that ? i never had sex or anything.. those lil .. i got it from very long time ago but this big one just got it yesterday ..plz help
This disease can lie dormant for many, many years before a person has an outbreak. Also, many people never know that they have it either because they never have an outbreak or because their outbreaks are so mild that they never noticed them. It is entirely possible that he could have contracted it years ago before you were married.
Herpies 1 or 2 can be transmitted from skin to skin or from skin to object to skin.
You can get h1 or h2 anywhere on your body
Just because you have 1 or 2 dont mean you want caught the other.
You can have no simptoms and still catch and pass the virus.
you can have the virus on your arm and it will show up in the blood.
Blood test dont mean you have it on your genitals. It means you have antibodies fighting the virus. Having 1 or 2 want prevent you from get genital warts.
You can have herpes passed from drinking from the same cup.
From oral sex..passed orally to the partner or vise versa.
You can have an outbreak and never feel it.
Someone please help me. After a first outbreak on my genitals this Christmas, I have tested positive for type 2 herpes and igm (initial recent immunoglobins) but no igg (long term defense immunoglobins) meaning a recent infection. Ive been with my husband exclusively for 16 years. He insists he never cheated and is getting tested this weekend. Is there any circumstance that could suppress my long term defense immunoglobins and create reinfection through continued contact with the disease, and therefore igm production?. My doc said some immunity deficiencies can, like Aids. I have been tested for Aids and don't have it.
The problem is I believe the science but I also believe my husband. He's perfectly aware I wouldn't end the marriage over this and would prefer honesty.
Can there be an explanation besides infidelity?
You can have herpes and never, ever show any obvious symptoms. Your husband could have had it years before he met you and just never knew it. They estimate that up to 90% of people with herpes have no clue that they have it. You shouldn't listen to most of the stuff people write on the internet by the way..I read a lot of inaccurate things on this thread alone...check out the forum on medhelp.org, you will get great answers and accurate ones at that.
Thank you very much for responding(:
Yes, I understand dormancy. Before my blood results indicating a recent infection, my doc told me it had to be a long standing infection as it was so mild for a first outbreak. I am waiting on my husband's results, but have also decided to just trust him and not pay attention to Igm Igg levels. The second doc, who just retested me and tested my husband, said blood tests are completely ridiculous, and unreliable for confirming infection duration, so myinfection is probably old and so is my husband's i'm sure, pre marriage...and anyway the only people who can tell us the truth is eachother!
But I will check out the website as I am revolted with the random, unscientific "information" out there.
Yeah, I've never dealt with what you are going through, but I've read about many other people who assume that infidelity must be the case which is understandable until you understand how tricky the virus is. Only you know your husband and if you don't have any reason to believe that he was unfaithful, I'd trust in him. And yeah, the numerical results don't tell how long you've had the virus, just if it's a new or old infection. Good luck to you, everything will work out. :)
Here is another anecdote about mystery transmission of HSV2. I'm an 81 year old male, married to the same woman for 59 years. I have had HSV2 for 63 years. When I contracted the disease I had not had unprotected sex with anyone other than the woman I ultimately married, though she had been sexually active before that.
In military service at the time, I was hospitalized with chicken pox in summer, 1948. The herpes erupted on my buttocks the week after I was released from the hospital, & eventually migrated to my genitals where I suffered outbreaks, on either buttocks or genitals several times a year until 1990 when I learned of anti-virals. On more than one occasion over those years, I contracted a secondary infection in the lesion, & became obsessive about preventing such infections. We abstained from sex duting my outbreaks, & through all these years until today, to my knowledge, my wife never had an outbreak.
For several years from the 1990s, I treated outbreaks with acycloivir, or Valterex. As I aged, the outbreaks became more frequent & debilitating, & for the past 4 or 5 years, I have taken a prophylactic dose of 500mg of Valtrex daily, & have had no outbreaks.
To suddenly contract HSV after years of marriage is not proof that a partner has cheated, thugh the odds favor that conclusion. I doubt if there is research to prove this, but there is enough anecdotal evidence in these posts to suggest that the disease can lay dormant in the body for many years, or that transmission does not require sexual contact.
i have a friend whom i live with who is sexually active and does it unprotectively and has an std, is it possible for me to contract it im am NOT sexually active im still in high school, never even kissed a boy before nd i feel like my life is over and its not fair why me? sometimes she shares underwears! and after i get my cycle for the month i usually feel a burning sensation or an itch and once there was something like a pimple near my area and it went away but returned again i am in complete utter shock tht sumthing like this has happened and i dont no what to do im not even thinking about sex right now im am an honors student so focused on shcool right now i cant take this and i really need one just one person to reply to my plea.
Hi,
First of all, I just want to let you know that as long as you are not engaging in these behaviors, you are not likely to contract an STD.
As for the burning sensations and pimples in the vaginal area, these are normal, AS LONG as the symptoms do not persist . Pimples can occur when hair follicles clog up or friction can cause them. Or it might be an infection, but as long as you are not sexually active, they are very unlikely to be STDs.
I suggest you sit down and non-judgementally tell your friend how her behavior might have negative consequences and that as her friend you are concerned for her. I would also suggest that you tell your friend that sharing underwear is off-limits because of hygine issues, or because you feel uncomfortable sharing something so intimate with someone. If she is really your friend she will understand.
Good luck with this situation and your studying.
I have been with my husband since I was 15 ( 35 now) He is the only man I have EVER had sex with... I went in for my annual pap test and my OBGYN offered a full spectrum of STD testing..so I said sure why not.( blood test)..thing is both Herpes 1 and 2 came back positive. I was in shock cuz of course the first thing that poped into my head was that he cheated on me..So after a nasty fight, he goes and gets tested..and it only comes back positive for 1 and NOT type 2.. WTF?..how can this be? we have been having unprotected sex since 15 ( yes to young) but thats 20 years of unprotected sex.and 3 healthy kids...one more thing...I have never had an outbreak of any kind, not on my mouth or in the genitals.He has had maybe 3 cold sores in the 20 years that I've known him...what is going on?..now the tables have turned and he suspects me of cheating...I feel sooooo confused..
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Genital Herpes Prevention Video 
why did your doctor do the test? Have you or your husband ever had any symptoms? If not, it's possible that you got a false positive result. However, if your husband is positive also, he may have been exposed years ago, and still has the antibodies. There are many people who have antibodies to the virus and yet have never had an outbreak. Given your circumstances, this blood test should not change anything for you.
I was sore and had what I thought was an ingrown hair in the pubic area. By the time I got to the doc (GYN) a week later, there were 3 or 4 sores that felt like blisters, and I could barely sit down. She stated it was a classic case of outbreak. Blood was drawn and returned positive.
My husband has never had an outbreak or sore.
From what I have read so far, outbreak is brought on by stress. 7 years ago, I had a nervous breakdown and there was no outbreak. I would think that the period leading up to the breakdown would be very stressful.
thank you for reading my post
Was there any medications that helped your situation and how long did it take for your condition to clear up? Do you feel stress was the key factor for the out break?
ok this is happening to me and I need help I had a pimple or so I thought down there, it just came back yesterdayh my type 2 I have been th my partner since 2006 and he has never had an outbreak in his history or ever had anyone disclose one to him I have never seen anything on him I will make a long story short I was volunteering in a third world country and got really sick from the water so bad I was in this run down bathroom with such cramps period pain and direar the badroom was reallya toilet with no seat bloodstains and shit everywheyre it was filthy I had to sit on it could not stand and was there for an hour before they found me I used sogged toilet paper that was there but I was so sick not in my right mind tat night I had a pimple but some zinc on it it went away now months later I have herpes 2 I am pretty sure that is where it came from if he comes back negative I feel I have to break up with him and well to protect him I hate my self and have been faithful
Sorry, but you don't get HSV-2 from a dirty toilett!
I can assure you that as highly unlikely as it may be, it IS possible to get herpes from a dirty bathroom - because it happened to me. Immediately after I developed primary infection blisters, my wife and I quickly got blood tests. The results indicated that neither of us had HSV anti-bodies in our blood, which take weeks to show up. This rules out the possibility that either of us had previously unknown infections. So here's my theory: A few days before my outbreak I had to use a very busy public toilet. One regularly frequented by numerous street people. (Yes, that's probably an unfair judgement.) Anyway, I assume that someone who had used the stall just minutes before I arrived had blisters that had popped. They either dripped liquid & virus on the toilet seat or they touched their sores and then transferred the virus to the door handle as they were leaving. I entered and either got the virus on my hand and touched myself or I let my penis come in contact with liquid left on the seat. I can think of no other explanation for this most unpleasant surprise. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? Apparently not.
I'm amazed at the responder's callousness... "Considering your circumstances..." blah blah.... OF COURSE IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Now you have herpes! It's a life changing event! I'm also 63 and was diagnosed about 4 mos ago... I've been sexually healthy my whole life! Also sexually active.... but not now! Dietary changes, supplements, education, etc etc... all because of this virus. And you get the added confusion of wondering WHERE you got it... Terrible.
NO - it's not a death sentence... it certainly is good to improve the things I mentioned.... But the stigma is not easy to deal with, nor the reality of bad outbreaks... What can I say? Love yourself - you deserve it. And know that millions of others have this... it's not YOUR disease!
I wish you well.
D.