Transmitting Herpes: How To Protect The Ones You Love

If shedding is possible through any body fluids at all, how can you tell if this is happening? Are there symptoms in shedding? This is very important, if shedding happens like that. I have found no answers about shedding anywhere that refute this.

I am a young lady that was raped and I had teat done at the time. Now yrs later I was told I may have herpes. I am not really what you would call sexually active. I went to the Dr. because i borke out in the bumps that i thought was a ringworm or impetigo on the top of my vaginal areae. I went to a Dermatologist that said it was something ficculitsis, something to do with me and my shaving. But they did test me for all STD and herpes. I have the results and they are confusing (as far as the herpes). I was wondering if you can tell me what it means. The HSV IgG is 23.0 Index and the IgM is negative. I was told that it ment i had a coldsore on my vaginal region by a friend, but how can that be if I am not having sex.

A question: in your article you say "A person with active herpes can spread the infection to another part of their body by masturbation, or even the use of a vibrator."  I am a little confused about this.  I could see spreading it from vagina to anus or visa versa, particularly during an outbreak, but if HSV-2 essentially only targets the genital and anal areas... then how could (for example) using your hand to masturbate yourself (and then washing it afterwards, just to be safe) be a health risk, even during an outbreak, providing you didn't touch yourself anywhere other than your genitals?