When your girlfriend tells you she has HSV 2
Welcome to my nightmare. First her doctor tells her it's a bug bite. A week later a visit to the free clinic confirms its hsv, two weeks later the western blot confirms it genital HSV 2. We've been dating for three months at this point, about 4 months by the time we have the confirmation of my worst fear.
I was diagnosed with oral HSV about 13 years ago, but it was never identified as 1 or 2. (Unbelievably I became infected by using a phone immediately following a person I now believe had HSV. At the time I thought they just had bad skin. I didn't even know what HSV was!) Anyway I let her know early in our relationship, and am very careful to avoid all contact when I feel an outbreak may be coming on, which fortunately happens very rarely.
So off I go to get the western blot, and after waiting 5 weeks the diagnosis is that I have both HSV 1 & 2, although I have never had any genital symptoms of which I am aware.
I am mortified that somehow I have infected her. She seems less certain, and wonders if perhaps she had been infected by a prior intimate contact.
Now we have so many questions to which we have been unable to find any answers anywhere.
1) Is it possible that I was infected with both types with the original exposure?
2) Is it possible to pass on only hsv2 and not hsv1 given that I have now been diagnosed with both?
3) Now that she has hsv2 is it possible for me to pass hsv 2 to other sites on her? Is it possible for me to become infected on other sites from her?
4) Can either of us shedding provoke an outbreak on the other?
5) Is it possible if she was infected prior to us dating that her first noticeable outbreak didn't happen until three months later? If so is it possible that I picked up HSV2 from her?
Anyway I know from what I've read nothing seems impossible, but would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks
Hi,
Sorry that you haven't received an expert response yet. I will do my best, as I am infected but not a doctor, etc.
If you have HSV1 and HSV2, it is possible that you have given either or both to your partner. It is impossible to pin it down 100%, but if you take sexual history and an accurate timeline of symptoms associated with sexual activity; you may be able to narrow it down.
With no symptoms on the mouth, transmission through oral sex from you to her is statistically more likely to be type 1. HSV-1 has a higher rate of asymptomatic shedding than HSV-2. Oral HSV-2 asymptomatic shedding(transmission without sores/symptoms) has rarely been reported, and therefore is remote. HSV-1 has a higher rate of asymptomatic shedding. With visible sores, either is likely. Regardless, she now has HSV, and it is more important to address emotional concerns because there may be a high amount of anxiety following a diagnosis.
I also have had no sores or symptoms on the penis. I don't know of any way to isolate the diagnosis of HSV to the mouth only. With blood tests, antibodies are either present or not. Antibody tests may help to show an estimate of the initial infection, but are expensive.
If any medical expert can correct any of this information, they are welcome to do so.
Good luck, and stay positive.
-J. Ed
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