I have genital herpes and was concerned that I may spread the virus by french kissing someone. I understand there is shedding involved and it can be spread through membranes and blood too. Obviously, when you kiss there is an exchange of saliva and I would feel so bad to give what I have to someone and not realize it. Also a concern of mine would be if I gave Oral sex to a man and giving it to him that way too. I contracted herpes from my husband and have not had sex with anyone for almost 2 years now since he and I seperated and my last outbreak was about a year ago...Ive had the virus for about 5 years. I just wanted to be sure that kissing is okay and to ask is it really true that the risk is lower if you have sex when you do not have a current outbreak.
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Q: If I have genital herpes and I french kiss someone can I give them the virus?
Hi there,
Thank you for your question. I'm happy to give you my advice, but you should consult your physician before adopting any new knowledge into practice. Genital herpes infection occurs through exposure of the genitals to the virus from a partner with active herpes. Genital herpes transmission can be the result of either genital or oral contact. Thus, it is highly unlikely that you could transmit genital herpes through kissing.
Finally, while there is no guaranteed method of preventing the recurrence of herpes outbreaks, here are some tips to help relieve pain and discomfort. Read Ten Ways to Manage Your Symptoms and Relieve Discomfort.
I hope I was of help, please continue to post with any other questions you may have.
Warm regards,
Madison March
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