Wednesday, September 03, 2008 funnyx asks

Q: When shedding can you really pass it again to yourself and then blister if you don't have open sores

I really cannot find any conclusive evidance on just how contagious is asymptomatic shedding (in terms of causing new blisters) is to yourself or your partner if you both already have the virus? I recently got diagonised with HSV-2 but think I may have had for years without knowing it. Anyway, I am now trying to figure out the following. If you are "asymptomaticly shedding", but have no outward signs (blisters etc) can you really pass it to other areas of your body or you partners body which would then result in new visuable blisters if you are both postive? Some people on the web have said yes but I don't think I buy that as the shedding passing, although contagious to non-infected folks they are not open sores. I also think your body would have built up an immune system to it to some degree. So sores or not you should be ok? Or would you?-i just don't know? Also, if it is so contagious then why (it is on the crack of groin where my leg meets, when I have blisters doesn't it spread all over my groin on just contact? It has never gone beyond two little pimples. Something just doesn't make any sense here. The only thing that gives me pause is all of the pictures on the web where people seem to have it all over the face or their back etc.which is both sad and scary. But I must say I have never seen or met anyone in real day to day life that has had that kind of infection so advanced on their face or anywhere else for that matter. Where do they get these pictures of these people? Are they homeless and just don't know better? I am not trying to be insulting to anyone who has it this bad as I feel horrible for them but something just doesn't add up to me. I also have read that up to 70% of the porn industry is believed to have HSV-II and they don't get tested and hide it between each other.They do this as they would lose their fan base and potentially they would lose their jobs. So.....if that is the case, why don't these porn actors have scares and outbreaks all over there bodies? I also read they take medication etc but it still seems odd to me that it is not all over them. Yes, of coarse they do no perform as much (call in sick a day or two etc) when they are breaking out but it still seems like a stretch to me. So in summary how contagious is HSV-II for people that already have it as far as giving new blisters to yourself and others who are already positive when shedding?

I also am trying to find a home test kit for asymptomatic shedding and have told there is nothing out on the market yet. Why no drug company has not come out with this is beyond me as it would be HUGE to helping to stop the spread of the disease and not to mention it being a big money maker for them. So my next question then would be, how do the doctors tell if you are shedding in these test patience I keep reading about concerning all of these facts and figures on shedding if there is no way to check for this? I may just save my pennies and get the same materials they are using so I can do it at home. Any info on this would be appreciated as well.

Thank you

Answers (2)

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healthgal

9/ 4/08 12:04am

Let me be quick and to the point - If you are positive for HSV2 then your picture can remain asymptomatic in terms of rashes or eveolve over years into full blown rash recurrences and "everything in between." This is a variable disease and people present differently. Asymptomatic shedding to most health professionals simply means you transfer disease without having obvious rash or physical outward signs - period. many people "shed' disease and don't know they are HSV@ positive - they are not prompted to get tested because they don't have the physical clues.

And viruses are really hard to test for - but the IgG ad IgM blood tests are considered the current best tests - if you have it - one of those 2 tests - if not both - will diagnose it.

DvW

9/ 4/08 5:35pm

Funnyx,

Allow me add to the answer already given. Okay, so you seem to have educated yourself fairly well, but like you, I too had these same questions. Doctors throw around terms like "increasing your viral load", etc., but where and what do the actual studies show? If you can take the medical jargon, do a google search for pub med, then type in hsv-2, or herpes, or asymptomatic shedding into the search box. This site allows access to abstracts of articles that have been published in scientific journals, and is THE SITE for medical researchers.

Here is my two cents: You've got it, sounds like your partner does too. The first thing you have to realize is that 70% of ALL herpes infections are the result of asymptomatic shedding (apr 2008 American Journal Obstetrics & Gynecology). Your established sites secrete active virus, period. This does not bode well for someone you're with that is not infected, especially since you (like myself) present in an area that can not be covered by a condom. Another recent study (march 2008 Sexually Transmitted Diseases) tested Valtrex with regard to asymptomatic shedding. 84% had no shedding while on Valtrex, and 54% had no shedding while on placebo. This means that while Valtrex is effective at reducing shedding, it does not prevent it.

So everyone responds differently to viruses, medications, foods, etc. These severe cases you've seen online, while very unfortunate, are not the norm with regard to herpes presentation. These individuals likely were exposed to a decent amount of the virus, and it (the virus) found numerous sites to enter the skin. Usually, most people don't even know they have it, which is why, in its evolution, herpes has become such an effective virus. It seems that once you're infected through a break in the skin, the virus takes up residence in the nerves in the area, and thus a "site" is established. Your body combats the virus, but herpes wins this battle and becomes a chronic infection with or without reoccurrences. Antibodies to the virus develop, and it is thought to be this process that keeps you from having more blisters develop in other areas through subsequent exposure. Take chicken pox (another herpes virus) for example. You get it and have an outbreak. You're still exposed to this virus quite a bit throughout your life, but you only have the one outbreak. Some people, but not all, experience subsequent outbreaks, usually later in life, that are commonly called Shingles.

Now this brings us to the meat of your question. You want to know if your outbreaks, or herpes in general, will get worse if you have sex with a partner that is also infected. My personal experience is no, but there are considerations. I have had sex w/o a condom with the woman that gave me herpes countless times...no additional blistering (I've only ever had three blisters). In theory, this makes sense, but like I said before, everyone is different. I have read cases where individuals that have had outbreaks (always in the same site) later developed herpes on the fingertips (herpes whitlow), and other cases where HSV-2 popped up on the mouth as well. Perhaps they had an infection there all along and it just never presented, or perhaps they were infected with a different strain...who knows.

I tend to think that if you are sure yours and her strains are identical, it is unlikely that you would develop new sites. I would not, however, risk oral sex either way...no sense in adding insult to injury. I would not have sex if either of you is having an outbreak either. I would take Valtrex, and continue to search the literature with regard to these questions you have. Medical science doesn't have all of the answers...individual variation makes this impossible, thus I think it is good that you pose these questions to "the community", which is comprised of people like ourselves. I can only speak from my experience about this, and please note that I am not a doctor, just well-informed. I recently posed a question similar to yours on this site (infected partners and sex w/o a condom, was the title). It was answered today by Healthgal...look for it under recent questions. Healthcare professionals will always give cautious advice, and this is understandable, but I think if you are smart you can avoid any further complications.

As for the asymptomatic shed-kit, though good in theory, it will likely never happen. Also, herpes is likely the least of porn stars' concerns.

Q: When shedding can you really pass it again to yourself and then blister if you don't have open sores

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