[Question #12922] GHSV1 and future
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3 months ago
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Recently divorced. Been with current sexual partner for 6 months, started out w condoms then stopped. Only partner in a year. He went on vacation and when he came home we had unprotected sex and he performed oral sex on me. 4 days later I started having some burning when I went pee. 3 days after that a few bumps on anus & tiny ones on labia. I thought irritation was from maxi pad. Only minimal pain on anus bump. Went to doc within 3-4 days of bumps. She thought dermatitis but one lesion concerned her. Did swab. Confirmed hsv1. Started valtrex. Never had burning or tingling. Labia bumps gone within 5 days. My partner told me his lips were sunburnt when we were kissing and that they hurt. Did I get this from him? Can I now give him genital herpes? I have a very high sex drive and now feel like my life is over from ever having a love life again. Afraid no one will want me. Afraid to transmit it to someone else. Should I take daily valtrex? Most people say initial outbreak is severe but I’ve had worse razor burn. When will my initial outbreak be over? When can I have sex again?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
3 months ago
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I think it is likely that you did acquire your genital HSV 1 from receiving oral sex from your partner. This is way more common than you might think. Without an antibody test, it isn't possible to be certain that this is a new infection (positive swab, negative IgG antibody test indicates a new infection) but it sounds likely that this is a new infection for you. HSV 1 genital infection will recur infrequently and is shed from your body infrequently, especially after you've been infected for a year or two. In terms of your regular partner, if this did indeed come from him, it is most likely that he has HSV 1 orally and because he already has this infection, it would be very unlikely that he would now acquire this same infection genitally.
This all assumes that this infection is new and acquired from your current partner. He could have an IgG test done to determine whether he already has an HSV 1 infection.
About half the adults in the US have HSV 1 infection, so transmitting this to a new partner is also less likely.
If your current partner does indeed have HSV 1 already (remember that cold sores are caused by HSV 1), you can have sex when you are comfortable.
Please let me know what other questions you may have
Terri
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3 months ago
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Thanks for the reply.
I do believe it was a new infection because I felt flu like symptoms as well for a day or so before the bumps appeared. Since my initial outbreak wasn’t bad at all and no pain,I wouldn’t even call what I had blisters at all, also never any crusting, does that mean if any future outbreaks, will be even less severe than this one? I know recurrent ghsv1 doesn’t always happen but can . Before diagnosis, I really thought I had a case of folliculitis.
People that experience more mild outbreaks, do they shed less?
For future partners, if I am taking anti virals daily, use a condom and no outbreak, how important is it for me to disclose I have ghsv1 for sexual intercourse?
If I am shedding and a guy gives me unprotected oral, how likely is he to get hsv1 orallly if he doesn’t already have it?
This may sound silly, but if someone is shedding unknowingly but they clean their skin with alcohol before sexual activity, does that do anything to help lessen the possibility of transmission?
I know being honest with someone is always the right thing to do but the thought of telling someone I have ghsv1 makes me physically ill right now and makes me not want to get with anyone ever again. I know once I come to terms that I have this, I probably won’t be so upset over it as I am right now initially. I know this is way more common than what we all think. My fear is that, I do tell possible partners, get rejected and then they tell other people about me. I recently left an unloving marriage and was so excited to meet new people to emotionally connect (not just sexually) and now I truly feel like it won’t ever happen for me because of this.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
3 months ago
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From your description of the outbreak, I'm not clear that this was indeed your first infection. But again, without a negative antibody test, it is not clear.
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People who have fewer outbreaks likely shed less, but the severity of the outbreak does not determine shedding rates, no
If you use condoms and take daily antiviral meds, disclosure may be less important in terms of transmission, but this is something that, if disclosed later on, may impact trust in the relationship.
We don't know that cleaning genital skin with alcohol reduces the risk of transmission.
I totally understand your concerns, certainly! And you're right, this will get better over time but you're never going to be happy about it. Disclosure of HSV 1 genital infection is not clear like it is for HSV 2 because it sheds and recurs less and because about half of adults already have it. I wish I had a firm answer for you here, but I just don't. If someone tells you that they get cold sores, they are very unlikely to acquire your genital infection, I can tell you that.
Terri
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3 months ago
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Thanks Terri. I feel better already after reading so much about ghsv1. I feel like it has consumed my life reading whenever I get a chance. I felt like my provider was no help and was just like yep, this is what it is and didn’t discuss much with me.
I finished my first 10 day round of valtrex (generic form) yesterday. I asked for a monthly prescription to take daily to help prevent transmission. They prescribed me 1gram 1x day. Would it be better if I took it at once or if I broke the pill in half and took it twice a day in regards to helping prevent transmission?
If my partner and I are engaging in sexual activity and one of us has touched me down below then puts fingers in another’s mouth, is that a risk for transmission?
I know there is always a risk for genital to genital transmission with ghsv1 but it’s pretty rare from that I’ve read from this website. Is my main risk of transmission to someone by my partner doing oral on me and then he could end up with oral hsv1? If that were to happen and he wakes up with a cold sore , hypothetically I could say, oh I have oral hsv1 and they’d assumed they caught it orally from me? Not saying that’s what I would do but def a thought that crosssed my mind among a thousand other thoughts right now. I have not been in the dating scene in over 17 years.
If future partners tell me they have oral hsv1 then do I even need to disclose I have ghsv1 besides the whole trust part…?
Do I need to worry about my kids drinking after me at all?
How likely would another OB happen right away after being on valtrex 1gram 2x day for 10 days and now 1 gram 1x daily for prevention.
Thank you so much for what you do and helping educate people.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
3 months ago
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Transmission is rare because after the first year or so of being infected (and we have no idea how long you've been infected, due to the very mild presentation of your outbreak), shedding of the virus is uncommon. This applies to intercourse transmission as well as someone giving you oral sex. Now we are talking about transmission to a new partner, right, because if your current partner does have HSV 1 orally (cold sore) then the risk of giving this to him genitally is incredibly low.
Since your infection is genitally, there no worries about your kids acquiring this from you, no.
I think another outbreak right away is unlikely but if it is new, it could happen but unlikely if you are going on suppression.
Terri
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3 months ago
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There were a couple questions you missed if you wouldn’t mind answering. Thanks in advance.
I asked for a RX to take daily to help prevent transmission. They prescribed me 1gram 1x day. Would it be better if I took it at once or if I broke the pill in half & took it 2x day in regards to helping prevent transmission? If I know I’m going to be sexually active, could I up my dose to 2x a day at least 5 days prior and if I know I’m going to be refraining from sexual activity, just not take it? Or is it best to always have it in my system. I’m not worried so much about OBs for myself, just really want to prevent passing it to someone else by doing all that I can .
I know there is always a risk for genital to genital transmission with ghsv1 but it’s pretty rare from that I’ve read from this website. Is my main risk of transmission to someone by my partner doing oral on me and then he could end up with oral hsv1 if he doesn’t already have it? If that were to happen and he wakes up with a cold sore or genital bumps, hypothetically I could say, I have oral hsv1 and they’d assume they caught it from oral on me or me doing oral on them? Not saying that’s what I would do but def a thought that crossed my mind among a thousand other thoughts right now because we all know hearing cold sore vs genital herpes is easier to hear.
If future partners tell me they have oral hsv1 then do I even need to disclose I have ghsv1 besides the whole trust part…?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
3 months ago
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Sorry about that. 500 mg twice a day offers very slightly better coverage for shedding, yes. It takes five days in your system to be fully effective, so that should be your timing prior to having sex.
Telling a partner that you have oral HSV 1 may be more worrisome to an educated person because the literature available strongly supports that HSV 1 oral infection is more active than genital HSV 1.
Do you have to tell someone who tells you that they have coldsores that you have genital HSV 1? I've not been asked that before. Since transmission to that person is so unlikely, it may not be necessary BUT in a longer term relationship, if it ever came up on the future,I think trust could be a problem, that you've kept this from them. Just a thought.
Terri
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