[Question #1584] Child touched Abreva Pump and Touched Genitals....Possible HSV1 transfer

80 months ago
Hello, 
I am an HSV1 and HSV2 positive mother. I don't remember the last time I had an active cold sore but I use an abreva pump that you place the medicine on your finger and then place on lip. Sometimes I do more than one application at a time when I workout to prevent cold sores from coming up......so I touch my lip and rub some and then get some more and rub.  Again, no active cold sore for at least a month maybe two. My daughter touched the pump with her hand the other day and I didn't think anything about it at the time. About five minutes later I went upstairs. My daughter is also bad about wiping herself so sometimes we have to put cream on her if she gets irritated. I let her pull back her labia so I could check to see if she was red before her bath because I get scared to touch her because of my status. I am so fearful. Anyways, now I am scared she could have gotten some hsv1 virus from the abreva tube and transmitted it to her genitals. What is the risk of transmission? Could it live on abreva? Thank you so much for what you do. God Bless.
80 months ago
I failed to mention that i don't even remember when I had used the tube last. 
80 months ago
Mrs. Terri, 
Since I have paid twice, may I ask you one more question. I hope you see this. I posted on your other forum too. I just keep thinking about all the instances that I may have put her at risk that have happened. One night I had long leg pajamas on without underwear. I didn't notice there was a hole in my pajamas and my daughter had been laying and sitting in my lap. She had on underwear and a pajama dress. I can't remember if she was battling molluscum contagiosum at the time or not.  If she brushed up against that hole and my genitals possibly touched her legs or the bottom of her buttocks that may have been exposed by her moving around,  would there have been a risk of transmission with the molluscum or even without the molluscum.  She battled it for a while which initially started all these std transmission fears when she contracted it and I didn't know what it was at first. Please help me so I can put this all to rest.  I know it is crazy to post on two forums but I am desperate to move on and believe she is okay. It affects me every day. I am seeing a therapist. 
Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
80 months ago
The situation that you describe does not put her at risk for herpes.  I know you are worried, but herpes truly is a sexually transmitted disease.  It takes the kind of contact that sex provides - either oral sex or vaginal or anal intercourse.  It requires a certain amount of virus, it requires a certain type of friction to work the virus into the tissue and most often, it requires repeated contact.  Your situation just doesn't fit this at all.  Not even a little.
Does your daughter ever go to daycare?   Molluscum is a common condition in day care settings.

Terri
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80 months ago
At the time she did....she is in Kindergarten now. There were a few children that may have had it but I know my niece and nephew had it and she had been staying at their house for a few days. They both have eczema so their family is used to skin conditions but it worried me because the spots were all over and between her legs. I took her to the pediatrician and they diagnosed it and eventually it got bad enough that I took her to a dermatologist and she was treated with cantharidin 2x which was horrific to look at initially but it helped clear it up.  She is my everything. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. I just want to keep her safe.  So no risk in what I described even with the molluscum clearing up in different stages? 
80 months ago
I just worry when I get on the internet and find posts of parents that say that their young child somehow caught HSV2 from them and they weren't sexually abused. There aren't a lot that I have found but those still make me nervous. What do you think?
80 months ago
Even if she moved around a lot....like she does?   She doesn't sit still.  I know there are a lot of variables........I just want to hear no risk I guess. You are the only person I trust. 
80 months ago
The former response was referring to the situation of her moving around and laying and playing with. I don't know how much contact if all that there was. I just know there was a possibility of some repeated contact. Thank you for bearing with me these last few days. I promise I will fight these fears.  I just need this last situation resolved for me and you are the only expert I trust.
Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
80 months ago
I know what your former post was about, I get it completely.  There is zero risk in the experience with the PJ's.  None. 
If there are parents who say their children got HSV 2 and they aren't sexually molested I don't believe them.  Period.  No way.  Remember that evil people on the internet will say anything to scare people - and who knows why?  It makes no sense to me at all.  But I know for a fact that it happens.  So please try your best to ignore these things and trust me.  Your child is not at risk.  I know that as a mom our children are everything to us, but this worry is not reasonable.  Keep trying to battle these irrational beliefs. 

It isn't OK to keep posting here - there are rules about repetitive posts and they will be eliminated.  Please trust me and believe me about this.  OK?

Terri
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