i have been diagnosed with genital herpes.  my question is can genital herpes be transmitted by kissing?  I have never been an outbreak of any sores or any fever blisters on my mouth, only on the genitals.  My last outbreak was over 1 year ago and they have been infrequent before that time.   I understand the precautions to be taken for transmission through sexual intercourse, and the 3 step method for prevention of infection to another person.  I am just trying to clarify if i should be worried about kissing an uninfected person. 

If your infection is only genital then no, kissing not at all a risk for transmission.  The virus does not leave the genital area, travel up your body and out your mouth.  It just stays in the group of nerves at the base of the spine and can come out anywhere in the area covered by a pair of boxer shorts, so basically waist to mid thigh but not the face.  Hope that helps!  You've got two more questions to ask, if you need any clarification.

Best,
Terri
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thank you for your response...that was exactly what i thought but was not sure.

I'm a little confused here and I'm hoping you can clarify.  You have been diagnosed with genital herpes.  Was that HSV 1 or HSV 2?  Are you asking if you give our partner oral sex or if they give it to you?  If you have well established genital herpes, you will not get oral herpes subsequently, if you are the give of oral sex to your partner.  So how were you diagnosed with genital herpes again?

Terri
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thank you....i think you answered it when you said "If you have well established genital herpes, you will not get oral herpes subsequently, if you are the giver of oral sex to your partner. "

OK, that whole explanation certainly helps.  If you were my patient, I would definitely want to know if you had HSV 1 or HSV 2.  They behave very differently in the genital area and if you have HSV 1, is it also possible that you new partners has this as well, or if she hasn't actually been tested with the IgG test, we don't really know if she has HSV 2 or not, do we?  Eighty percent of those infected with HSV 2 don't know they have it.  Wouldn't it be ironic if she has HSV 2, doesn't know it, and you have HSV 1 genitally?  Then you would still be susceptible to her HSV 2 infection.  You don't mention how you were diagnosed with genital herpes exactly - was it swab test or just a visual exam?  I'm guessing it was a swab test that was untyped but it would be good to know. 

As for your question about the oral sex:  If you only have symptoms genitally, I think you need to assume that your infection is only genital.  Could you have acquired it orally as well?  Yes, it's conceptually possible but there is just no way to know that with 100% certainty.  You need a way to live with this, and if you were my patient I would say that if you have no lesions orally, then you should assume that you have it only genitally. 

In summary, I would suggest that you both get type specific IgG antibody tests to know what you exactly both have.  And also assume that you have it genitally, period. 
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Best,
Terri
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