Hi, I was recently diagnosed with genital HSV-1 via a DNA PCR test from a swab of a sore on my vulva. My provider said I likely got it from someone who had cold sores on/in their mouth and may not have known they had the virus or maybe forgot it was so long ago? Before I broke out with the sores I had flu-like symptoms and was tested for the flu and it was negative. I took Tamiflu anyway and the symptoms resolved in a few days. After the flu-like symptoms resolved (fever, chills, headache and body ache), I had itching inside my vagina similar to a yeast infection. I treated this with OTC anti-fungal cream and also oral fluconazole but the itching did not resolve. After 4 days of failed yeast infection treatment and 1 week since I developed the flu symptoms, 6 very small red bumps appeared on my vulva. Overnight they became more sore and oozed. They were tender and stung when I urinated. The day after the sores appeared my gynecologist tested them and prescribed Valtrex. The sores healed within a week. I did not have any antibody blood testing done. Is it safe to assume that this was truly a new infection and first outbreak because I had the flu-like symptoms and never experienced sores before that I’m aware of? Or is it more likely I really had a cold virus (or the flu just not detected by the test) and had a recurrent outbreak because my immune system was weakened, but I had never noticed symptoms of an initial outbreak? Also, now that I know I’m positive for genital HSV-1, how likely am I to give it to my partners (male and female) through unprotected oral, vaginal or anal sex (the sores were only on my vulva). I’ve read that genital HSV-1 is usually very mild compared to HSV- 2 and is likely to not occur again or only recur infrequently. It will also shed less frequently asymptomatically. Also, I’ve read that it is more likely for a man to give a woman HSV because the female genital tract has more mucosa. Is it true that the rate of transmission from a woman with genital HSV-1 to her partner on his/her mouth would be less or it is the same risk as oral HSV-1 to genitals? Thank you