[Question #5670] Help!! -HSV2

73 months ago

I contracted HSV2 seven years ago. I engaged in sexual contact with a new partner who is not HSV2+. He touched my vagina and may have touched himself thereafter (face and/or genitals). I do not have any signs of an outbreak and have not experienced an outbreak in two years? What are the changes of him contracting HSV2+ from digital contact (percentage)? How long is the virus contagious after leaving my vagina?

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

73 months ago

The chances of him acquiring HSV 2 in this situation is just about zero. No risk. The virus dies very quickly after leaving your vagina and it takes a significant amount of virus to infect another person, not just a touch.

Terri

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73 months ago

If he still wants to be tested, how long should he wait to know the results are conclusive? If it was to be positive, what impact (if any) does HSV2 have on one's kidneys? Would you happen to know if HSV2 disqualifies a person from being an organ donor or receiving an organ donation? Thank you so much for your help, and I truly appreciate this service!

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

73 months ago

He should ideally wait 12 weeks to be tested but there is no need!!

Being HSV 2 positive does not impact the kidneys and yes, people with HSV 2 can be organ donors for sure.

Terri

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73 months ago

I want to provide a bit more context. He is concerned about transmission, because he digitally penetrated my vagina with his fingers, a healthy amount of genital fluid got on his hand and between his fingers. Would contact with this fluid be transmissible? And if so, once transmitted, would he be at a higher risk w/ HSv2+ and a transplanted kidney patient, of not getting a new kidney (should they be on a donor list)? Would it make rejection of the kidney more likely if he was HSV2+? Does an immunosuppressed kidney transplant patient have a higher risk of contracting HSv2+ due to their compromised immune system?

I am thinking through taking a daily dose of Valtrex. What are the potential side effects? How long will it take for the daily dose to be effective in reducing the rate of transmission? After taking Valtrex, could HSV2 ever be undetectable on a blood test?

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

73 months ago

If his fingers were intact and it has been at least 10 days and he has no outbreak of herpes on his hands (which is pretty obvious if there) then I would definitely take this off the worry list for him. If he did acquire HSV 2 from some other situation and he doesn't know it, it would have no impact on a kidney transplant lists.

Very few people have any side effects from antiviral medicine. The most common ones are nausea or headache and that occurs in less than 5% of people taking the medicine, and in my experience, most resolves within 2 weeks of starting medication. You need to be on antivirals for five days before it is fully effective. Valtrex or any antiviral is not a cure for herpes so antibody will continue to be made.

Terri

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