[Question #6392] HSV-1 Gentital Herpes

14 months ago

Hi Terri,

You mentioned the shed rates below for HSV-1 Gential Herpes:

13 out of 100 days measured, but once you've had this for two years, you will only shed on about 4 days out of an entire year. Transmission through intercourse is rare

I contracted the virus at the end of May earlier this year, so I have had it for about 6 months. Do you have the shed rates after 6 months and one year? I have not had any outbreak or symptoms since the original infection.

Thanks

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

14 months ago

Great question. Dr. Johnson actually did have data about shedding at around 6 months - it went down to about 7% as I recall then. We don't have data at one year but I think we can guess that is getting lower all the time, after infection.

Terri

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14 months ago

You mentioned that transmission through intercourse is rare with genital HSV1 due to the low shedding rates. I assume it is equally as rare to transmit it to someone who performs oral sex on me who does not already have the virus? Or is that more common due to HSV1 usually being an oral virus?

Thanks,

Jim

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

14 months ago

I would say yes, it also applies to oral sex as HSV 1 is just shed so infrequently

Terri

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