I am a 41 year old gay man and had my first known outbreak of genital HSV1 a little over a month ago. My IGG was 19.0 and HSV1 was confirmed via culture.  The small lesion was on my inner buttock. I was given the mega dose of Valtrex for 10-12 days, I can't remember the full duration and am now taking a 500mg dose daily.  I have a history of MRSA boils after a confirmed staph infection aquired years ago.  I'm now wondering based on my high IGG if I was in fact confusing the smaller boils with having an HSV1 outbreak. (A few of the boils had to be aspirated due to the size and pain so I know they were not HSV1. I know that 19.0 is considered high, but I am not sure how "high" it is when it comes to the longevity of my HSV1 exposure and the corrolating number of shedding days. Assuming the number of shedding days decreases as time goes by.

I have extensively read the answers to other questions on this site and the use of intercourse is used a lot, but I've only seen it with regards to penial/vaginal intercourse, not penial/anal intercourse. I probably just have not clicked on enough threads, but please clarify if there is a differece and if the difference changes the likelihood of genital to genital transmission.

1. With my GHSV1 do I run the risk of transmitting GHSV1 it to a partner by just straight up kissing or making out? In other words, is my GHSV1 also living in my saliva and oral mucus membranes and transmissible to my partner's mouth even in the absence of genital contact?

2. What is the likelihood of transmission via oral sex (penis and testicles only) and receptive anal sex both with and with out a condom.  Same question about insertive anal sex.

3. Is there a typical timeline of shedding days? For example, after 3 months of positivity the shedding days are "X" and after 6 months of positivity the shedding days are "Y". 

Sadly, we don't have much data on male to male transmission. 

1.  If your infection is only genital, then you run no risk of infecting a partner by kissing or making out. 

2.  HSV 1 it rarely shed from the genital tract so the likelihood that you would infect someone else orally or through anal sex is unlikley but not impossible. Using a condom would certainly make that far less likely but it's already unlikely. 

With an index value of 19, this is definitely not a new infection.  I can't say how long you've had it but more likely years or months.  You first recognized outbreak was also mild so this is definitely a recurrence, not a new infection.

When people have new infection with HSV 1, in the first few months of infection, they shed virus on about 13% of days, at about 6 months 7% of days, and at 2 years out, they shed on about 4 days out of year. 

Terri

BTW, best $25 I’ve ever spent! 

It is unlikely yes, because HSV 1 is so infrequently shed from the genital area.  is it impossible?  No.  it is quite unlikely?  YES

And I'm so glad you like our services here.  We all like providing people with information about STI's.

Terri