Is genital herpes contagious before the initial breakout?
A friend of mine had sex with a girl who a few weeks later experienced her first herpes breakout. She didn’t tell anyone including him or me and about 2 months after that him and I had sex. it’s been about 4 months since that and we just found out about the herpes and now I’m freaking out. I’m planning to go to the Dr. but I really need to know, what is the likely hood that she gave it to him and them him to me? I know that it’s far more contagious during a breakout but how soon before a breakout can it be highly contagious as well?
and about a month ago I had a cut on my vulva swabbed and tested for herpes and it was negative, but I haven’t had a blood test yet.
There is a slight chance of passing herpes on, even before the initial break out. Herpes can lie dormant in your body for long periods of time before the initial break out so it’s possible that she could have had it for months before she knew she had herpes.
There are a couple of possibilities as to how she could have gotten herpes. Maybe she got it from the guy that she had sex with, or from a previous partner and they had no idea that they had herpes. It’s almost common for people to have herpes and not even know it. It’s very hard for people with herpes to tell other people that they have it, because of the way people usually react when they find out about some one having herpes.
If she slept with your friend then there is a slight risk that she could have passed it to him. Herpes is highly contagious usually during an out break but there is a slight chance of passing it when there are no signs of an out break. There is a possibility that she could have passed herpes to your friend and if you ever had sex with him then he could have passed it to you.
Antibodies for herpes takes about 3-6 months to build up enough to give you proper results. If that cut ever happens again then get it retested for herpes or have a blood test done.
November 28th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
It’s always contagious, even before the 1st breakout. But before then, the chances are very, very, very low. There’s just not enough virus to easily infect someone. Still get checked out.
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November 28th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
if you all had unprotected sex then you have this virus, too!
HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found in and released from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between outbreaks from skin that does not appear to have a sore. Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected.
HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips, so-called “fever blisters.” HSV-1 infection of the genitals can be caused by oral-genital or genital-genital contact with a person who has HSV-1 infection. Genital HSV-1 outbreaks recur less regularly than genital HSV-2 outbreaks.
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November 28th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
There is a slight chance of passing herpes on, even before the initial break out. Herpes can lie dormant in your body for long periods of time before the initial break out so it’s possible that she could have had it for months before she knew she had herpes.
There are a couple of possibilities as to how she could have gotten herpes. Maybe she got it from the guy that she had sex with, or from a previous partner and they had no idea that they had herpes. It’s almost common for people to have herpes and not even know it. It’s very hard for people with herpes to tell other people that they have it, because of the way people usually react when they find out about some one having herpes.
If she slept with your friend then there is a slight risk that she could have passed it to him. Herpes is highly contagious usually during an out break but there is a slight chance of passing it when there are no signs of an out break. There is a possibility that she could have passed herpes to your friend and if you ever had sex with him then he could have passed it to you.
Antibodies for herpes takes about 3-6 months to build up enough to give you proper results. If that cut ever happens again then get it retested for herpes or have a blood test done.
References :
November 28th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Yes, before, during, after and when there are no symptoms.
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November 28th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Yes and when it is bubbling.
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November 28th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Its still contagious.. I was put in the same situatuon.. get a blood test.. a lot more people have it then you think.. most have it and dont know about it due to no symptoms/ no outbreaks
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