How did I get herpes

How did I get herpes, why

A diagnosis of herpes often comes as a shock and can leave you asking “how did I get herpes”? "Did my recent sex partner gave me herpes?" There are many possibilities and some you might find surprising.

Learn the types of herpes and how herpes is spread

There are two types herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Oral herpes caused by HSV-1. Genital herpes is usually caused by the herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2). Get more herpes facts.

How is herpes is spread? Herpes is easily spread from skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the virus. You can get it when your genitals and/or mouth touch their genitals and/or mouth — usually during oral, anal, and vaginal sex.

According to the CDC, herpes can be spread through anal, vaginal, or oral sex. HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found in and released from the herpes sores that the virus cause. HSV-1 is oral herpes, which can be transmitted by kissing when there is an open sore to the mouth. An open sore on the mouth can also spread the virus to the genitals during oral sex, causing the partner to breakout in “fever blisters.” HSV-2 is genital herpes, which is mainly spread through genital to genital contact when there is an open sore. The virus enters a new host through breaks in the skin. There is also a smaller possibility of spreading herpes when no signs of the virus are present. This is called viral shedding.

Herpes is possible to transmit the virus whether you have symptoms or not. In fact, most transmissions occur from people who don't have any symptoms and do not even know they are infected.

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How long before symptoms typically show?

The herpes virus can lay dormant for various time periods and may be in your system for a time period before any symptoms begin to show. The usual incubation period of the virus (time before any symptoms show) is approximately two to twelve days after the first exposure to the virus.

You May Have Herpes For Years and Not Know It

It is possible to have herpes for a very long time – even years – before you have a noticeable outbreak. The recent outbreak may have been brought on by stress or other factors that lowered your immune system and triggered your outbreak.

The only way to know for sure whether you got herpes recently – or sometime in the past – is by getting one of the “good” herpes blood tests and a herpes lab culture from your outbreak as soon as you have symptoms. If the culture is positive for HSV2, but the blood test is negative for HSV-2, then the infection is new. If the blood test is positive for HSV2 antibodies, then you probably acquired the virus in the past.

You can have herpes and never have an outbreak or any other noticeable signs or symptoms. In fact, the CDC reports that an estimated 87.4 percent of 14-49 year olds with HSV-2 infections in the U.S. Up to 80% of people who are infected with HSV-2 show no signs of the infection. Read more how common is herpes.

Symptoms appear differently for each person

The symptoms of a herpes infection vary widely from person to person, and most of the time there are no clinical manifestations. The Herpes virus can show little to no symptoms in one partner but cause blisters and pain for the other. It all depends on the person and how their body deals with the virus.

Previous symptoms may not have been recognized

There may have been signs of herpes before but they were dismissed as being nothing important because they were so small or insignificant. Some outbreaks consist of just redness, inflammation, resembling a paper-cut, tear or pimple. Just because it looks like the ;first outbreak; doesnt necessarily mean it is.

Who gave you herpes?

I have just had my first episode of herpes. Does this mean my current partner gave herps to me? Many people who are diagnosed with genital herpes for the first time assume – often incorrectly – that they got herpes from their most recent partner. If they are in a relationship for a long time and then one day get herpes symptoms, they may assume – again often incorrectly – that their partner cheated on them.

However, it is often the case that they got herpes from a previous partner, but just didn’t have any noticeable symptoms until much later. Because everyone’s body and immune system is different, some people with herpes NEVER have noticeable symptoms, while other people may have occasional or regular outbreaks.

As the virus which causes herpes stays in your body for life it is difficult to tell when you have caught it. Although many people encounter symptoms within weeks of getting infected this does not go for everyone. The symptoms can also be so mild that you do not notice them, so it is possible that you have had a very mild herpes outbreak in the past which has gone unnoticed.

All of this is to say that if you do test positive for herpes, there is almost no chance of pinpointing who gave it to you.

Has My Partner Been Unfaithful?

If you are in a relationship and you or your partner have just been diagnosed with herpes it does not necessarily mean that either of you have been unfaithful. It is possible to be monogamous in a relationship AND have an outbreak or diagnosis occur for the first time.

The infection might be old, but this could be the first sign of symptoms

The herpes virus can lay in a dormant, sleep like state and not cause any outbreaks or symptoms — sometimes for years. Then, once in a blue moon (normally when your immune system is a little run down) it may decide to show itself.

How will herpes affect your life

Herpes hasn’t affected your body nearly as bad as you thought it would. The first outbreak is the worst, leading you to believe that you are going to have flu like symptoms and extreme burning every time you get an outbreak.

The first herpes outbreak is always the worst because your body hasn’t built up anti-bodies to the virus yet. The sores may take up 3 weeks to heal (without medication), and can cause burning, itching, fevers, chills, and swollen lymph nodes.

According to WebMD, people who have symptoms average about 5 outbreaks during the first few years. 15-20% of people actually never have an outbreak again after their first. Each outbreak has been shorter and less painful than the previous, and they are nothing like the horror pictures that are shown in health class.

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