Bother partners have herpes
When both partner have herpes, they may have many questions.
- So both my partner and I have tested positive for HSV-2, how should our sex lives change?
- Is oral sex an option for us?
- If one of us is having an outbreak and the other is not, can we still have sex?
- Would sex during an outbreak cause the other partner to get an outbreak?
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If you and your partner both have HSV-1 or HSV-2, would sex during an outbreak cause the other partner to get an outbreak?
If you or your parnter's infection is less than 4 months old then he / you might be at small risk of getting further infections. It is very unlikely unless have direct contact with an active outbreak.
If your patner and you have the same strain for over 4 months, an outbreak on one won't trigger one on the other.
Once a person is infected with a type of herpes in one location, they become largely protected from getting infected with the same type of herpes in another location at a later point in time.
This is because after one is infected with herpes the body creates antibodies to fight the virus. The body maintains these antibodies in the bloodstream and they protect from further infection. Different people generate antibodies at different rates, but by about 4 months post-infection the vast majority of people will have enough antibodies to prevent any further infection by the same type.
Many people will have sufficient antibodies a lot sooner than that (eg after several weeks).
Both partners with HSV1, one is having an outbreak, will kissing/oral sex cause outbreak in the other?
There's many different strains of the same virus, meaning that even though both of you have HVS-1, you can still infect each other with a different strain. If a person has cold sores on their lips, they can transmit them to their partner's genital area during oral sex. Similarly, a genital HSV-1 infection can be transmitted to a partner's mouth.
If one of your got it from the other, it'll be of the same strain, and you have nothing to worry. In that case, no, an outbreak on one won't trigger one on the other.
Bother partner have HSV2
If one of us is having an outbreak and the other is not, can we still have sex? Would sex during an outbreak cause the other partner to get an outbreak?
If you or your parnter's infection is less than 4 months old then he / you might be at small risk of getting further infections. It is very unlikely unless have direct contact with an active outbreak.
If your patner and you have the same strain for over 4 months, an outbreak on one won't trigger one on the other.
Can HSV2 be transmitted orally mouth to mouth?
You may want to know odds about transmitting the same type to a new place on your body. Almost all autoinoculation (transferring it to another place on your body) occurs during and around the time of the first infection. Once a good immune response to the virus has been mounted (and that usually takes about 4 months) autoinoculation if very rare. If it was easy, we would see small children who get cold sores transferring the virus to their genital often, which we never see.
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As long as the relationship is monogamous, both partners have the same type of herpes infection(s) (known as a seroconcordant couple), and both partners are free of other sexually transmitted infections, it's not necessary to use barrier methods like condoms or dental dams. Friction can aggravate herpes sores and slow healing, so you may want to avoid getting it on when one of you has an outbreak for comfort reasons.
On a related note, some folks with herpes actually seek a partner who has the same strain(s) of herpes, that way there's no risk of passing on the virus.
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PositiveSingles is one of the most popular dating websites for people suffering from herpes and other STD. It was initiated in 2001. With 1,510,800+ members you are sure to find lots of potentail people around you.