HSV-1 and HSV-2 Infections

[chrome-lover.livejournal.com]

Hey, I have a question for you all. My boyfriend has HSV-1 (oral herpes) and I guess I have it too (my last cold sore was five years ago). My question is, how easy is it for him to transmit HSV-1 to me as genital herpes (HSV-2)? I know it's possible, but I'm wondering, if so many people have HSV-1 (~80%) then how come more people haven't accidentally transmitted genital herpes (20-25%)?

Thanks!

Comments

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I understand the question.

HSV1 and HSV2 are two separate (yet very similar) viruses. HSV1 occurs more commonly on the mouth and HSV2 occurs more commonly on the genitals. However, you can get HSV1 on your genitals and HSV2 or your mouth. However, your boyfriend can't give you HSV2 unless he has it himself. He could theoretically give you HSV1 on your genitals if he gave you oral sex, but I'm not sure how likely that would be since if you have HSV1 you already have antibodies to it. But if you have HSV1 on your genitals you have HSV1 on your genitals, not HSV2.

[ends-and-means.livejournal.com]

i agree.

more than likely you'll be fine if neither of you has a breakout during contact. it can be transferred when there are no signs, but the chances are much less than if there is a sore.

[glasspumpkin.livejournal.com]

HSV-1 and HSV-2 are different viruses - you can read about each one here (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Herpes_%28HSV-1/HSV-2%29#What.27s_the_difference_between_HSV-1_and_HSV-2.3F). But both viruses can manifest themselves on the mouth and/or genitals. As discussed by the Department of Health and Human Services (http://www.4woman.org/faq/stdherpe.htm#2), "HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips or 'fever blisters.'" Teenwire (http://www.teenwire.com/ask/2001/as-20010824p270.php) also tells us that "both types of herpes can be sexually transmitted and both types can appear on the mouth or on the genitals."

You will get a lot of great information out of the Herpes (HSV-1/HSV-2) vulvapedia article, which can be found here (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Herpes_%28HSV-1/HSV-2%29). Good luck!

[archangelbeth]

This is an interesting question to research!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/08/020821070352.htm is a fascinating page in general, regarding Herpes (with links to things such as its use in fighting breast cancer, or studies as to whether it's useful for the immune system)!

Go Ask Alice suggests that once infected, your immune system is much more likely to smack down any other attempts to infect you elsewhere.

http://www.ihmf.org/general/resources03.asp seems to corroborate that: the virus, in the initial phase, infects nerve cells and travels up them to the base of the skull or the sacral area of the spine, and lies dormant there. When the immune system is weakened enough for it to flare up, it travels back along the nerves to cause the flare up on the skin. (Chicken pox does roughly the same thing, though more rarely, causing shingles.)

That site also notes that they can do a blood test to determine what kind of herpes virus you both have -- they can't tell the site of it, but if you both have HSV-1 antibodies, then you'll know that you don't have to worry about HSV-2 from each other. HOWEVER! As that site notes, there are people who have HSV-2 antibodies who have never experienced a flareup! "Up to 60% of people who have genital HSV infection show no signs of the disease and are unaware that they are infected."

And then there's http://www.herpes.com/hsv1-2.html -- which makes me go, "AHH!" and whine because HSV-1 can, rarely, do some nasty things and I've already rolled the friggin' low chance on Occular Histoplasmosis. I don't want this effin' cold sore to do more stuff to me! ...Maybe the Histo will keep out the HSV. O:p However, back on topic: "Acquisition of one type is more difficult-though certainly possible-if you already have the other type. This is because either type, contracted orally or genitally, causes the body to produce antibodies, some of which are active against both HSV-1 and 2. This [...] gives some limited protection if the body encounters a second type. When a person with a prior HSV infection does contract the second type, the first episode tends to be less severe [...]. [...] Some studies suggest that the ganglia themselves may acquire some immunity to HSV after they are exposed to one viral type.
  In the laboratory, infection of ganglia with more than one virus is difficult, suggesting that it may be more difficult to acquire a second HSV type in a location where you already have HSV. A prior genital infection with HSV-1, for example, may give more protection against genital HSV-2 than a prior oral infection with HSV-1."

So. Your boyfriend cannot transmit HSV-2 to you at all unless that's his "cold sore," or unless he has HSV-1 and HSV-2, but has never had any flare ups of HSV-2 at all, which is within the realm of possibility, but is not OMG-CERTAIN!!1!. He could transmit HSV-1 to your genital region, but -- presuming you have HSV-1 and not oral HSV-2 -- you already have antibodies to HSV-1, so you probably wouldn't catch it from there. Probably. Likewise, assuming you both have the same HSV (1 or 2), you are very unlikely to infect him genitally by performing oral sex on him. (Especially if y'all abstain from oral sex when one has a cold sore, or if you're in a generally stressful situation which might be compromising your immune system.)

Anyway, for your last question: according to that last link, in some places, many people do have HSV-1 genitally because they got exposed to it there first. In the US, most people get the thing from some form of saliva-transmission to the face (relatives, necking, etc.). Once they've gotten it, the immune system says "WTF? No more of that!" but can't root it out of its hiding place in the nerve ganglion, so it can recur when the immune system is feeling poorly and fails to beat it back from the non-nerve cells. However, when it comes in elsewhere, the immune system says, "Ah-ha! Trying to sneak in the secret basement door, were you? Die!" And usually, the immune system wins.

I hope that's been helpful to you! It was a very informative Google for me. O:>

[vagueexistence.livejournal.com]

Not to be a party pooper but I got HSV1 on my genitals from a guy with a cold sore going down on me. It happens.

if you both have type 1

[vulgar1.livejournal.com]

he could transmit it to your gentials but that wouldnt make it type 2 it would still just be type 1 because that is what he has, but if you already have the virus it is VERY unlikely you will get it genitally because your body already has antibodies built up to resist you getting it in another area, like very very unlikely - I wouldnt let him go down on you while he was having an outbreak but otherwise you should be totally fine - I wouldnt worry about it at all