If two people get oral herpes, can they get genital herpes through oral sex?!
Question: I need this cleared up, please. I've heard it is very likely to give someone genital herpes through oral sex if you get cold sores, even if there are no cold sores present at the time.
However, I've also heard that if both people involved already have oral herpes, that the chances are less likely because of built up immunities.
Can someone clear this up please?
Answers: I need this cleared up, please. I've heard it is very likely to give someone genital herpes through oral sex if you get cold sores, even if there are no cold sores present at the time.
However, I've also heard that if both people involved already have oral herpes, that the chances are less likely because of built up immunities.
Can someone clear this up please?
Yes, it IS easy to catch genital herpes from oral sex - if you are someone who does not have the oral herpes virus or has not had it very long.
Having hsv-1 in one location does usually provides you with enough immunity to the virus to prevent you getting hsv-1 in a second location.
For example, if you have oral hsv-1 first you shouldn't get genital hsv-1.
However, there are two situations when it does occasionally seem to happen.
First is if you started getting genital herpes symptoms within 3-6 months of catching oral hsv-1 - or if you caught both infections at the same time.
This is because when your body has not had the virus for very long it doesn't have a sufficient immune defence to stop you getting it in a second location - that is why you have to wait at least 3-6 months to have a blood test show positive antibodies. Before this, you are still vulnerable to the virus. In fact for the first year or two your body hasn't completely mastered fighting the virus, which is why you tend to get the most outbreaks in the first year.
The other situation is if you were to receive oral sex from your partner when they have an active cold sore, especially in the first few months after catching it orally yourself.
That is why, as a precaution, you should never have mouth to genital contact when either of you has a cold sore. The 'viral load' is increased when you are exposed to so much of the virus, and can overwhelm your immune defence.
Once you have had an hsv-1 infection in one place for a while you build up an immunity to catching it elsewhere on your body.
All the people I have met on the internet who have both genital and oral hsv-1 caught the second infection within 3 months of catching the first.
Most people have a very high level of immunity after the first six months to a year, but some people can be unlucky if their immune system is not very good.
However, for the vast majority of people, having hsv-1 in one place for over 6 months or so results in an effective immunity to catching it somewhere else which is why that is the standard medical advice given by the Herpes Viruses Association.
"If you and your partner have the same virus you will not reinfect each other - even on a different part of the body. So, if you have caught it genitally from your partner