Herpes ????!

No, you aren't going to give it to each other now you both have it - the only time this can happen is if one of you has caught the virus recently - within the last 3-6 months - and has therefore not built up full protection to it!. There is also a slight risk that if you have sex during an outbreak, the large quantities of virus you are exposing your partner to can overwhelm their immune response - which is why it is safer to avoid contact when you have symptoms!. Any other time it is fine!. The overwhelming majority of people who have hsv-1 in both places caught it in both places at the same time - since if you are having oral sex you are also likely to be kissing as well!.

My boyfriend and I are the same - he gave it to me genitally and he has hsv-1 orally!. We have had sex when I have been having an outbreak - and I have kissed him when he has an open cold sore (by accident) but we have never transferred the virus to each other again!. We even carried on having unprotected sex through most of my primary outbreak until we knew what it was!. He was fine!.

Once you both have it, you both produce antibodies to that virus which stop either of you getting it again in a second place!. That is why 80% of people have oral hsv-1, but all the partners of those people do not have genital hsv-1, despite the fact that most practice oral sex!.

Additionally, it is not believed that it triggers outbreaks - it has certainly never triggered outbreaks for us!. The herpes just isn't something we give a second thought to anymore - we have unprotected sex like any other couple!.

This website answers your question on the FAQ page:
http://www!.herpes!.org!.uk/faq!.html

The answer was as follows:
!.!.!."Will my partner catch it again if he or she already has it!?"
!.!.!.!."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 on your genitals from your partner

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