Practical Question - Can sex make it worse ????

[schaeffz]

Can sex spread the herpes to other nerve endings?

If a woman has an outbreak area, can simple intercourse, even if protected, spread the virus from the initial site to other sites?

Can liquid in a condom spread the virus from the initial site to other sites on the penis?

I suppose yes is the answer.

Has anyone had this experience, having new outbreak sites show up?

[Gayla]

My understanding...

And anyone who happens to read this that may have a different answer, feel free to add it.

My understanding is this...

When a person is very new to having herpes, the greatest risk of spreading it to oneself is during the first few months. Until the body has had a chance to build up antibodies that will keep the virus in check.

If a person has had the virus for some time, there is little if any risk of spreading it. Once you have herpes, you cannot get it again.

It's my understanding that type 2 offers resistance to type 1 and that type 1 offers some, but not a lot of resistance to type 2.

Hope that makes sense.

Now, if a person is having an outbreak and has sex, it could "feel" as though it's making matters worse simply from the friction, but it's really not.

Make sense?

Gayla

[Christie]

That does make sense. I also have been told that once someone contracts herpes...you cannot be reinfected. (Thank goodness!) I read that having sexual intercourse can sometimes trigger an outbreak, and that in a lot of cases, the longer one has herpes, the less the chance of having serious outbreaks or being contagious because the body gradually builds up more and more immunity to the virus.

[blackcat]

So if my gf who gave me herpes is shedding the virus (no lesions visable) and I (who just got it from her 3 weeks ago) could technically get more herpes lesions on top of the ones that I already (but have since gone away for the time being) have if we had unprotected sex...but that the chance is very slim?

[DQ4U]

Re: My understanding...

If a person has had the virus for some time, there is little if any risk of spreading it. Once you have herpes, you cannot get it again.

It's my understanding that type 2 offers resistance to type 1 and that type 1 offers some, but not a lot of resistance to type 2.

Are you saying that if I have HSV1/cold sores that I have some resistance to getting type 2? (genital)

That does make sense. I also have been told that once someone contracts herpes...you cannot be reinfected. (Thank goodness!) I read that having sexual intercourse can sometimes trigger an outbreak' date= and that in a lot of cases, the longer one has herpes, the less the chance of having serious outbreaks or being contagious because the body gradually builds up more and more immunity to the virus.

You can't be reinfected? Where did ya get your information. I have been researching and can't seem to find any updated info. How can one find out they are building an immunity to the virus?

[Christie]

Since there is no cure to rid herpes out of the body (it is always there even if it's inactive), once someone contracts it, they cannot be "re-infected" because they already have it. This is what my doctor has explained to me. The body gradually builds up antibodies in order to combat the herpes virus from the point of infection and is continually doing so. Depending on how long you've had herpes, a doctor can take a blood sample and test it for the herpes antibodies. That is, to the best of my knowledge, the most accurate way of knowing if you're builiding up immunity or not.

[gingerblister]

my doctor told me that if u have herpes at one place u alway get get it somewhere else if u are not careful u can get infected over and over agian

[heidi]

"if u have herpes at one place u alway get get it somewhere else"

Yes, this is my understanding, too. You CAN get herpes genitally even if you already have it orally. I don't know if maybe the odds are less because you already have immunity, but what happens is that in between outbreaks, the herpes lodges, dormant, in the roots of the nerves (that is, near where the nerves enter the spinal cord).

If you have oral herpes, the nerves for your mouth are infected and the herpes viruses live and hide out in the nerve roots in your neck. When you have an outbreak, the virus travels along the nerve from the roots near the spine to the tips at the skin, and you get an outbreak on your mouth. You can have oral outbreaks from HSV-1 OR HSV-2.

Ditto for the genitals. HSV-1 and HSV-2 can both cause genital outbreaks, and the viruses hide out in the nerves at the bottom of the spine.

BUT, the herpes cannot travel on its own in between the nerve roots of your body. Once it's in a site (either the top or the bottom of the spine), it will stay there. I think it can travel down different nerves that each root branches into, which is why sometimes people have outbreaks that cover wide regions of skin; but I'm not sure about this.

SO, since there are different sites of infection, you CAN get infected twice. Having oral cold sores WILL NOT NECESSARILY PROTECT YOU from getting genital herpes!! Please be careful!!

I don't know if having HSV-1 will make you immune to getting HSV-2 in the same spot, though...

[dob0311]

Serologies

From what I understand, HSV1 and HSV2 are different serologies, which means that they trigger different, though related, immune responses. Because of this, you certainly can contract HSV2 if you already have HSV1 in a region, and vice versa. I know of no immunity conferred from having one over the other.

I have received this information from more than one GYN and website, so I hope this helps.

[SpecialGuest1234]

Can sex spread the herpes to other nerve endings?

No, that isn't how it works.

Genital herpes resides in the sacral ganglia at the base of the spine. When it becomes active it will travel the nerve pathways to the surface of the skin. That can be basically anywhere below the belt line but usually in the boxer shorts area.

If a woman has an outbreak area, can simple intercourse, even if protected, spread the virus from the initial site to other sites?

No, that's not how that works.

Can liquid in a condom spread the virus from the initial site to other sites on the penis?

No, that's not how that works either.

I suppose yes is the answer.

[

No, yes is NOT the answer.

Has anyone had this experience, having new outbreak sites show up?

Outbreaks will show up anywhere in the intended area depending on the location of the virus. It's either going to reside at the top of the spine (for oral herpes) or the bottom of the spine (for genital herpes).

I'm not sure how else to simply put it for ya..

Angela