Information on being a "carrier"?

[thinkingpositive]

I haven't found much information about being a carrier anywhere other than the statement of "many people are and don't know it"?

My wife is awaiting herpes test results and she was thinking that whatever it is she has contracted, that it was from a hot tub (after some research, that doesn't seem possible-not if it's herpes anyway).

I was wondering about me possibly being a carrier (her moms thought-yeah great for me that she's involved huh!). If I possibly was/am, I am on immune lowering drugs for my ulcertive colitis that just flared up in April (12 day hosital stay, lost 34 lbs, etc) and perhaps that lowering and weakening of my immune system has brought it out of being dormant enough to pass it to her? BTW, I don't have any reason to think I have contracted it from anyone but, I want to become educated as most everyone on this board will know what I/we will have to go through with my wife if I am a carrier and she does now have it. BTW, I've been intimate with my wife only the past 3 years (we've been married almost 2).

Thanks! and yes, I am going to go in for a blood test-it looks like, with the current stats, that testing should almost be mandatory-at least having it done with your physical.

[Unbelievable]

http://www.westoverheights.com/freebooktext.html is the best source of information on Herpes...

you can't be just a carrier... either you have it or you don't...

The likelihood of getting it from a hot tub.... slim to none.. not transmitted that way...

Either one of you could have been the one who had it.... and now you both do... just get educated on what it is... and forget about who gave it to who...

[peppermintpatty]

thinking positive,

Herpes virus can lay dormant in the body(spinal nerves) for years before erupting onto the skin surface. The virus is spread through direct skin to skin contact with an infected person. According to clinical research, some people indeed are "asymptomatic viral shedders" which your mother-in-law refers to as a "carrier". As the name implies, these people don't experience the typical signs or symptoms of a herpes outbreak, but shed the viral DNA particles in a sufficient quantity to transmit the virus to others. It makes me wonder in your case, because you are immunocompromised due to your steroid meds, whether you have had episodes of shedding, or maybe even a mild outbreak that went unnoticed.

I hope you and the wife are getting a reliable herpes blood test. Some tests are not type specific and results can yield false negatives or positives. Make sure you ask for a Western Blot for herpes or HerpeSelect (IgG) test by immunoblot method. Both are 100% accurate. Check back with us... wishing you good health.