Would you rather have oral or genital herpes?

[JRTJRT]

Serious question...

Would you rather have oral or genital herpes?

...and why?

[AmandaJ]

I would prefer neither, but if i had to choose i would pick h2, even with the stigma associated with this type. I'm not sure why exactly, but I think two things come to my mind: First, there would be fewer people who know I have the virus (only people I choose to tell would know) and second because i would be able to kiss my bf without fear of transmitting it to him. I'm sure many people on this site would disagree for a number of reasons, but that is my feeling on the question. I am H2 positive in case you were wondering..

[BoxofRain]

same here Amanda.....if I had a choice that is.... I am affected the same way as you and would choose this over oral for the same reasons you stated if I had to have one. Obviously neither would be my first choice and life long wish.

[AmandaJ]

funny though, I think a lot of people who are not infected with either one would probably pick oral simply because "it's just a cold sore." How about you, JRTJRT?

[JRTJRT]

Hi, thanks for the response Amanda and for asking.

99.9% chance I have genital herpes, clinic testing is this week. I am trying to learn everything as fast as I can. Sometimes it seems like the end of my life, but sometimes it doesn't seem like such a big deal. This came at a very bad time in my life so it's not easy for me to handle... and I'm asking a lot of questions. It helps to be able to come here and meet you good people.

The question... so far I think I'd rather have genital herpes mostly for the reasons you mentioned. I don't plan on telling anyone that I have herpes, except of course anyone that I could infect. With oral herpes one has much less control over who knows, but "hardly anyone knows" that cold sores are really the same dam thing as genital herpes, just in a different spot. SHould we be more miserable because of other people's ignorance?

I have a hard time trusting people as it is, so the moment I tell someone that I have herpes, I would be trusting that person to a secret that I would want them to take to their grave. So I see how people put off telling others that they have herpes and that's understandable (as long as they DO TELL BEFORE RISKING OTHERS!). The only thing worse than my herpes is if I gave it to someone else - I couldn't live with myself.

So, genital herpes for me. Sex is overrated. Especially now. I never was a Don Juan so the transition to an even more challenging sex life won't be so hard. I think. Actualy I do feel short changed... I wish I had more experience to show for my herpes scars!

I still have my sense of humor, I guess. And I can still smile and stuff. I've been walking a little funny though lately.

Yea, genital herpes.

[hopingseeking]

Obviously, neither, but I would choose the oral. More people are used to it, and it's the "good" virus.

[kayla1987]

ik now its a lil late, but i would rather have hsv 2, genitally, for all of the reasons listed. i guess ive told my whole family and my close friends. no one makes a big deal about it either..been with the same guy for 2 years and he has it too. i guess i would feel if i had oral i wouldn't tell anybody just cause the fear of them thinking, omg i might get it from her if she shares my drink or, i dont want her around my kids incase she kisses them, or water foutains and just every stereotype, i would have to educate every single person on what hsv is and blah blah, this way genitally, i just gotta say u cant catch it unless u kiss me....this is gonna sound messed up, but i have genital herpes only, and to this day i am freaked out of getting it orally, just as if i didn't have herpes. i am constantly washing my hands, and my boyfriend and I's oral sex life has come to a hault....condoms and dental dams etc.

[ouch]

I would choose oral, simply because I have had hsv1 since childhood, and it is MUCH easier to treat during an outbreak phase then vaginal/genital herpes. It is there, you see it, you can attack it with an onslaught of great things, then poof, it is gone. I know this is not the case for everyone, some people get very bad outbreaks on there face. I have had a few monster "coldsores" myself, but none the less, I was able to deal with it better. Any sign on tingling on my lips around my mouth, I refrained from kissing people and hopefully prevented the spread of it, at least in my family. There is more over the counter medicines to help treat oral herpes as well. Can't say the same about Genital herpes, can we?!? Oh no, we have to go to the doc and get a nice expensive PRESCRIPTION for all that. LAME.

so yeah, I would totally prefer the days when I only had hsv1. Alot simpler to deal with, in my opinion.

[tothefuture]

I've always thought this was an interesting question.

I guess it's like most issues on here, it depends on lots of variables and is different for each individual.

Personally I'd rather have the signs associated with H2 (extremely mild for me although frequent - however I've now gone as long as I've ever done without an outbreak - A FULL MONTH! -and am ECSTATIC about that!!! ). I saw a young girl recently who had a HUGE coldsore on her lip and I thought -'well at least people can't see mine!!'.

However, if I take the STIGMA into account then I'd rather have H1.

And I think it's interesting that if people without the virus were asked, I guess by far the majority would say they'd rather have 'coldsores' than 'genital herpes' - purely becasue of the stigma (and of course out of ignorance).

[katb]

Interesting question and very interesting answers.

I do have oral herpes. I think oral herpes is manageable much easier than genital one.

[why me]

I myself have GH 1. I would have to say I would much rather have oral.Why?because I miss being with my husband,without having to wrap his member up.It just does not feel the same.I can honestly say it has ruined my sex life.My husband has oral(how i contracted)and he has a lot less greif with it than i do

[georgina_1987]

i would rather have the oral!!!!

i mean, most people have hsv1

they call gential "cold sores" herpes

sounds horrible

b4 i had this i thought it was some sort of ravaging disease

i was very misinformed

so i would rather cold sores on my lip then on my baby maker!

[deedeedee]

I have both types and will say it probably doesn't matter too much since my outbreaks are far and few between but also fairly mild at that.

At least with the genital type, you aren't walking around with a banner on your face saying "Hey, look at me!!" I remember one day at work, a notoriously insensitive co-worker approached me during one of my oral episodes, leaned in and scrunched her face before spouting "Owwwww....is that a cold sore? I'm glad I don't have to deal with THAAATTT".

That was special.

[georgina_1987]

I have both types and will say it probably doesn't matter too much since my outbreaks are far and few between but also fairly mild at that.

At least with the genital type, you aren't walking around with a banner on your face saying "Hey, look at me!!" I remember one day at work, a notoriously insensitive co-worker approached me during one of my oral episodes, leaned in and scrunched her face before spouting "Owwwww....is that a cold sore? I'm glad I don't have to deal with THAAATTT".

That was special.

THE CHEEK OF IT!

i would of said:

"yeah your right, but i guess things could be worse...i feel for you..i mean, look at your face..glad i dont have to deal with THAT! bitch!"

and i swoulda shimmied right off wiggyin my booty. what a fiesty cow! lol omg those things get me angry!!!!

[1anonymous1]

My favorite spot to have herpes would be inside my mouth/throat where no one can see. Not to mention I have both and the genital ones bother me a lot more.

[deedeedee]

THE CHEEK OF IT!

i would of said:

"yeah your right, but i guess things could be worse...i feel for you..i mean, look at your face..glad i dont have to deal with THAT! bitch!"

Well, she did have a rather rotund body....heeeheeeheeee. But I kept my cool. Remember, herpes is how we are effectively able to weed out the narrow minded and shallow!!

[Imawakenow]

ORAL Hsv-2

I have HSV-2 on my mouth.....This is my first outbreak, it looks just like a "cold sore", the only difference (so I've read and keeping my fingers crossed) is that this may very possibly be my one and only outbreak as opposed to oral HSV-1. And is less shedding that HSV-1. so I'd rather have ORAL herpes, but the HSV-2 type.

[gutted.]

i cant beleive any of you would rather have genital then oral..

personally id much rather have oral.

no one in england batters an eyelid if they see sumone with a coldsore - note horrible or new... whereas if they find out sumone has an STD. if alot worse.

[thiscantbe]

i can't believe either that so many would pick genital

of course, neither is best...

but i would way rather have oral than genital.

I for sure only have ghsv2, which is amazing cause i had a younger sister who got cold sores all the time. Altho embarrassing, and terrible when you are a teen (but really, so are pimples), the sores on her mouth definitely healed faster than the nasty business on my privates is healing. Maybe it's different for people who have GH outbreaks that are very minor. Also, even though you still should practice safe sex practices, because *most* people with oral herpes get it in a non-sexual way (of course some get it from sex, too, but considering all the kids that run around with cold sores you know what i mean), telling people you have oral is way different from telling people you have genital herpes - something that you have to get thru sexual contact. That's why there is the stigma... one actually means you had sexual contact of some type, while the other doesn't necessarily mean that, and our society handles sexual problems and issues very poorly.

[Young one]

I think I would prefer it genital just because no one can see it.

My friend has oral herpes and he had a major outbreak the other day. It lasted about a month and it was all over his mouth area, I mean this thing was HUGE and covered not only the side of his lip but beside it down to his chin. I have HSV2-G but I must say, It was hard to look at his.

I had my worst outbreak a few weeks ago but at least no one could see it.

I don't think I could go out in public with my face looking like that. I really couldn't, I dont even go out in public when my acne gets really bad. I couldn't handle that.

However, I hate the fact that HSV2-G comes so frequently.

[MsLucy]

Reading over all your replies has been really eye opening. I always thought if I got to choose, I'd take genital (what I have, anyway), but now I'm not so sure. I'll have to rethink that. Doesn't much matter, though. It is what it is, and it ain't gonna change.

[Rara]

genital.. i guess

I was just recently diagnosed with genital herpes but havent gotten my blood test back so I'm not sure if it's HSV1 or 2, but almost positive it's 1. Anyways I think I'd rather have genital herpes, at least while I'm still in school, mainly because I've found that the people in my school who do get cold sores (the girls anyways) get a lot of bull from others and get loads of rumors spread about how they get around or how no one should go close to them when they have it. Sure it would be easier to handle the outbreaks of oral but it might be harder to handle reactions from people you don't trust or want to know...

Honestly though I'm still just kind of wishing for a cure who isnt..?

[SmilingThroughTheRain]

i would choose oral herpes anyday. I know its harder because then other people can see it, but at least I can sit down properly and not have such a hard time telling a partner what i have.

[Luxxe]

I'd rather have the Oral kind

[smiley]

give me h2 anytime!