HSV1 oral and genital?

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sprite - 15 Jan 2005 13:06 GMT

I was infected with genital HSV1 a week ago and started having symptoms
2 days ago. (Apparently I'm in the minority for not having it in my
system already!) From what I've researched, once you have it, wherever
it is, your outbreaks will occur in the same region, meaning it would
be highly unlikely for me to get it on my face. Yesterday, I noticed a
bump on my nose and tingling, although I wrote it off as me being a bit
paranoid. It seems worse today. (Granted we were kissing before the
oral to genital transmission)

Questions:
* Can you get infected orally and genitally at the same time with the
same type of HSV? From what I had read, I thought you would only get it
in the initial outbreak zone, and recurrences would happen in the same
place.

* If I do have HSV1 genitally and orally, does this mean when I have
outbreaks it will happen in both places simultaneously?

* Are outbreaks contagious? Meaning, if my boyfriend has an outbreak
and we kiss or have oral sex, will that cause me to have an outbreak as
well?

* I read genital HSV1 recurrences happen far less often. If I do have
the oral version as well, does that mean my recurrences on my face will
be less likely as well since it started genitally, or since it's
already established orally I will get the "normal" rate of recurrences?
(I realize normal rate of recurrence differs from person to person, but
HSV1 is supposedly "more at home" on your face).
Thanks for any help you can give me!!

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maree - 16 Jan 2005 09:36 GMT

Dear Sprite,
Welcome to the group. Please refer to my comments as follows:

> I was infected with genital HSV1 a week ago and started having symptoms
> 2 days ago. (Apparently I'm in the minority for not having it in my
> system already!)

You really need to give more details on how you were diagnosed. I'm assuming
it was done by a blood test as you have only had an outbreak 2 days ago. It
will take the body several weeks to form antibodies to the herpes virus,
which is the basis of the blood test (they are looking for antibodies, not
the virus). It would seem you've been tested in the past and came up
negative for HSV1?

>From what I've researched, once you have it, wherever
> it is, your outbreaks will occur in the same region, meaning it would
> be highly unlikely for me to get it on my face.

Yes, if you have HSV1 genitally only, then that is where you will only get
your outbreaks. But the odds are pretty high that you've got it orally
anyway, even if you've never had a cold sore.

>Yesterday, I noticed a
> bump on my nose and tingling, although I wrote it off as me being a bit
> paranoid. It seems worse today. (Granted we were kissing before the
> oral to genital transmission)

Possibly a HSV1 outbreak. But more likely to be in the mouth area. What do
the others think?

> Questions:
> * Can you get infected orally and genitally at the same time with the
> same type of HSV? From what I had read, I thought you would only get it
> in the initial outbreak zone, and recurrences would happen in the same
> place.

This question is a little unclear Sprite. If you are kissing and having oral
sex with someone who is HSV1+ve, then yes, you could become infected both
orally and genitally, resulting in outbreaks in both areas.

> * If I do have HSV1 genitally and orally, does this mean when I have
> outbreaks it will happen in both places simultaneously?

Well, that could happen, but not as a rule.

> * Are outbreaks contagious? Meaning, if my boyfriend has an outbreak
> and we kiss or have oral sex, will that cause me to have an outbreak as
> well?

This one's a bit tricky. The actual sexual process can bring on an outbreak
in some people (due to friction), but you cannot be reinfected with herpes
once you already have it.

> * I read genital HSV1 recurrences happen far less often.

That's true.

>If I do have
> the oral version as well, does that mean my recurrences on my face will
> be less likely as well since it started genitally, or since it's
> already established orally I will get the "normal" rate of recurrences?
> (I realize normal rate of recurrence differs from person to person, but
> HSV1 is supposedly "more at home" on your face).

Antibodies in the blood stream will affect the herpes regardless of where it
is situated. I'd say if you are stressed or unwell, you are more likely to
have recurring outbreaks on the face, but I don't know if there is much data
about this. See what the others think.

> Thanks for any help you can give me!!

Hope this has been of some help.
Regards, Maree

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M2slo2cht@nospam.invalid - 21 Jan 2005 03:45 GMT

H Sprite
Methinks you didn't get more response because Maree covered things
pretty well. So since I can't add much, here's more of the same.

>once you have it, wherever
>it is, your outbreaks will occur in the same region, meaning it would
>be highly unlikely for me to get it on my face.

Well, sorta.
That's true once you've been infected long enough for your immune
system to gear up against the virus (12-16 weeks or longer). Upon
first infection though, it's possible to spread the virus by
autoinnoculation. That can occur if you, for instance, rubbed your
genitals getting virus on your fingers, then rubbed your lips.
Autoinnoculation is less of a risk after you've had an infection for
awhile though.

>* Can you get infected orally and genitally at the same time with the
>same type of HSV?

If you have no antibodies against it (no previous infection), yes
that's possible.

>From what I had read, I thought you would only get it
>in the initial outbreak zone

Meaning, it won't spread from genital to oral on it's own (it needs
your help for that ... it's called autoinnoculation) but it's possible
to become infected in the two areas at the same time if you've not
been infected before.

>and recurrences would happen in the same
>place

In the same general area is what they mean. Genital in the boxer
shorts area, and oral in the facial area. It can pop up in a different
place within it's respective area. That's because the virus follows a
nerve back to the surface and the ganglia where the virus resides
serves the entire area. Granted, many people never have an outbreak
except in one specific place.

>* If I do have HSV1 genitally and orally, does this mean when I have
>outbreaks it will happen in both places simultaneously?

Not necessarily. They generally operate independently but depends on
the trigger. For instance, friction might trigger an outbreak only
where it occurs (i.e. genital during sex) but general stress might
trigger both infections at the same time.

>* Are outbreaks contagious?

Outbreaks contain quite a bit of virus and that's when you'll be most
contageous to individuals who have no immune system protection.

>Meaning, if my boyfriend has an outbreak
>and we kiss or have oral sex, will that cause me to have an outbreak as
>well?

oh.... Nope.
The friction might trigger an outbreak but that won't be a new
infection caused by passing the virus back and forth.

>* I read genital HSV1 recurrences happen far less often.

As a general rule that's true. Same for type 2 orally. There are
exceptions especially in the early stages of infection though.

>If I do have
>the oral version as well, does that mean my recurrences on my face will
>be less likely as well

Nope.
An oral type 1 infection will shed and outbreak at it's own rate.

>since it started genitally

It didn't start genitally. You may have become infected both places on
the same day, or you may have spread one to the other by
autoinnoculation, Or it's not beyond the realm of possibility that you
already had it orally and just became infected recently with it
genitally. Not likely as your immune system should have prevented it
but it's possible.

>or since it's
>already established orally I will get the "normal" rate of recurrences?

Yes, that would be my guess.

>(I realize normal rate of recurrence differs from person to person, but
>HSV1 is supposedly "more at home" on your face).

Correct. You may or may not ever have an outbreak in either area
though.

>Thanks for any help you can give me!!

Hope that helps. If I've confused the issue, don't hesitate to say so.

M2

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