Herpes comes in many forms from chicken pox to shingles to glandular fever to herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2.
The 2 strains of Herpes Viruses that commonly affect the mouth and genital area are Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and Herpes Simplex Virus 2. Known as HSV1 and HSV2.
HSV1 commonly affects the mouth and 80% of the population are infected with it orally. These herpes outbreaks are commonly known as coldsores. HSV1 can also infect the genital area. While it is still essentially a coldsore, it is now known as genital herpes.
If you have HSV1 orally, you are already infected and your body has developed antibodies to it and those antibodies stop you from getting the virus anywhere else on your body. This means you will not get HSV1 again on your genitals.
If someone has an oral or genital infection of HSV2 and you don’t have this strain in your body already, you can be infected either orally or genitally. Wherever you first get infected with this strain is where it will always live. Either on your mouth or genitals. Again, once you have antibodies in your system, you cannot get reinfected with it again.
Both HSV1 and HSV2 shed their cells even when there is no visible outbreak. This is a stage of the virus’ life that can also infect someone. You do not shed them everyday, but you never know or can tell when you are shedding the virus unless you have an actual full blown outbreak a.k.a coldsore.
If your partner does not have the same strains of herpes that you do, you can infect them anywhere, but only ONCE.
Herpes comes in many forms from chicken pox to shingles to glandular fever to herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2.
The 2 strains of Herpes Viruses that commonly affect the mouth and genital area are Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and Herpes Simplex Virus 2. Known as HSV1 and HSV2.
HSV1 commonly affects the mouth and 80% of the population are infected with it orally. These herpes outbreaks are commonly known as coldsores. HSV1 can also infect the genital area. While it is still essentially a coldsore, it is now known as genital herpes.
If you have HSV1 orally, you are already infected and your body has developed antibodies to it and those antibodies stop you from getting the virus anywhere else on your body. This means you will not get HSV1 again on your genitals.
If someone has an oral or genital infection of HSV2 and you don’t have this strain in your body already, you can be infected either orally or genitally. Wherever you first get infected with this strain is where it will always live. Either on your mouth or genitals. Again, once you have antibodies in your system, you cannot get reinfected with it again.
Both HSV1 and HSV2 shed their cells even when there is no visible outbreak. This is a stage of the virus’ life that can also infect someone. You do not shed them everyday, but you never know or can tell when you are shedding the virus unless you have an actual full blown outbreak a.k.a coldsore.
If your partner does not have the same strains of herpes that you do, you can infect them anywhere, but only ONCE.