Hello All! :wave:

Okay, I am currently in a class where we are learning how to draw blood (college class of course).

And next week we will start with a manican arm, then the following week we draw blood from each other (pair up i guess?!) And the Following week we will be doing a finger pick blood draw.

Now im not sure if we will be testing our own blood or not yet. But my question is, Even though we WILL be using gloves if my blood gets onto someone's open cut (i know small chance but possible right), can they contract herpes from me? Im thinking yes but not 100% and i havent brought this up with my professor yet! should i? It's kinda private I know she'd understand and not advertise, i'd hope but do I NEED to warn her?!

~Dream~

I'm 99% positive about this, but the Herpes virus actually lies dormant in the base of your spine, and is never present in your bloodstream. Testing for Herpes by drawing blood presents antibodies, not the actual virus... :) So I honestly don't think you have anything to worry about....

sorry, I posted that last message twice...and I don't know how to delete it! :confused:

Herpes is not transmitted by bodily fluids, but by skin to skin contact. It is a mistake to think of it in the same way as HIV, for example, because the viruses tend to pass differently. A condom, used correctly, offers something like 99% protection against HIV because HIV lives in bodily fluids like blood and sexual fluids. Condoms offer significantly less protection from herpes because it is the skin to skin contact which passes the virus - not the sexual fluid.

You should be more concerned about who comes into contact with areas where you have the virus, and certainly don't let anyone come into contact with your open sores. The above poster is right that it is the antibodies to the virus, not the virus itself, which lurk in the blood.

Yeah I dont think they will be doing any gential blood specimens haha. Thanks for the info! It's a relief!