It just amazes me how many people each day are finding out about this. There is so much advertisement about everything else but you never heard of herpes and how wide spread it was. What a way to get educated on it now. I cryed all weekend and I fear of my child getting it. you hear that you can and can't get it from towels but I fear that you can. I am scared to touch my child fix his food, or him to use the sames dishes or drink after me,for my child to touch the towel I use. The normal things a mother does. He gets a bite from a spider I freak and think it is from me. I still have not accepted this and it has been 2 months diagnosed on my birthday. I know I only have me to blame for this. I am sure this is Gods punishment to me for having sex without being married. What a wake up call knowing that I will never be able to have sex again ever. I know there is more to life than sex but the fustration of dealing with the symptoms is enough to throw anyone off the deep end. I have not told anyone yet fear that they will not except me being afraid and un educated about this. scared if I use there bathroom or touch them, we know how people can be, being uneducated on this. I just want to go and visit all the schools and tell these kids to be careful watch out it CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.

hi i can almost say i know the feeling , being so angry for not knowing , i thought because i had normal physical /paps and was in a relationship that i was safe and the only risk was pregnancy but no apparently u can have it and not know for years ,yet i thought i was so educated , the thing is i dont know if i have it yet or not i have 1 more day for my 2 weeks i went for the test the day b4 my bday because my bf of 5 yrs had an ob and was diagnosed with hsv2.im sure i have it too and therefore always on the mind .i have a 15 month old .but he is ok .u cant pass it through food its skin to skin and only if he touches the infected area with his skin , i dont think the towels will carry anything but i know the paranoia .......just wash em with extra hot water to make u feel better.what kind do u have ? hsv1 or hsv2 ? dont think so negative its unfortunate and maybe as u learn to deal with it and become more calm then angry speakin out would be a great idea because no one i know is educated at all on this and we have been through college .u shouldnt be so down on urself , everything was fine before and it can be now .dont dwell on what has been done its not a death sentence .u have a wonderful child and play time must go on :)

Yes it's a shame that all the advertising and sexual education in schools doesn't mention that you can catch herpes even if you are using a condom!! They are only now starting to advertise that if you have was seems like recurring vaginal thrush that it's a chance that it's herpes due to the redness and itching.

As for passing the infection on, the poster before me is right in saying that it's a skin to skin virus so eating and drinking from each other's utensils wont pass on vaginal herpes to your infants mouth.

As for towels, i have read that is diffiuclt to pass this virus on via towels and if it could be passed on the towels would have to still be damp. The moment the towels dry, the virus dies. If you want to be certain, let your child have it's own towel which nobody else is to use.