spreading herpes while showering - Herpes Message Board

John4045 · 08-03-2007, 08:20 PM

alrigh i'm not sure if i have herpes or not but i have a doctors appointment comming up. i've been really freaked out about showering. can i spread it to my face by using the same washcloth or soap to wash the same areas in the wrong order. should i change wash cloths every time i shower?

scared01 · 08-04-2007, 12:00 PM

Hi, It is supposed to be a delicate virus that does not live long outside of the body, it may be a good idea to use seperate wash clothes for different areas of your body just to be on the safe side untill you have spoken to your doctor, I have used the same soap and not had any probs. I'm not a doc so don't take my advice as gospel but try not to worry till u have been to your doctor.

Oceanus · 08-04-2007, 05:28 PM

Hi John,

I wouldn't freak out so much about spreading it in the shower. It's true the virus does not live long outside the body and easily dies from warm water and regular soap. So if you are showering and your wash cloth has warm water and soap on it, the virus should not be able to live in that environment on the wash cloth. Try not to touch the site of infection. If you do, make sure to wash your hands afterwards. Right now, if you do indeed have herpes, your body is trying to build its arsenal of antibodies against the virus, but that can take weeks to months. So you are more vulnerable to spreading the virus to other parts of your upper body. I too never spread it to my upper body and I don't think I was all that careful!

If it is HSV-2 genital then remember an OB can happen anywhere in the boxer shorts area because the virus runs along the nerves. I have read that touching one open sore and then touching another area right away can cause another OB to occur, but it is confusing because the virus can travel on its own thru the nerves to any area in the boxer shorts area and appear. So I think it's hard to tell if you caused it by touching the sore then touching another skin near-by or if the virus simply chose on its own to pop up somewhere else. Maybe someone else on here can answer that confusing point.

When you see your doctor ask for a type specific HerpeSelect blood test because it's the most accurate and can differentiate between HSV-1 and HSV-2. But remember it can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months for a blood test result to come back positive. It took me 3 blood tests and 6 months post-exposure to have a positive blood test! It was very difficult emotionally not knowing what was going on. You can get a swab test done of the sore, but it has to be weeping with the virus and so if the sore is in the healing process there may not be enough of the virus to show up on a culture test. Usually it has to be swabbed within the first 2 days after a blister opens into a sore for this to be accurate.