transfer from genitals to mouth? - Herpes Message Board

newherp · 08-12-2008, 02:22 PM

If we both already have genital herpes, how worried do we need to be about spreading during oral sex. We are new to this and are still learning about triggers and early warning signs of an outbreak. If we happen to engage in oral sex right before finding a sore should we assume that our mouths will get sores or does the virus tend to stay put if it is already in your system. I know you can get hsv-I in the genital area but it prefers the oral area etc....

matter of time · 08-12-2008, 02:36 PM

I'm assuming you have genital type 2. IF you have good immune systems, you don't have to worry about it going to anyones mouth. Type 2 rarely goes to the mouth anyway and if you have the antibodies in your system the small risk is far smaller. My husband had genital herpes before we got married and I never in over 20 years got herpes in my mouth, never even worried about it. Now that I have GH2, he never got it in his mouth either. We don't use oral barriers.
I wouldn't have oral sex during active outbreak though, just common sense.

kilgore52 · 08-12-2008, 06:09 PM

i really can't see how someone couldn't spread it by mouth. skin to skin is the way it is spread. how can someone avoid that transmission. i know several people that got it that way. if you can give it to someone from lip to genital, then you can give it to someone genital to lip or face. Right?

Truthseek · 08-12-2008, 07:02 PM

<if you can give it to someone from lip to genital, then you can give it to someone genital to lip or face. Right?>

I've been saying that for years kil. It seems that if it's that easy to spread from mouth to genital it should be that easy or EASIER to spread it from genital to oral given all the moist mucous membranes of the mouth cavity. But as MatterofTime has stated, based on studies, it appears that HSV-2 orally is pretty rare. Many months ago, someone posted on this board for anyone with HSV-2 to report their experiences. I think maybe two people responded who had been officially diagnosed. I myself thought I possibly had it, but had swab cultures done that showed negative.

newherp · 08-13-2008, 02:08 PM

Thank you so much for this information. Yes, we both have hsv-2 in the genital area. I obviously would prefer not to have this end up on my face or his. It seems reasonable that once it is in your system that it isn't really looking for a new location to plant itself, but still a concern. We will be careful, but it seems we will always be worried about it. Thanks again.