matter of time

1 and 2 are two different strains of herpes virus. Type 1 normally occurs in the mouth and appears as cold sores. Fifty % of the population gets this as children just from kissing relatives. By age 50 closer to 80% of the population has this. Most people do not know they have it. Some only get one or two outbreaks, others only when they get sick (colds) and others get it frequently. Most people are not terribly bothered by it. It is contagious through kissing and it can get passed to the genitals by giving oral sex.

Type 2 normally appears in the genitals. Some people have no symptoms, mild symptoms and the minority have severe symptoms. Often people will have 4 to 6 outbreaks a year. This is highly contagious genital to genital. The virus lives in nerves in the base of the spine.

Type 1 lives in nerves in the jaw.

Both types lose their strength when they are not in their site of preference. (that is type 1 is weak in the genitals and type 2 is weak in the mouth)

Even though the first outbreak of type 1 genital can be very bad, it often never recurs or only once a year and that is it. Any recurrance should be very mild.

Just search for articles that compare type 1 and 2 and that should explain everything.

It is hard to tell what type you have unless you know what your partner had and how he gave it to you.

Your doctor can give you a herpes select test so you know. Then you will know what to tell your partners.