does herpes differ in gender? - Herpes Message Board

taygage04 · 12-07-2008, 07:08 PM

does herpes affect male or female differently and if so how? Who is more at risk for an outbreak?

kilgore52 · 12-10-2008, 06:38 PM

The gender doesn't matter, it's the individual and varies from person to person. No one is safe from Herpes but you can avoid it by asking the person that you are with and getting to know that person well. Condoms help some but they don't cover all of the area. Oral sex is risky because you can get it that way too. I don't know any sure way to not get it, but avoiding sex altogether is the only way to be completely safe from getting it but that's no way to live. Good luck and know who you are with.

Oceanus · 12-10-2008, 10:11 PM

Actually I've read that women more easily contract herpes than men do (so that about 1 in 4 women have it and 1 in 5 men) due to the physical make of our bodies. Plus, I've also read, and from personal experience on this site it seems true, that men have less severe OBs than women do, but not fewer, in general. I think personally that is a contributing factor to why more women are looking for answers about herpes on this site than are men. But severity of OBs and number of them really does depend on each individual. Also, type 1 genitally is hardly ever bad in anyone. After the first OB it seldom recurs. Also, if you have type 2 genitally it protects you from getting type 1, but not the reverse.