Condoms and Herpes

[blackhawks09]

I was just diagnosed with genital herpes. I caught it from my partner and since we're both positive do we still need to use condoms?

I'm taking medication but will I still need to use condoms when I'm with a new partner?

Advice is appreciated!

[cyeo]

Hi blackhawks09,
If you both are absolutely sure that you have genital herpes, then using a condom to protect each other from genital herpes is not necessary. However, if you do get a new partner, letting them know and wearing a condom is an absolute must, even if you do not have an outbreak at the current time.

Genital herpes are spread through skin to skin contact, so even without any visible outbreak, the infection can be spread. Medication can greatly reduce symptoms and the viral count, and thus make the infection must less contagious, but it does not actually cure the viral infection. for more information about genital herpes in general, visit Genital Herpes Test | More About Genital Herpes | Herpes Test On GetSTDtested. It is important to note that people infected with genital herpes are more susceptible to HIV, due to the sores that can occur from herpes--they provide a channel for the virus to enter the body. Genital herpes is not too serious of an STD, when the right precautions are taken, and being aware is often the biggest part of prevention.

Hope this helped!

[ewhite]

It isn't clear how you and your partner were diagnosed, with a blood test that finds antibodies or a viral culture (a swab) done on herpes lesions during an outbreak. The only difference is that a culture taken from symptoms obviously tells you "where" the infection is located (say, in the genital area) whereas a blood test that finds antibodies to HSV in the bloodstream doesn't say for certain.

However, it's reasonable to assume that a blood test for HSV-2 relates to a genital infection, simply because HSV-2 is not commonly experienced as an oral infection. Couples who both have genital herpes have very little risk of reinfection. Experts would counsel you to refrain from intercourse while either of you has an outbreak, due to the slight chance of being infected with a different strain of HSV-2, but this is rare. Partners who both have genital herpes can reasonably have sex without condoms, if herpes transmission concerns were what motivated condom use in the first place.

With a new partner, however, condom use is strongly recommended. One HSV antiviral medication, Valtrex, can be taken daily to both suppress outbreaks and reduce the risk of transmission to a partner (research shows daily use cuts transmission rates by about half).

For couples where one partner has HSV-2 but the status of the other person isn't known, type-specific HSV testing (such as what's offered through this site) can go a long way to helping the couple plan a safe and confident sex life.

[ewhite]

Also, if you've tested positive for genital herpes (HSV-2) with the standard antibody tested, but have never had symptoms, you may want to consider the Herpes Confirmation test.

HSV-2 antibody tests are reported according an "index value" that read as followed:
Less than 0.9-negative
0.9 to 1.1-indeterminate
Greater than 1.1-positive

Anyone who tests positive with an "index value" of 1.1-3.5 may actually be negative for genital herpes. This confirmation test determines whether the person is truely positive or negative and rules out any false positives. If the index value is less than .09, the result is definitely negative and a confirmatory test is unnecessary. If the result is above 3.5, the result is 90% positive and likewise, a confirmatory test is unnecessary.

This can be kind of confusing, but the trained counselors at getstdstested.com can help interpret results and advise whether the Herpes Confirmation test is necessary. The Herpes Confirmation test is very useful is you are unsure of your status and want to confirm your diagnosis.

Here's some information about this new test: http://getstdtested.com/herpes-confirmation-test