Herpes, Family and Friends

[NC Paul]

Not so much about a partner but folks who come to visit. I have HSV-2 and HSV-1. Do I need to do anything special when I have people over, like clean surfaces or anything?

Thanks, not sure about all this. You hear a lot of stuff out there!

[Sophie]

No, there's no proof that anyone has ever gotten herpes from an object. Just use common sense: if you have an active outbreak, don't let someone use a towel you used on an area that has sores. If you've already done something like that, though, don't lose any sleep over it. Don't scour the bathrooms or anything like that.

Oh and if you have a cold sore, maybe don't share a glass with anyone while the sore is there. Plain old soap and water kills herpes!

[getSTDtested Administrator]

Sophie's right. Of course it's always important to be considerate and responsible, but you don't have to take any extreme precautions with social situations, just use common sense like Sophie said, if you have a sore or have recently had a sore on your mouth then don't share glasses or chapstick, etc., and unless you and your friends are sitting on the counter-tops in the nude, I don't think any additional disinfecting is necessary It's very nice to see that you're treating your health and your surroundings with such thoughtfulness and good care, but unless you are in a sexual situation where there is an exchange of bodily fluids, there is really very little risk of you passing on your infection. Thanks for your post and also for your positive example of how to care for your sexual health!