Her peas?

[Anonymous]

The new, old "her peas" thread. Just to clarify, there are two strains.

HSV1 — if you see people who get regular cold sores, this is why.
HSV2 — TYPICALLY, this is genital her, um, peas.

Here's where the confusion happens. HSV1 and HSV2 are NOT NOT NOT site specific. That means, if a person with a cold sore goes down on a partner who has neither, they will now have genital HSV1. It doesn't magically become HSV2, though there are quite a few idiots who will tell you otherwise.

HSV2 can be passed to someone's mouth, though most reliable info suggests it doesn't recur. HSV1 on the genitals, however, is supposedly less recurring than HSV2, but I've read anecdotes to suggest that it might be just as often.

Oh, and about 80% of the world's population has HSV1. While it is true that the virus sheds even when there are no symptoms, I have never passed on a cold sore to any partner. I'm aware of the symptoms and even the before-symptoms (the prodrome, tingling sensation).

As a slight positive to it all, if you have HSV1 (cold sore variety) and a healthy immune system, it is unlikely you can ever spread it or re-catch it due to having antibodies. So, a woman with a cold sore (HSV1 variety, which is common) going down on you if you already have HSV1 will probably result in no new infection genitally.

Finally, take a trip to Quest or LabCorp and get an IgG test (NOT IgM) and you will know if you have permanent antibodies for HSV1 and HSV2. If you do, you know you carry the virus in you, though it won't tell you when you got it or even what location.

There. Education for today.

[Anonymous]

Deal breaker for me, but probably because the two people I know with it are totally messed up in other ways and their lives are a disaster, so it would be a flag for that for me even if I were trying to keep an open mind.

I might have felt differently if I were younger and hadn't spent 20 years in a relationship, but it was off the radar totally when I was dating (even though it was definitely out there) so I am still a little surprised when people my age have it.