How to have fulfilling sex with herpes without passing it along?

One of the encouraging things about genital herpes (HSV-2) is that it’s still possible to have a rich and fulfilling sex life. Sex with herpes can be intimate, romantic, loving, and fun. Research has even given us data that shows how likely (or really, “unlikely”) you are to transmit herpes during sex when you take precautions and understand the specific circumstances you might have. So you can educate yourself about sex with herpes, including what precautions you can take, what your chances are of getting herpes, and types of sexual encounters as they relate to herpes.

For some, this may be stating the obvious, but let me first say that you should always tell your partner if you have herpes, even if you have no symptoms. (How to tell your partner you have herpes). And for sex with herpes to be its most fulfilling, I recommend that you have it in the context of a mutually monogamous relationship.

Herpes, Sex, and Outbreaks

The likelihood of passing genital herpes to a partner is highest during an outbreak (times when a sore is present). When a person is not experiencing an outbreak, there is a 4-10% chance of transmitting it. (Depending mostly on genders.)

Men vs. Women with Herpes

Because of the nature of male and female genitalia, it is easier for herpes to be transmitted to a woman by a man than vice-versa. This is because female genitals have more exposed soft tissue. This also accounts for the slight gender gap in women vs. women with herpes. One in four American women has it, while one in five American men does.

Condoms and Herpes

Condoms help prevent the spread of herpes, cutting down the rate of transmission by about 50%. Condoms are not totally effective, though, because genital herpes only requires skin-to-skin contact to spread, so the areas that the condom does not cover are still susceptible. Some people get herpes even though they’ve always used condoms! Nonetheless, using a condom is a great idea and reducing the chancing by half is nothing to sneeze at. For example, if you’re a man and you’re not having an outbreak, you would have an 8% chance of giving it to your partner. But using a condom, you’d bring that number down to 4%. (Add in antivirals, and you’ve brought it down to 2%).
Monogamous couples who know their status may want to forgo the use of condoms for whatever reason (i.e. in order to get pregnant, or because condoms are just not preferred and they use birth control). This is still possible as long as other precautions are taken and both parties are informed and aware of the risks.

Suppressive Therapy

Suppressive therapy is the use of prescription Valtrex on a daily basis, whether an outbreak is present or not. Whereas Valtrex is commonly used to stop an outbreak as it is happening, it can also be used daily to prevent outbreaks to begin with. Valtrex is an antiviral medication that reduces the occurrence of herpes outbreaks. Using Valtrex daily also reduces the time and likelihood of the virus to “shed”, i.e. be contagious. Studies show that it can reduce the viral shedding periods so much that transmission rates drop by 50%.
Valtrex is the brand name for Valacyclovir. Other common antivirals for herpes are acyclovir (also spelled aciclovir) and Zovirax. Acyclovir is cheaper, but requires you to take more capsules at a time. With Valtrex, you only need to take one pill a day.
Cons: Side effects of Valtrex can include dehydration (like seriously thirsty!), and for a few individuals, disorientation, so be sure to know what effect it has on you just staying at home before you plan to take it daily and drive a car. Some people also critique Valtrex for causing liver damage over time. If you don’t want to take Valtrex, there are natural herpes remedies that can somewhat suppress herpes, too.

Oral Sex and Herpes

HSV-1 is usually associated with oral herpes, but it can also spread to the genitals through oral sex. Most people know not to kiss or share a drink while a cold sore is present. The same goes for not performing oral sex while a cold sore is present. You might also wish to use a condom or dental dam.
A dental dam is a latex barrier that can be placed over the vulva/vagina (and anal area, if involved,) to prevent skin-to-skin contact during oral sex.
HSV-2, which is usually genital herpes, can also spread to the oral region, but it’s not as likely. It is possible, but rare, since HSV-2 doesn’t like the oral environment. In fact, only 3% of oral herpes outbreaks are from HSV-2.
Herpes Transmission Rates

• The likelihood of passing genital herpes to a partner is highest during an outbreak (times when a sore is present).

• When a person is not experiencing an outbreak, there is a 4-10% chance of transmitting it. (Depending on gender)

According to studies done by Valtrex, these are the rates of transmission per year of regular sex:

• If partners avoid sex during outbreaks: 4% chance transmission from female to male; 8% male to female

• If partners also use condoms or antiviral medication: 2% female to male; 4% per year male to female

• If partners also use condoms and antiviral medications: 1% female to male; 2% male to female

When Both Partners Have Herpes

Congratulations — you can skip having the talk! If you and your partner have the same type of herpes, you have more freedom than a couple not trying to infect one partner. If you both have HSV-2, for example, you both already have the antibodies built up and cannot be re-infected in any way, nor can you cause each other more outbreaks. Your outbreaks and symptoms will instead be affected by the strength of your immune system, so keep it strong.
You will also not have the same need to avoid sex during and around times of outbreaks, but you will probably prefer to, for the sake of avoiding discomfort!
If you have different strains of herpes; i.e. one of you has HSV-1 and one has HSV-2, read on. You are already well-protected by your antibodies. If you have HSV-2, you might not be as likely to get HSV-1. If you have HSV-1, however, you are still susceptible to get HSV-2.
There are dating sites for people with herpes that can help you to meet potential partners with the same type of HSV as you. (The one I have used and recommend is Positive Singles).

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

The encouraging transmission rates show that you can have fulfilling sex with herpes without passing it along if you take basic precautions. Remember that you must always tell potential partners if you have herpes, even you have no symptoms. (How to tell them about your herpes). I also recommend the wisdom of having sex in the context of a mutually monogamous relationship.

 

Dating, Sex and Herpes

Dating, Sex and Herpes

Some events have the potential of changing your life forever. If you have been diagnosed with Herpes, this would definitely be one such event. Herpes can be a frightening discovery for any individual. People with herpes are considered flawed by society and this is probably why such people feel embarrassed and prefer isolating themselves.

If you already have a partner, and he or she has herpes too, you can continue a healthy relationship as the Herpes Simplex Virus cannot be transmitted twice. However, if you have just begun dating and only had a few casual hookups, it can be extremely distressing. As a single you wouldn’t want to stay alone, would you? Besides, the hype surrounding this disease has resulted in various rumors pertaining to sex and relationships.

What Should You Do?

Herpes doesn’t necessarily spread through sexual intercourse. In fact, any sort of physical contact with the infected area of another individual would transmit the virus. The first thing that you will have to do on being diagnosed with herpes is do research about the topic. Many websites also have a support section where people with herpes can ask professionals for help on a particular issue. There are multitudinous forums that boast of a great deal of information pertaining to Herpes and dealing with the symptoms.

People are generally diagnosed as a result of outbreaks. Nonetheless, there is no need to panic as you are likely to witness quite a few outbreaks in the following months. In due course of time, the outbreaks become less frequent and painless as the body begins to develop some kind of immunity towards it. Over a period of time when the infection weakens, the chances of transmission also reduce.

It is often observed that most people don’t show symptoms of herpes in spite of being infected. In most of these cases, people know of herpes from their partners. As a trend, if you haven’t experienced any outbreak within a month of being infected, you might never witness it in the future too. However, this doesn’t give you an excuse to ignore the condition.

It is worth mentioning that HSV – 1 or HSV – 2 can be transmitted in the absence of visible symptoms too. This is probably how you got it in the first place.

Herpes and Sex

A majority of the population that has Herpes believe that their love life is over fearing that they might get rejected by another person on discovering the condition. However, scientifically speaking, this isn't the case.

Although safe sex techniques cannot be regarded 100 percent effective in preventing the virus from spreading, consistent use of condoms and other barriers have been known to be advantageous. In addition, a person with herpes should abstain from having sex in the event of an outbreak. Also, avoid engaging in any sort of sexual activity when your partner is feeling itchy. This marks the prodromal period prior to an outbreak.

Use of suppressants such as Valtrex can also reduce the risk of transmission of the virus as they act upon the symptoms. One thing that you should remember is that Herpes is spread through oral sex too. Furthermore, having oral herpes doesn’t give you immunity against genital herpes. As a matter of fact, genital herpes is more contagious compared to oral herpes.

Herpes and Dating

Dating with Herpes isn't easy and requires a great deal of courage and a positive attitude. If you have herpes, it would be best to have a conversation about the same with your partner so that adequate precautions can be taken. In addition, it isn't a great idea to tell him or her about your condition after having sex.

People with Herpes find it extremely difficult to find new partners. The best thing you can do is find a partner who already has herpes. This way, the chances of transmission of the Herpes Simplex Virus are eliminated. An individual cannot be infected by the same virus twice.

There are several websites on the internet that cater to herpes dating. These websites allow users to find their ideal partners in a particular region. In fact, herpes dating platforms have come as a boon for those who found it difficult to mingle with others, courtesy of their medical condition. If you have Herpes and are in search of a companion, all you have to do is log onto one of these websites, create a free account and you are good to go.

Herpes is tough to deal with but doesn’t make life impossible. You might have to follow several precautions in order to prevent Herpes Simplex Virus from spreading. On the other hand, if your partner has herpes, things might get a tad easier but it still isn't going to be anything like before.

Reduce Your Risk of Spreading or Getting Genital Herpes

 Reduce Your Risk of Spreading or Getting Genital Herpes? 

Genital herpes can be acquired once you make sex with an infected person. And once you got infected, having sexual intercourse to others who does not have herpes will get infected too. In this connection, there are ways that you can do in order to eliminate the risk of spreading or getting the genital herpes, and here are the following:

• Use condom. If you will be dating to someone that has herpes, make sure that you have condoms in your pocket so that you are always protected from acquiring the virus (if you are a man). However, you have to bear in mind that there are some condoms that are easily destroyed so, you have to buy a particular condom that has 100 % durability. In addition, you will still have a complete sex pleasure and have peace of mind.

•  Ask your date or partner if he/she has a sexually transmitted disease like herpes. If you will be dating with a woman and a man who has herpes, ask him/her if he/she has the virus so that you will be safe. This might sound awkward but you have to so that you will not have the virus. In addition, you need to be truthful with each other. If your part or date is a little bit shy with his/her condition, he/she needs to say it to you so that you will be able to have a good rapport.

• Ask your date or partner about his/her sexual history. If you will be dating with herpes, you ought to ask about his sexual history. If the person has multiple sexual partners, he/she has more risks of having STD like herpes. If your partner or date had experienced sexual intercourse to various individuals, you will be able to protect yourself through condoms or sexual abstinence.

• Avoid committing sex to various sexual partners. If you really want not to have the particular disease, you can be able to limit or avoidmultiple partners and you can even avoid dating to someone with herpes. In other words, all you have to do is to be contented on having a single partner. So, if you have various relationships, you will have more chances of acquiring the virus. Furthermore, prevention is better than cure.

• Never commit sex with your partner or date that has sores on his/her genital. When you will be dating to a man or a woman that has herpes, the symptoms are sores on the genital. So, if you notice that he/she has that, never commit sex with the person for your safety and protection. Furthermore, you have to do this in a nice manner so that your partner or date will not be humiliated in front of you.

Reducing your risk of getting or spreading genital herpes can be achieved through the above mentioned ways. However, you need to remember that the best thing that you can do is sexual abstinence to a person that has herpes. 

Kissing and oral sex between the partners who has Herpes.

My partner and I both have herpes 1 and 2. If he has a cold sore on his lip should we avoid kissing and oral sex?


 1)There are two strains of herpes. Those strains are HSV-1 and HSV-1. HSV-1 is oral herpes 90-95% of the time and genital herpes 5-10%. HSV-2 is genital 90-95% of the time and oral herpes 5-10%. If a couple has only oral HSV-1 one partner's oral herpes outbreaks won't have a great impact on the other partner. It is not possible to pass oral HSV-1 to a partner who already has oral HSV-1. If one partner has oral HSV-2 (a less common type of oral herpes) and if one partner has oral HSV-1 both strains of herpes could spread by kissing. In that situation, both partners may come in contact with a strain of herpes he/she doesn't have.

Herpes could spread by oral, anal and vaginal sex. A dental Dam could be used to reduce the chance of passing herpes to a partner by oral sex.

Herpes Dating Site - Start dating again!

2) If you and your partner both have oral HSV-1 (no other STD's orally) kissing is safe. Remember 5-10% of HSV-2 is oral herpes. HSV-1 usually causes oral herpes outbreaks and HSV-1 is usually spread by kissing. HSV-2 is usually spread by vaginal sex. If a partner has an active herpes sore I would suggest taking a break from kissing to be 100% safe. If you want to read more about this topic check out the website below.

herpes-coldsores.com/herpes_simplex_1_and_2.htm