Herpes Doctor

Anti-anxiety medication. For you. Soon.

Herpes is spread through skin-to-skin contact. Do not worry about your girlfriend while she is sleeping. Do not worry about the keyboard and mouse. Do not worry about the furniture, your pillow, the blankets....

I have HSV2 and was paranoid about everything I came in contact with not wanting to infect anyone, I have looked it up quite extensivly on the web and reccomend you do the same, but I understand the herpes virus only lives for like 10 second to four minutes tops, and I read another site says 8 hours tops, but I think that depends on environment like a towel after shower and a person has wiped on an active sore. You worry too much but I went through that also.

Hi, I just wanted to talk to people in the same boat.... thanks for listening/responding.
It's been five years since I have had hsv2 but it's only now that I am really having a big freakout about it. I contracted hsv2 from my boyfriend after a year of us being together. He had been tested for stds (as I had) before we got intimate and as there was no test done for hsv2 and he had no symptoms ever we didn't know that he had it. That being said, I contracted it about a year into our relationship and we dealt with it together, I was stressed at first but then I moved on and felt completely fine about having it - especially as it became an indicator of my physical health... I started seeing a naturopath and began yoga and so within my own mind I felt okay aobut it.
Two years ago we broke up and I have been single since then. I haven't been intimate with anyone. I have been finding excuses upon excuses to not turn guys away, and recently I met someone that I really like. Imagining telling him that I have it has sent me into a huge emotional meltdown and I can't stop thinking about it. Every movie/play person I talk to I keep thinking about it.

I hope I am just having some weird panic attack...
Any thoughts?

Many thanks

Its normal to feel like that, just take a big breath, arm yourself with information about the disease and talk to him about it in a calm way. Tell him you are going to give him time to think about it or do some research of his own. Tell him your experience of the disease, and the stats at how many people actually have it. He could have it and know or not know also, remember that. I think people who you would think wouldn't have the disease do. No one in my own family guessed I had an STD, I later told them though. Honestey is the best option, what I have listed above is how I handled the same situation with my now husband, I also stated beforehand I wanted to tell him something serious and I would hope that he would respect the fact that I was going to be upfront and whatever his decision, that I would appreciate him not blabbing it all around town. (we lived in a small gossiping town at the time). I also stated the reason I was telling him now, (three weeks in) was I wanted to tell him before he fell in love with me and could make a decision without love being a factor. And honestly, I think when I did tell him he was relieved that it was just herpes and something not more serious. Also if you don't know about Anti-Viral gel, look into it. but there is no rule stateing you have to have sex before your married anyway, so theres also the ption of absatining and waiting to see if the realationship is one that would lead to marriage. Good Luck! p.s 6 years later we also have a beautiful perfect little girl. Herpes doen't define you and if anyone choose not to be with you because you had it, that person would be someone you wouldn't want anyway!

This is for "sleepless in phoenix". Just so you know, oral herpes is VERY contagious. You are very cautious about not catching the virus, and rightly so. No, you should not be paranoid, but yes, you should be cautious, because as I said, oral herpes is very contagious. You and your girlfriend should be using seperate pillows at all times. You also should not use one another's bath towels, unless they have been washed. You should also BOTH frequently wash your hands, especiaclly during her outbreaks. Remember, herpes is contagious all the time, not just during an outbreak, it is just more contagious during the outbreak. Oral herpes can be spread just by touching a cold sore and then touching someone else before washing hands. It can even be trasmitted by touching a door knob that somebody has touched after touching a cold sore. Of course, this is much less likely, but it is still possible. But please keep in mind, by touching things that your girlfriend has touched will not put you at risk UNLESS she has just touched a cold sore and didn't wash her hands. So as long as she avoids touching her cold sore, along with washing her hands, everything should be fine. You are right to wash your hands often, as well, and as I said, your girlfriend should do the same. The way you talked in your comment, you sound like you probably already wash your hands and disinfect frequently, so chances are, you are fine. Don't let anybody tell you that you shouldn't be cautious, because the virus is very contagious.

Hey, just to keep the records straight I never said anything about not being cautious, I only said how long I have read the virus lives before it dies. It is a very fragile virus and doesn't live for that long. and thats a fact. You can't live your life in fear of the disease because then you would have to worry about everything you touched in public and all the store doors because everyone who walks into a store touches the doors and shoping cart handles etc. If you wanted to make sur not to get the virus the only sure way is to move in the boonies by yourself since more people then not have either herpes 1 or 2. thats why I said read up on it then you will know from your own research who long approximetly lives then you don't have to be so worried. Take Care.

One more thing, you can't worry about oral herpes on your lips when your girlfriend doesn't have a sore because, I don't think it is all that contagious, my dad gets cold sores and I have many brothers and sisters and he now has grandkids and he has given out many kisses to all his kids, not to mention my mom and none of us have ever caught it. Worry can consume you if you let it. Just be cautious when she has a sore. You can worry about it when she doesn't if you want to but in my opinion life is too short to dwell on the what ifs.

You are right about the virus generally not living very long, but it has also been known to live for long periods of time outside. But of course as we all know, this is EXTREMELY rare. Most of the time, though, you are right, we don't have to worry that much, because in most cases, the virus is very fragile. I still believe in using extreme caution, though. I'm not saying that you don't, I'm just saying that I usually use extra caution. I am, in fact cautious of things I touch in public, and of the door knobs and handles in stores. I also hate touching shopping cart handles!! Sorry. my friends laugh at me, but I am just that way, but I'm not saying that is how everyone should live, that's just me. I just believe that lack of caution and responsible behavior is the reason that this virus has escalated to the point that most of the population is infected, and I am a firm believer in PREVENTION. I always carry my hand sanitizer with me, and I use it very frequently, especially after touching things out in public. I carry disinfecting wipes, and wipe down my shopping cart handles. But I don't don't just do those things because of herpes, because like you said, the chances are VERY slim of the virus, but I also do this because of other germs. People cough and sneeze in their hands and then touch the cart handle again, (we all do that) so that is also why I always disinfect. But I was this way before I ever even heard of herpes!! I have to admit, I am a germ freak, but I have also heard of people who have caught herpes in the rarest of cases, and that is one of the reasons why I am so big on prevention. In fact, my friend is an OB/GYN nurse, and just recently they had a baby die because the baby's grandparent had oral herpes and kissed the baby. They did an autopsy that proved that the herpes virus was the cause, because the baby's immune system wasn't yet strong enough to fight the virus. The baby died less than two weeks after birth. This was medically proven.