Herpes “Scare”
“I feel a little silly asking this because I usually freak out over nothing…but the other day I just saw a commercial for herpes and then I shared a water bottle with this girl I know and I thought to myself is it possible to get that from sharing water bottles…seeing as I’m paranoid after I drank too I went and washed my mouth ( I really am overprotective about my body). I’m pretty sure my friend isn’t promisicous…I know she stays with one guy but she does smoke and do weed so I just wondered about the whole viral shedding. Hopefully there is nothing to worry about and thanks again!“
The thing is, cold sores aren’t the same kind of herpes as genital herpes. Also, someone being slutty doesn’t necessarily mean that they A) have genital herpes or B) have cold sores. If you’ve never seen your friend with a cold sore, then she probably doesn’t have oral herpes.
If she does happen to have oral herpes, then it usually takes skin to skin contact with a lesion or direct contact with saliva. Sharing a drink or eating utensils (or a joint) with an infected person posses a minimal risk, so you’re probably okay; as long as you aren’t making out with someone infected with the virus or letting them give you oral sex.
I hope that helps!
P.S. If you did happen to pick up the herpes virus from making out with someone with a cold sore, washing your mouth won’t necessarily save you as the virus may already have entered your bloodstream through tiny abrasions on/in your mouth.
Posted: June 23rd, 2009 under health, oral, safe sex.
Comments
Comment from Julien
Time June 29, 2009 at 2:35 am
To add a little more about herpes and STDs/STIs: My mom has had oral herpes most of her life, since long before I was born, and gets the occasional cold sore. We’ve never worried about it, and even though we’ve shared food and such all my life, I’ve never caught it from her. Even if you did manage to catch it from someone, many people get over it without any symptoms, and in the worst case it comes and goes in a couple of weeks, with a symptom or two perhaps every few years after that. You’d be surprised at what proportion of the adult population has herpes (1/4), hpv (1/2 at some point in their life), and other viruses and don’t even show it… our immune systems do a pretty good job of either eliminating these viruses or putting them into permanent remission.
As for myself, I caught HPV from the very first girl I messed around with, and before I even lost my virginity. I can tell you that I was angry and disappointed about that for quite a while. Sure enough, though, I got over it and it went away. Now, even though I’ve been symptom free for years, I’m still honest about having had it with my girlfriends, and I always use protection… and you know what? It’s never been an issue since.
Comment from Milky
Time June 28, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Hey, Shay,
I always thought that because oral and genital herpes are different, and that oral herpes can’t pass to the genitals (or vice versa) during oral sex! Can you elaborate?