I'm really really scared about one thing. I had oral sex with a guy and I did everything I can to be safe (im a guy too) when he came, i think some fell on my lips? The thing is, i like to bite my lips and such, but at that time, im pretty sure it's not bleeding. I also washed my mouth afterwards. Am I going to have herpes?
[ Answer this question ] Want to answer more questions in the Sexual Health and Reproduction category? Maybe give some free advice about: STD Information? secrettwinkie answered Sunday December 6 2015, 3:13 pm: Herpes is actually not passed through semen - it is caught by contact with an active sore on your partner's skin. Chapped lips, cuts, scrapes, etc. make it easier for a herpes infection to occur, but you would still need to actually come into contact with a sore. It is possible to catch herpes from someone who doesn't have any visible sores, because the virus often becomes active 1-2 days before the presence of a sore, and may remain active for a few days after the sore has gone down. But most people with genital herpes, which tends to be a painful condition, can feel a sore coming on before it becomes visible. Of course, this doesn't mean that they will notify their partners (although they should), so it is important to only engage in sexual contact with someone whom you trust.
Not all cases of herpes are the result of sexual contact, either; children may get it after being kissed by a parent with a cold sore, you can get it from sharing drinks, you may even experience cold sores as a result of having the chicken pox or getting the chicken pox vaccine. It's a very common virus and many people who are infected never get an outbreak. Aside from being safe while having sexual contact, the best way to avoid herpes is to avoid sharing drinks, chapstick, etc.
I don't know what you mean by doing everything you can to be safe - did you use a condom, for instance? It seems like it wouldn't hurt to do some research on various STDs and the ways that they can be caught and prevented. Unfortunately, there are many STDs worse than herpes, but they are preventable if you educate yourself! [ secrettwinkie's advice column | Ask secrettwinkie A Question ]
Dragonflymagic answered Tuesday December 1 2015, 7:44 pm: Its hard to give an answer because there are many people who are carriers of the herpes virus but have never had an outbreak and most STD testing do not include testing for herpes. I found that out after my divorce, never having an outbreak, deciding to have a STD testing to prove to any new partners after that, that I was clean. I asked them to check for everything including herpes. I never had an outbreak until after I was told I was positive for it. So I made sure any new partner knew of it. Thing is, many don't know. Obviously it is very painful and people don't engage in sex when having an outbreak.
You'd visually see an outbreak too. What we can't see is the day or two stage of where the virus which lays dormant at the base of nerves, travels the nerves up to surface of skin and lays there on the surface for a day or two before an outbreak. It cant be seen or felt. It is best if you plan on having any kind of regular sex with a new partner to have both of you tested for herpes to be sure you're in the clear. If you do get what looks like cold sores around your mouth, thats most likely herpes. My mother had that and my guess is I contracted it as a child simply from a kiss from her when she didn't have a sore as she never kissed us when she did have sores. THis is all I can tell you. [ Dragonflymagic's advice column | Ask Dragonflymagic A Question ]
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