<p>It is quite common, upwards of 20% of sexually active adults have one form or another. You will get used to it and then rarely think about it, though some people get freaked about it.</p>
<p>Get your bf tested for all STDs, now. As herpes is easier to catch than other diseases (ie you can get it even if you are using condoms), it’s possible that he has multiple infections, not all of which he has given you yet. </p>
<p>Also, herpes can be passed from mother to baby during childbirth. You may not have gotten this from your bf; you could have had it since you were born. He could have had it since birth. Either way, you both need to figure out what you have and what the other person has. </p>
<p>The HPV vaccine only protects against about 70% of infections. Get tested for that, if you have not done so already. </p>
<p>No matter what, insist that future partners be tested for diseases; that you could pass an STD to them does not mean that you want them to give you something else.</p>
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<p>I don’t know the facts here, but if a guy knows he has herpes simplex 2 and then has unprotected sex with a woman and she contracts it, the guy is not the kind of guy any woman should date or want to date. He should not be welcome in any household.</p>
<p>It’s important to distinguish between herpes simplex 1 and 2. Over 60% of people have herpes simplex 1. If you have a cold soar, odds are you have it. Herpes simplex 2 is an STD.</p>
<p>^^ I was tested while at the doctor, and I believe he’s going to the doctor soon. Unfortunately however, we haven’t been using condoms…</p>
<p>^ He is asymptomatic, and–to my knowledge–he didn’t know he had it. He says he would have told me if he knew, or at least made an excuse not to have sex.</p>
<p>It’s highly unlikely the OP got herpes in utero. Lots of people do, of course. But my, admittedly third hand knowledge is that if a baby is born with it, it is extremely unlikely that the child, especially a girl, would make it to college age without having herpes manifest itself.Today, developing herpes in utero is much less common because it can generally be avoided by delivery via a C-section. My understanding is that if the baby doesn’t pass through the birth canal/vagina, the baby won’t get herpes. I’m certainly no expert, but I say this so the OP won’t think that she will automatically pass it on to her kids. I suspect by the time she has children there will be other ways to avoid transmission–if there aren’t already. </p>
<p>One of my D’s elementary school classmates had herpes and there was a host of precautions that had to be taken to prevent spreading it to his classmates. You can get it without intercourse. <a href=“Search”>Search;
<p>Her classmate developed a very cavalier attitude towards having it. In high school, he had sex with a female classmate without telling her about it. She then had sex with another boy. They both got herpes.</p>
<p>^ So the boy got genital herpes from his mom?</p>
<p>Babies infected either in utero or through a vaginal delivery by an infected mother have what is called congential herpes, newborn or neonatal herpes. Tyically this is an infection that involves the brain and central nervous system; eyes, skin and mouth; or multiple organ systems. It’s extremely serious and can be fatal. </p>
<p>[Neonatal</a> Herpes Simplex Virus Infections - American Family Physician](<a href=“http://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0315/p1138.html]Neonatal”>Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infections | AAFP)</p>
<p>[Neonatal</a> herpes simplex - In-Depth - Boston Children’s Hospital](<a href=“http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site3235/mainpageS3235P1.html]Neonatal”>http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site3235/mainpageS3235P1.html)</p>
<p>[Neonatal</a> Herpes Simplex Infection](<a href=“http://cmr.asm.org/content/17/1/1.full]Neonatal”>http://cmr.asm.org/content/17/1/1.full)</p>
<p>Pregnant women who are known to be infected are given antiviral medications for the last trimester of their pregnancy. If there is serological or observational evidence of an active herpes outbreak in the mother, the baby will be delivered by C-section to avoid infecting the newborn.</p>
<p>As the previous poster said it would be extraordinarily unlikely to contract herpes as a neonate and not show any symptoms other than a genital herpes infection as an adult.</p>
<p>Yes, he was born with it. Note my D is older now and back when he was born, it wasn’t yet known that you could prevent transmission by having a C-section. He KNEW he had it and his parents were honest with the school about it. So, they took precautions to keep it spreading to classmates.</p>
<p>So I don’t need to have a C-section as long as I don’t have an outbreak at the time of my baby’s birth? Yeah, I heard I need to take special meds about a month before the birth.</p>
<p>Can I spread genital herpes to people I’m living with through non-sexual contact (i.e., my mom doing my laundry)?</p>
<p>You need to get answers to your questions from a good source. The Notre Dame pamphlet I mentioned has a reference to the National Herpes Hotline 1-919-361-8488 and to the CDC’s-Info line 1-800-232-4636. </p>
<p>I’d recommend calling one or both and asking your questions.</p>
<p>Your boyfriend could indeed have genital herpes and not know. In some cases symptoms are mild and can be mistaken for something else. He also might not have genital herpes at all. It is possible, and quite common, to contract genital herpes via oral sex, if the other partner has HSV-1 orally, i.e. cold sores. You should ask the doctor if you have HSV-1 or HSV-2. HSV-1 can be found both as oral and genital herpes. </p>
<p>As to your other question, according to the [Herpes</a> Resource Center](<a href=“http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/std-sti/Herpes.html]Herpes”>http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/std-sti/Herpes.html)American Social Health Association,
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It’s commonly quoted that only 10-25% of persons that test HSV-2 seropositive via bloodwork are were aware that they carry the virus. Many have never had symptoms.</p>
<p>Got a letter from my doctor today saying that “he’s happy to report that the results of my recent tests were normal.” It also displayed my lab results for my urinalysis and pregnancy test, and says I’m “nonreactive” for HIV antibodies and RPR (rapid plasma reagin). </p>
<p>Does this mean I’m currently in the clear–no STDs at all? No chlamidiya, no gonhorrea, etc.? I know I was tested for these and HSV (in addition to HIV, which is displayed in my lab results), with my blood test, but why is there no explicit result for these? I’m assuming that since my doctor said my results are normal, there was no concern that I have these…but is this the case? Thanks in advance :)</p>
<p>^^ Why aren’t you asking your doctor those questions? That’s who you should ask rather than random people on a social media site who you don’t know and whose qualifications you don’t know and who don’t know the details of your results or exam like your doctor does. This is important stuff - ask your doctor.</p>
<p>Write down your specific questions and contact your doctor and ask the questions and write down the answers. If more questions occur later, contact the doc later and ask the questions. If you want to generally educate yourself in the area as well, which is a good idea, then seek reliable sources for that (which includes sources on the internet from known and legitimate medical websites).</p>
<p>Oatmeal, anyone who is not willing to marry you just because you have HSV is not worth marrying. Relationships mean bearing each others’ burdens as well as joys.</p>