HERPES

Can you Only Get Herpes with an Outbreak?

Dear Dr. Tom:

A friend told me she slept with a guy who has this, he told her about it, but said he hadn’t had an outbreak for 2 years and that she could only get it if he was broken out. Is that true? With all the things she has been hearing, she is really worried.
Tina

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Dr. Tom’s Response:

Dear Tina:

Never believe such talk about not getting it if there’s no outbreak. Some infected persons, but not all necessarily, secrete the virus asymptomatically. Right now this seems to be 5-10% of the infected population. This fact is the explanation for so many of the questions, "How did I ever get it?" Condom use or a new sleeping partner are ways to avoid contact with the virus from someone who may be a shedder. If it is a serious relationship another possibility is to perform a virus culture on the suspect person to determine if he is actually a shedder.

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