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Should I tell my boyfriend my ex has herpes if I've never had symptoms?
My ex of about 2 years ago has HSV 1 and 2. We slept together about 4 times. I've never had any apparent symptoms. I've been in a serious relationship with someone who has HSV-1 for about 6 months, but I never talked about my ex boyfriend diagnosis. I started thinking about it recently, when we discussed having unprotected sex. Should I tell him about my previous partner's diagnosis or not worry about it if there are no symptoms? I have not had a blood test in this time
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh and if you decide to test, ask for an IgG type specific blood test. Don't let them do an IgM test. It's unreliable and you shouldn't have to pay for that.
COMMUNITY LEADER
You don't need to tell him. Have you considered getting a blood test? Have you talked about STD testing? It's possible he could have hsv2 (or something else) and not know it. Most people don't have symptoms when they have an STD.
I think if you test positive, you can tell him about your ex, but as it stands now, I don't think he needs to know. It's not really a good idea to share your ex's status with someone else - that's his business, and it may be that there is no reason to share it.
Good for you, though, for thinking about prevention. :)
I think if you test positive, you can tell him about your ex, but as it stands now, I don't think he needs to know. It's not really a good idea to share your ex's status with someone else - that's his business, and it may be that there is no reason to share it.
Good for you, though, for thinking about prevention. :)
2 Comments
Thank you, yes I am considering making an appointment for a blood test. The only thing holding me back is my concern about potential false positives. Do you think this is a reasonable fear?
Considering the length of time that has passed, I like to think the absence of symptoms is reason enough to forget about it. I'm afraid this might be a mere assumption, though
Considering the length of time that has passed, I like to think the absence of symptoms is reason enough to forget about it. I'm afraid this might be a mere assumption, though
Yes, that's a reasonable fear, especially if you have hsv1. The official guidelines say anything over a 1.10 is positive, but most experts feel anything between a 1.1 and a 3.5 is likely to be a false positive, especially in the presence of hsv1. This often sends people into a horrible testing spiral with doctors who adhere to the test guidelines and aren't all that knowledgeable about herpes. You can read about many here.
If I were you, and had no symptoms, and only had sex with him about 4 times, I'd assume I was negative and move on. :)
If I were you, and had no symptoms, and only had sex with him about 4 times, I'd assume I was negative and move on. :)
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
