Is it possible to spread HSV-2 to my family?

[silsanto]

Hi All,

I have a situation that I kind have my conclusions but would like others opinions.

I was diagnosed with HSV-2 thru an anti-body blood test in 1 and 1/2 years ago after having a outbreak in my lips. (just two cold sores). I got it thru vaginal Oral Sex. It was a bad experience with a sexual work.

I never shared anything with my family and just had normal sex life with my wife that never had any outbreak. I had a terrible depression issue at that time fearing HIV and I told everything to my family. It was tough times but we got thru it supporting each other.

It happens that my 22 years old daughter had a genital hashes outbreak just 2 weeks ago with enlarged groin lymph nodes. She confidence to me that she had unprotected sex with her boyfriend just 10 and 5 days before the outbreak.

Her anti-body blood test come NEGATIVE (full STD panel negative), but the culture test POSITIVE. Now we are waiting a month to have another blood test to check if it's HSV-1 or HSV-2, since I know HSV-1 can outbreak as genital herpes and HSV-2 can outbreak as labial herpes and vice-versa, even though I know labial herpes is associate with HSV-1 and genital with HSV-2 (remember I had labial herpes but got positive blood test for HSV-2).

Her boyfriend is going for a anti-body blood test this week but both of them are really confused since he never had an outbreak.

My best guess is that his tests will be positive and I can't blame him at all. If it doesn't come positive I will have to live with the fact I contaminated my daughter with my mistakes. I know it can be dangerous if she gets pregnant having HSV-2.

My questions that I appreciate to hear from MedHelp community are:

1-We know HIV will show positive anti-body test from 4 weeks to 3 months and in worst case scenarios in 6 months. I don't want bring HIV tests in to discussion here, but I want to know how long takes for anti-body tests for HSV-1 and HSV-2 show a positive result?
2-What is the chances of I passing this virus thru her sharing a drink or even a towel with her.

Please, I appreciate if the community could help me think that thru.

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

well I certainly wasn't implying anything - just pointing out that it takes THAT sort of contact to transmit your herpes to someone's genital area!!

you actually can't assume that your hsv2 is oral from the blood testing and because you had symptoms orally. even the best blood tests we have still miss 1 out of every 2 hsv1 infections so without a lesion culture, no way to know if you do have hsv2 orally or not.   I will gladly take a look at your blood test results too if you want to post them to explore your own status more and get better answers for yourself.

if your daughter needs help with her partner's test results, feel free to post them too. also don't hesitate to encourage her to post here too to ask questions she might have :)  

[silsanto]

LOL. I knew this assumption would come up, but no, I did not have anything with my daughter. My kids are my little babies even though they grew up already. I understand from your answer that HSV-2 would be transmitted just thru sex. This makes me more easy mind.

I didn't have my cold sores typed for HSV-2, but just the igg for HSV-2.

I will read and encourage them to read the handbook.

Thanks a lot for your reply

[gracefromHHP]

unless you gave your daughter oral sex, you absolutely did not transmit your hsv2 to her.

did you have lesion cultures of your oral symptoms to confirm that they were hsv2?

it's unfortunate that your daugther didn't have her lesion culture typed.  She can ask her provider to call the lab they use to see if they still have the sample to type. Her providier erred in not ordering the culture typed :(   Once her partner gets his herpes igg blood tests back , she'll have a better idea of if it's worth further testing for her or if it's a safe assumption of what type she has based on his test results.

meanwhile encourage her and her bf to read the free herpes handbook for more info.

grace