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Testing really necessary? Never had an outbreak

Hi! Ii've been told on this forum that my long term parntner and I should find out what our herpes status is. However every medical professional I have spoken to says it isn't necessary seeing as neither of us have had any cold sores on our lips or genitals, we've never kissed anyone with a visible cold sore, and because we were both virgins in every sense of the word before being sexually active with each other, doctors will just brush off my request once I ask saying that it is an unnecessary test for us.

I'm not too worried about being tested so it's not a necessity but sometimes I do get paranoid about one of us giving the other genital herpes through oral sex despite no cold sore being present. I have posted a question before about some labial itching and soreness that I have before and during menstruation every month, and I have some lumps and bumps down there but nothing out of the ordinary (I think!) it just makes me turn into a hypochondriac whenever I itch - thinking I have herpes!! I know also that the first outbreak is painful, and I've only had one UTI 2 years ago, and to my knowledge there were no lesions visible, but I didn't think to check either.

So my question is, is asymptomatic shedding really something we should worry about? Also I'm on the pill so we never use protection (we're monogamous and certain of this!)
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3149845 tn?1506627771
No i think its fine not to get tested.
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Avatar universal
Hi thanks for the reply! I'll try to put it out of my mind. It's just that every time I ask for a test they brush me off and tell me it's pointless so I may never be able to get one!!
Do you think it would be a bad thing if we never got tested? My parents never did and they've been together for 40 years, when I mentioned it to my mother who''s a nurse, she said it was really unnecessary!
Helpful - 0
3149845 tn?1506627771
Hi, no its not. But just do be aware that oral hsv1 can be passed to the genital area and it sheds about 9-18% of the time so it would not be a bad idea to test just to take the minor concern out of the relationship.
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