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What is the effectiveness of Transmission Reduction using Antivirals for GHSV-1?
As most of those with HSV-2 know, there is already a lot of established research and studies that show exact statistics when it comes to how antivirals can help with reducing virus transmission by reducing the amount of viral shedding.
With reading several responses from Doctors on this forum, I see often they advise against antiviral therapy to those who have GHSV-1 in regards to reducing the transmission rate.
So, that leads me to want to understand how effective or ineffective antivirals are in reducing the transmission rate with those with GHSV-1?
I understand in part that it's a numbers game, OSHV-1 can virally shed 25% of the time and GHSV-1 is 3-5% of the time but can antivirals make that percentage go down, at all?
With reading several responses from Doctors on this forum, I see often they advise against antiviral therapy to those who have GHSV-1 in regards to reducing the transmission rate.
So, that leads me to want to understand how effective or ineffective antivirals are in reducing the transmission rate with those with GHSV-1?
I understand in part that it's a numbers game, OSHV-1 can virally shed 25% of the time and GHSV-1 is 3-5% of the time but can antivirals make that percentage go down, at all?
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I don't think we've actually recommended against antivirals for ghsv1, because that's a personal decision. However, ghsv1 sheds at rates that antivirals won't necessarily make a big difference.
We know that ghsv1 sheds a lot less than ohsv1. Oral hsv1 sheds about 25% of days on average (it depends on how often you get outbreaks, how long you've had the infection, etc.), and ghsv1 sheds about 13.7% for the first 3 months, then drops to 7%, and then at 2 years, it drops to 1%.
It also recurs a lot less frequently. 88% of those who, in the first year of infection, don't get an outbreak after their initial one, won't ever get another. Those who do average 1 outbreak a year. Ghsv2 averages 4-5 a year.
Because of all of the above, ghsv1 is virtually non-transmittable in the absence of symptoms. Most experts have never seen it happen. Terri Warren, who runs the Westover Heights site, and wrote the Herpes Handbook, says she hasn't ever seen anyone with a new ghsv1 infection who hasn't received oral sex within the prior two week period.
Also, if a partner already has hsv1, as 2/3 of adults globally do, they can't transmit it to them.
But some people take antivirals for peace of mind, or to appease a partner. If they are a person who does get outbreaks, they may take it to reduce the frequency.
We have no studies to determine if they reduce the shedding at the same rate as they do for ghsv2, but it's generally assumed they work the same way.
We know that ghsv1 sheds a lot less than ohsv1. Oral hsv1 sheds about 25% of days on average (it depends on how often you get outbreaks, how long you've had the infection, etc.), and ghsv1 sheds about 13.7% for the first 3 months, then drops to 7%, and then at 2 years, it drops to 1%.
It also recurs a lot less frequently. 88% of those who, in the first year of infection, don't get an outbreak after their initial one, won't ever get another. Those who do average 1 outbreak a year. Ghsv2 averages 4-5 a year.
Because of all of the above, ghsv1 is virtually non-transmittable in the absence of symptoms. Most experts have never seen it happen. Terri Warren, who runs the Westover Heights site, and wrote the Herpes Handbook, says she hasn't ever seen anyone with a new ghsv1 infection who hasn't received oral sex within the prior two week period.
Also, if a partner already has hsv1, as 2/3 of adults globally do, they can't transmit it to them.
But some people take antivirals for peace of mind, or to appease a partner. If they are a person who does get outbreaks, they may take it to reduce the frequency.
We have no studies to determine if they reduce the shedding at the same rate as they do for ghsv2, but it's generally assumed they work the same way.
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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.
