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HSV Transmission through Fingering?
Hello Again, I hope this is my last post before I get swab results back; I know I should just wait, but the uncertainty is making me completely crazy. I have a question about whether genital HSV could be transmitted via fingering or momentary superficial contact. Specifically (and I apologize for the graphic detail, but I really want information!):
1) If my partner happened to be having a genital outbreak (I don't think he was, but it was dark) or asymptomatically shedding, momentarily touched his penis (to adjust himself, not to masturbate), and then fingered me, could that transmit the virus? If it is even theoretically possible, would he have had to make solid contact not just with his penis, but directly with an open sore, in order for that to occur?
I know that the virus only lives about 10 seconds once it's out of its "zone," but it probably wouldn't take 10 whole seconds to move his hand from his penis to my vaginal area.
2) I have read that generally at least some degree of rubbing/friction is necessary to transmit the virus. If the tip of my partner's penis (on which I felt no bumps of any kind) came into superficial contact with my vaginal area for a brief second while he was repositioning himself, is there a risk of exposure in that?
I simply cannot recall every movement that my partner or I made, but the enounter I am concerned about (described in my previous post http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Herpes/HSV1-HSV2-Transmission/show/2682998#post_12987185) involved significant reciprocal mouth-genital and hand-genital contact, but not genital-genital contact (I think none, but now that I am replaying it I just can't remember if there was a split-second touch). I understand that this poses an HSV-1 risk, but I had not considered the fingering or the possible "switch-positions" contact to be a risk and now I am incredibly worried about any possible risk for HSV-2 transmission.
Thank you, and I apologize for so many questions before I even have results, but I am beyond my ability to tolerate the anxiety at this point.
1) If my partner happened to be having a genital outbreak (I don't think he was, but it was dark) or asymptomatically shedding, momentarily touched his penis (to adjust himself, not to masturbate), and then fingered me, could that transmit the virus? If it is even theoretically possible, would he have had to make solid contact not just with his penis, but directly with an open sore, in order for that to occur?
I know that the virus only lives about 10 seconds once it's out of its "zone," but it probably wouldn't take 10 whole seconds to move his hand from his penis to my vaginal area.
2) I have read that generally at least some degree of rubbing/friction is necessary to transmit the virus. If the tip of my partner's penis (on which I felt no bumps of any kind) came into superficial contact with my vaginal area for a brief second while he was repositioning himself, is there a risk of exposure in that?
I simply cannot recall every movement that my partner or I made, but the enounter I am concerned about (described in my previous post http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Herpes/HSV1-HSV2-Transmission/show/2682998#post_12987185) involved significant reciprocal mouth-genital and hand-genital contact, but not genital-genital contact (I think none, but now that I am replaying it I just can't remember if there was a split-second touch). I understand that this poses an HSV-1 risk, but I had not considered the fingering or the possible "switch-positions" contact to be a risk and now I am incredibly worried about any possible risk for HSV-2 transmission.
Thank you, and I apologize for so many questions before I even have results, but I am beyond my ability to tolerate the anxiety at this point.
Thank you yet again, and I will start posting under a single thread. I thought separate threads would be easier for others to follow than a string of comments that digress from the original post, but your point about all of my information being in one place for Answerers to get the whole picture totally makes sense! THANK YOU!
To answer your questions.
1. No the virus does not transfer this way. To little of the virus would transfer to the finger where it may not live for more than second with oxygen exposure.
2. This would be extremely low risk even if a sore was present.
Please keep in the one post so we can track all developments and address all concerns.
1. No the virus does not transfer this way. To little of the virus would transfer to the finger where it may not live for more than second with oxygen exposure.
2. This would be extremely low risk even if a sore was present.
Please keep in the one post so we can track all developments and address all concerns.
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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.
