herpes and masturbation

[curious06]

I am a gay man who hs been seeing someone who happens to be HSV2 positive.  I tested negative last year and still negative based on risk factors. We have been only involved with mutual masturbation, which I know is relatively safe.  However, after masturbating him, I masturbated myself with the same hand and he masturbated me after masturbating himself.  What is my risk of contacting herpes from genital to hand to genital contact?  (I know hands may spread HSV to the eye and sometimes have herpetic whitlow)  There was definately no direct genital to genital contact and he did not have a visible outbreak.  I like this person, and HSV is not a big deal with the relationship.  I just want to be as safe as possible till we decide where the relationship is going and if we want to proced whith more intimate activities. Thanks

[Taru423]

A related discussion, Masturbation Causing Herpes? was started.

[curious06]

thanks for the info....you should not be working on Thanksgiving but your answer was extremely useful.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Hand-to-genital HSV transmission is extremely rare, if it occurs at all.  Further, auto-inoculation (self transmission from one body part to another) does not occur except during the initial herpes infection; it's not an issue for recurrent herpes.  Herpes whitlow or self-inoculation of the eyes occurs never or only very rarely in people with recurrent herpes.  So your partner isn't at risk of that (Because eye infections can be quite dangerous, people with genital or oral herpes are routinely warned to avoid touching their eyes or face after toilet, but that's out of conservative habit and common sense, not belief of real risk except during the initial infection.)

So it makes sense to avoid sex with your partner when he is having an overt outbreak. Also remember that being HSV-2 positive, even without symtpoms, at least doubles a person's risk of acquiring HIV if sexually exposed to it.  Unless you are 100% confident in your mutual monogamy and the permanency of the relationship, I recommend you take reasonable steps to avoid HSV-2.  Your partner could take valacyclovir (Valtrex), for example.

Happy Thanksgiving--  HHH, MD