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Cold Sores and Oral Sex

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Cold Sores and Oral Sex

In the past, it was widely believed that the herpes virus that causes cold sores (HSV1) could not cause genital herpes. Simply put, HSV1 was considered as herpes of the upper body while HSV2 was considered herpes of the lower body. Although this holds true for HSV2, present medical research now shows that HSV1 can manifest ‘below the waist’ and is becoming increasingly predominant.

Both HSV1 and HSV2 are most contagious when there are sores present. The virus itself uses the blisters to replicate and transmit. If you engage in oral sex while you have a cold sore, the virus can easily spread to your partner’s genital area and cause genital herpes. Even if you are not showing visible symptoms of HSV1, there is still a small chance you can pass on the virus to your partner, resulting in genital herpes.

Genital herpes caused by the HSV1 virus can affect the same areas as HSV2 genital herpes, on both men and women. The common areas are directly on the genitals, buttocks, anus and thighs. Genital herpes outbreaks caused by the HSV1 virus tend to be less severe and outbreak frequencies are much lower than genital herpes caused by HSV2. Both are incurable however, and outbreak intensity and frequency changes depending on the individual.

To protect you and your partner, never perform oral sex when you or your partner has a cold sore. Even when there are no symptoms showing, there is still a chance of spreading the virus. The use of condoms has been shown to reduce the chance of spreading genital herpes in men.

Next: Oral Herpes vs. Genital Herpes

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Cold Sores and Oral Sex