There are usually a lot of questions that revolve around how herpes transmission works. How do you get infected? How can I stop myself from getting infected? This article is going to try answer some of the most important questions.
The herpes, or herpes simplex which is the full name, we usually talk about comes in two strains. First up we have oral herpes, which is also called herpes simplex type 1, or HSV1. This strain of the virus most commonly infects the facial area. The second kind is usually called genital herpes, or herpes simplex type 2, or HSV2. This type prefers the genital area. Now, one of the main misconceptions when it comes to these two different strains is that the genital kind only infects the genitals and the oral kind only the face. This is wrong. While each strain prefers its own area, it is very much possible to get infected with the “wrong strain” in the “wrong place”.
The virus is available through most of our bodily fluids. That includes for instance, saliva, semen, vaginal secretion and urine. It’s through these mediums that the virus gets transmitted. But in order for someone to get infected, they need an entry hole as well. This could be any open membrane, sores or wounds that could allow the virus to get through the skin barrier. Usually, transmission occurs through sexual contact, such as kissing, vaginal, anal or oral sex, but as you might have figured out this is not a necessity for transmission to occur, and this is one of the reasons why you should not share towels and cutlery with other people.
The last thing I wanted to bring up is the fact that you can still be infected even if you use a condom. This is because the virus is not strictly restricted to the area that is protected by the condom. While a condom does decrease the risk by much, it’s not a hundred percent safe either. The only perfect protection is to avoid all sexual contact.