When is Oral Sex Safe?

by Anonymous

Several days ago, I had oral sex for the first time with a friend. She did not learn she had HSV/2 until today. However, she has been complaining of a red spot on her leg which has been kept under a bandage. When she showed me the sore, I encouraged her to get an examination. Her exam showed no evidence of sores in her genital area or mouth.


Thus, my question is can I contract HSV/2 from contact with her either through kissing or oral sex since no blisters or sores occurred on those parts of her body? In other words, is oral sex contagious when there is an exchange of body fluids even if there is no evidence of sores, blisters or wounds in or on the mouth, lips or genital area?


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Dear Anonymous,

Due to the highly contagious nature of the herpes virus, there is still a chance of contracting the virus even without the visible signs of outbreaks such as sores or blisters in the genital area.

This is because of the phenomenon called “viral shedding” in which the virus, sleeping at the baseline of the spinal cord, become active and travel along the nerve endings to the surface of the skin. This can be asymptomatic and cannot be predicted. So anytime you get intimate, there is a chance it can get passed on.

I recommend practicing safe sex as having protection is better than none at all.

One thing to realize here is that your oral sex life is not over! You’re just going to have to make a few simple changes. Our page on Oral Sex Herpes has tons of information and suggestions for safe oral herpes sex which you might find useful!

Hope this helps!

Gary

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