1. Community
  2. Infections
  3. Genital Herpes Simplex

Is it possible to contract oral and genital herpes simultaneously?

Posted , 3 users are following.

xela023
xela023

Question: If I gave my boyfriend a cold sore after hooking up, is it possible I also gave him genital herpes?

Details: A few weeks ago, my new boyfriend and I made out and I performed oral sex on him. The next day, I noticed a mild cold sore on my bottom lip. He got a cold sore a few days later and said it was the first cold sore he'd ever had. After doing some research, I think it's safe to conclude I gave him the cold sore/oral herpes (HSV-1, most likely).

What I'm wondering is if it's possible I gave him genital herpes, as well, since we also had oral sex. He said he has noticed nothing out of the ordinary in his genital region, and it's been almost 20 days since the oral sex occurred. His cold sore went away after a couple days.

Some sources online seem to indicate that you can only contract HSV-1 or HSV-2 in one place at a single time, meaning if the HSV made contact with both an individual's genital and oral region, it would choose only one place to infect.

I also know that often if someone already gets cold sores, they are immune to contracting genital herpes.  This is irrelevant in the present situation because one must have HSV-1 for months before he/she can become immune to receiving it again; for him, it would have been a matter of hours.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for reading this.

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • FelizCastus
    FelizCastus xela023

    Posted

    Yes, it is possible to acquire herpes in both locations at the same time, up until the time your body has established sufficient antibodies, which is usually 4 months from infection, or up to 6 months to be extra safe.

    If your bf has passed 20 days without any symptoms down below, that's probably a good sign.

  • treasurelife
    treasurelife xela023

    Posted

    YES. I was infected by my casual hook up with what I thought was HSV 2 as it was on my genitals. BUT when I went to get tested it came back positive for both HSV 1 and HSV 2. This was my first outbreak/coldsores ever so I had no antibodies.
  • Boktavius
    Boktavius xela023

    Posted

    Where did you hear that oral is immune from getting genital?? I REALLY don't think that's true.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Boktavius

      Posted

      If you have had oral HSV-1 for over 4-6 months, you are very unlikely to get it genitally, although avoiding oral sex when someone has a cold sore is still advisable. Still susceptible to HSV-2, though.
  • xela023
    xela023

    Posted

    Thanks for the responses, everyone.

    Can any men on the board tell me how quickly after the sexual encounter they experienced symptoms? From what I understand, women tend to notice symptoms right away, but men might not have an immediate outbreak.

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus xela023

      Posted

      I'm not a man, but if you are going to get symptoms, presumably the same incubation period applies (not gender specific), so 2-20 days, usually within the first week.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.