Safe sex question

SilverChair

Is there some sort of risk attached to receiving oral sex from a partner with a cold sore.

Someone told me a cold sore was a fungus of the same family as herpes. Now I know this might seem stupid to you but I just wanted to check.

IamBeowulf

It is called herpes simplex, and can cause herpes complex in the blood stream. but to be honest I don't think you've much to worry about. I have cold sores and they've never been passed to my partner of 2 years.

biko

According to google: You can get genital herpes from someone with cold sores going down on you.

Marksie

It is a virus not a fungus.
There are hereps simplex type I and type II. They hhave been found to be interchangeable in genital herpes.

There is risk attached if your partner has an active cold sore.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/herpes.html

Stabshauptmann

Marksie wrote: »

It is a virus not a fungus.
There are hereps simplex type I and type II. They hhave been found to be interchangeable in genital herpes.

There is risk attached if your partner has an active cold sore.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/herpes.html

What if someone had a cold sore before (was under the impression a cold sore is something you have for life)

Marksie

Thats right. The oral herpes goes latent and resides in teh trigeminal nerve.

Though without symptoms you may get viral shedding.

But it undergoes reactivation and thats when you get it showing as lesions. Thats why I was carfeul to use the word active rather than primary ;-).

SilverChair

Marksie wrote: »

Thats right. The oral herpes goes latent and resides in teh trigeminal nerve.

Though without symptoms you may get viral shedding.

But it undergoes reactivation and thats when you get it showing as lesions. Thats why I was carfeul to use the word active rather than primary ;-).

so once the cold sore clears up the risk is gone?

Marksie

Did you checkn the link.

If not I will post for you he relevant section:

Contagiousness
Herpes is contagious and can be passed from person to person through any form of unprotected sex. This can occur even when there are no sores or blisters present. So people who are infected can unknowingly spread the infection to another person


NOW PI is not a medical forum: If you have ANY worries then go to visit your GP. THey are trained and handle these things all the time, so there is no need top feel embarrassed.
They will also be more aware of the realtive risk factors.

any other advice than that would be exeeding the charter

biko

Some more info from google:
Genital herpes infects more than 1 of 5 adolescents and adults.
Most people with genital herpes don't know they have it. Same with chlamydia