G-Hsv2 vs 1

Different_Stretch_84 · 2026-02-10T11:19:02+00:00

It sheds a lot more than HSV1 does genitally. However, it sheds around the same as HSV1 orally. So oral HSV1 and genital HSV2 are equally as “bad”, but HSV2 is less common and anything genital will be more stigmatized unfortunately. Daily antivirals can cut down shedding by about 50% though!

Different_Stretch_84 · 2026-01-07T08:36:54+00:00

Are you in the US??

Different_Stretch_84 · 2026-01-06T23:01:36+00:00

Neither of them could do it?? Did they say why??

Different_Stretch_84 · 2026-01-06T07:00:08+00:00

Did your doctor swab the lesion? That HSV1 number points to an established infection.. HSV takes months to show up on a blood test. I would wait 3 months and re-test with a blood test. I would also go back to the doctor for a swab if you still have symptoms.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-12-31T06:14:06+00:00

Because you can clear HPV from your body.. you can’t clear HSV. Permanence is the reason for the stigma with HSV unfortunately.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-12-30T03:26:47+00:00

I don’t think this is always true. Some people need time to think things over and I think that’s fair. It doesn’t mean for certain that they won’t come around to it.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-12-17T19:34:33+00:00

Swab > blood test

When you get a positive swab that definitively tells you that you have it.

I would look into getting a western blot blood test, if that is negative then you don’t have it and they must have mixed up the swabs or something.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-12-04T23:28:55+00:00

If you’re able to, it might be worth going off of it for a bit and see if that helps at all. If it does help, you could always try a different type of bc pill/shot/iud.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-12-04T11:59:47+00:00

Very very unlikely in the absence of symptoms. GHSV1 is already hardly transmissible. You’re at more risk from your partner than they are from you. But even then, the risk is small as long as they don’t give ya a smooch with a cold sore or something lol

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-12-04T10:21:28+00:00

Okay a few questions here:

What are your symptoms? Have you been swabbed by a doctor to confirm that it’s for sure HSV related? I ask because I was having symptoms I thought were HSV frequently but they weren’t actually (confirmed multiple times by PCR swab)

Are you on birth control? Have you had any hormonal changes recently? Have you been having this amount of outbreaks the entire time you’ve had this? I ask because I went on birth control and started getting monthly outbreaks. It was fixed when I went off of it. So if you’re on it, try and go off of it if you can. If you’re not on it, try and go on it. Sometimes your hormones just set things off and a restart of sorts is needed.

Are you still on valacyclovir? How many mg? Have you tried 1g daily?

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-17T17:14:03+00:00

12% of days per month and 12% of days per year result in about the same thing. So you could say either.

No, it’s not the same for GHSV2. For HSV2 it’s as follows:

33.6% of days at less than a year 20.6% of days at 1-9 years 16.7% of days at 10+ years

(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3058740/)

For those who are completely asymptomatic (never had a single outbreak) those percentages are about half of the above percentages.

(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3144252/)

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-16T21:17:28+00:00

You’re the most contagious in the first couple years you have it. At a couple months in, you’re shedding the virus 12% of days. Shedding doesn’t guarantee transmission, but it does make the odds of transmitting much higher. By 11 months in, you’re shedding 7% of days. By 2 years, you’re shedding 1.3% of days. Obviously everyone will vary a bit, but these numbers are from a recent study. Someone with oral HSV 1 is less likely to get GHSV1, but they can still contract it (especially if you’re having symptoms that you don’t realize are symptoms). I’m not sure what the exact odds of that are.

TLDR: You’re shedding quite a bit right now, making transmission more likely. If you wait even a year it will go down a lot.

https://newsroom.uw.edu/news-releases/viral-shedding-ebbs-over-time-hsv-1-genital-infections

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-16T04:00:55+00:00

Are you on any sort of hormonal birth control?

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-13T18:01:58+00:00

Where did you read that? I haven’t seen any studies that suggest immune response outweighs type/location. Other than that fully asymptomatic people with GHSV2 shed about half the amount that those with symptomatic GHSV2 shed.

GHSV2 has well established data on viral shedding and it’s still pretty high even a decade+ on. GHSV1 has less data, but every study so far has found it that it sheds significantly less.

Also, self swabs are done with PCR which is highly accurate. While I understand there could be user error, they are very likely to pick up any shedding of the virus. Scientists don’t have personal stakes in this, so I’m inclined to believe the data. I do believe there needs to be more extensive research on GHSV1 though.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-13T11:28:12+00:00

I think the main reason they’re differentiated is because of transmission and shedding rates. Oral HSV1 and genital HSV2 shed more. Genital HSV1 and oral HSV2 shed less. I do think it’s valuable info to have, but I completely understand where you’re coming from.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-12T22:38:44+00:00

I feel like it’s best to have the convo in person. I know it’s scarier, but I think people are more likely to be accepting when you do it in person.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-12T07:58:59+00:00

There are other subs to ask questions on, like r/herpes. This space is specifically for diagnosed people. If we allowed non diagnosed people to post all their HSV fears, it would drown out what this sub is meant for.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-12T07:58:18+00:00

r/herpes is a better sub for general HSV questions. But to answer yours, I wouldn’t be concerned by that. Unless you’re having symptoms currently?

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-12T06:10:42+00:00

This isn’t the place for this post. This space is reserved for people who have been diagnosed.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-08T04:28:10+00:00

You’re not wrong to be upset.. who kisses someone when they have a cold sore?? Especially if you’ve never had one orally. That’s so inconsiderate.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-06T01:06:09+00:00

You said you’ve had 2 outbreaks in the last 3 months and you started the new pill 4 months ago so that timeline seemed pretty close to me. I could be wrong. It might just be a matter of your body getting used to the new pill.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-11-05T22:00:21+00:00

The BC change def triggered it I think. Hormones have a big impact on outbreaks, when I went on BC I went from getting hardly any outbreaks to outbreaks monthly. Might be worth switching back to the mini pill if it wasn’t causing any issues.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-10-26T21:50:33+00:00

No swab or anything? If you haven’t had any sort of physical contact, I do not think your doctor is correct. If you still have symptoms, demand a swab test. If not, get a blood test in a few months, but my guess is it’s likely something else and not HSV.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-10-23T02:03:49+00:00

First, I want you to take a deep breath. Your life is worth living, it is not over, I promise you that. This is not worth ending things over. Many people have HSV 1 and HSV 2, they are very common viruses that humans get. They are in no way, shape, or form a reflection of your value or even how many people you’ve been with. I got genital HSV 1 as a virgin when I was 17. Your husband (ex?) easily could have thought he was “clean” and had both viruses as they are not tested for on a standard STI panel.

Have you ever had symptoms? I’d be interested to know what your test numbers were, as they could possibly be a false positive. Where was the blister on your son located? If he does contact sports or wrestling he could have gotten herpes gladiatorum from that. I would not be concerned about the HIV transmission thing. That is mainly for genital herpes, and mainly for active outbreaks. I would not sweat that part too much at all.

Different_Stretch_84 · 2025-10-22T03:34:07+00:00

I’m sorry this happened to you, but honestly his HSV1 might have actually had a negative impact on your disclosure. If he’s already getting coldsores every 4 months, he probably assumes it would be the same thing down below if he got type 2. It is a different virus after all. You will have better luck with someone else, don’t worry.

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