Question:
My daughter called me today to tell me why she had been sick. She has genital herpes. She says the docter told her if she didn't not get this from her husband-who denys being with anyone else...it could have been transmitted by trying on bathing suits at a local store. I'm not buying this answer. Can someone tell me if they have ever heard of this! Is it possible?

Answer:
The bathing suit story is sorta possible... if it happened in the following way:

Someone with HSV, and who is currently experiencing a really bad outbreak, tries on the bathing suit, quickly takes it off and hands it to your daughter--who is standing right next to her in the changing room--and she proceeds to try it on. It also helps if the suit is completely wet.

So, in such crazy circumstances as that, yes, it is possible. The herpes virus needs something animate to live off of. It can only survive without a host for a very very very small amount of time.

Its more likely that your daughter or son-in-law (if they haven't slept with anyone else) has had it for a long time but has not experienced any symptoms or outbreaks until now. Around 90% of people with HSV don't know they have it.

If the doctor did tell her such a thing, he's and idiot and needs to be barred from practicing medicine, one, b/c he is an idiot, and, two, because he is perpetuating the unfounded paranoia that people have concerning HSV.