Question:
I was with a girl the other night who has genital herpes. We did not have sex, but I did finger her. I am concerned that I could have caught it because I have a cut on the tip of my finger that I was using to finger her.

Is this possible? Does the cut make it more possible? If I get it on my finger, am I at risk to pass it to my genitals or others?

Answer:
Um, from what I've read about ghsv it is very possible.

I know because I've had what I think are outbreaks on one arm and the other hand/finger. If you aren't careful to wash your hands immediately after touching yourself or someone that has GH you aren't going to have much luck I'm afraid.

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think I am??

Hope this doesn't freak you out but do be careful next time you touch someone you KNOW has genital herpes! In fact, I' advise you not to try to do so again. I don't know what other sexually active people would do but safe sex must now become your religion, so to speak, or just don't go there.

Good luck.

Answer:
If she was shedding the virus (without symptoms present) or if she visibly had anything......either of those scenarios would infect you through your open cut if she was contagious. Since there's no way to know if she was in fact contagious at the time you will need to look for symptoms on the area exposed to her. If your cut does not heal normally or takes a very long time, or becomes sore or red and anything out of the ordinary then you have reason to be alarmed. If you do end up having contracted it on your finger then yes it will be very contagious and you could easily pass it on to areas such as the eye, mouth, or genitals totally by accident.......you could also give it to someone else if you use that finger again to pleasure someone else (resulting in them possibly getting it genitally as a result.

so take caution, look for anything out of the ordinary and be way more careful next time and if you have anything open on your finger, including a tiny cut, paper cut, hang nail, anything don't do it again and always be sure to wash hands extremely thoroughly afterwards always to help reduce the spreading. Hope you didnt get it there because if you did it will always be contagious randomly and you'll never know when for sure (except when seeing things visible) but your hands touch everything so it really is no picnic getting it there (or anywhere for that matter). Hope she wasnt shedding at the time and you didnt get it.Good luck. I also suggest getting a blood test for herpes (type specific) and keep getting them every so often, especially if you have never had one.....you might be surprised to learn you could already have a form of the virus and never even knew it due to having no symptoms.......its an important practice either way.

Answer:
Does the fact that I had a cut mean that I am mor elikely to contract it? Could this still happen if I had no cut on my finger?

Answer:
Also,

Is it safe to say that if the cut heals then I do not have it? Or will I be looking at time after the cut heals for symptoms?