Question:
I contracted HSV1 genitally a month ago (already had it orally), and originally the outbreak was not so bad, just a few small dots. Then about 5-6 days into the outbreak, I had what looked like alien babies sprouting up under the skin on the frenulum (I think that's the name for the underside of the penis right below the head) It looked REALLY gross, even there were only three bad sores, gross to the point of the pictures they show you to scare you away from having sex in sex ed. Finally, it settled down a little bit, but now, 1 month later, I still have this minor sore-looking things there that don't hurt or itch at all, but they are discolored, and I am worried they are noticeable enough that someone seeing me naked might suspect I have herpes. Is there anything I can do to make these go away? Has another outbreak already started or am I stuck with this herp-mark looking scar things permanently?

Thanks
-live4themusic

Answer:
just out of curiosity who would be seeing you naked that doesnt know you have herpes.......i take it you dont plan to inform sex partners? no judgement just curious? and yes, scars can sometimes take a while to go away...weeks to months and probably rare cases leave minor scarring that is long lasting but within a few months id think it would be fully gone..

Answer:
Thank you! I do plan on informing partners, but have worked as a model for my University's art dept. which requires me to be naked while art students sketch me.

Also, I'm still trying to decide whether I need to inform girls if I am only going to receive oral from them. My logic is, I never told anyone before kissing them that I have OHSV1, and no one ever told me, but everyone has it. Theoretically the genital area should have a lower incidence of viral shedding than the oral area since it's HSV1, meaning there should be an even lower rate of transmission of the virus from receiving oral than from kissing. I probably will end up explaining the situation to any potential knob-polishers just like that, but if I still have what looks like sores on my member, i imagine girls may be more reluctant.

Answer:
i know what you mean, I had a very minor ob and I still have faint marks on my penis. Extremely hard to notice if you werent looking for them. Or maybe i just see it cause i had it. But I would maybe put aloe vera on it. Or some stretch mark lotion. Both are good for keeping the skin healthy so it may help.

Answer:
Thank you! I do plan on informing partners, but have worked as a model for my University's art dept. which requires me to be naked while art students sketch me.

Also, I'm still trying to decide whether I need to inform girls if I am only going to receive oral from them. My logic is, I never told anyone before kissing them that I have OHSV1, and no one ever told me, but everyone has it. Theoretically the genital area should have a lower incidence of viral shedding than the oral area since it's HSV1, meaning there should be an even lower rate of transmission of the virus from receiving oral than from kissing. I probably will end up explaining the situation to any potential knob-polishers just like that, but if I still have what looks like sores on my member, i imagine girls may be more reluctant. Hey there,

I am slightly confused here, are you saying that you are trying to decide whether you need to inform your potential sexual partners that you may spread a virus to them that they may not have? because everyone does not have it. I sure wish that someone would have told me. But that's just my opinion. Only you can decide what's best for you.

Answer:
If by sexual partners you mean girls I plan on having sexual intercourse with, then no, I have already made up my mind that I will have 'the talk' with anyone I am considering sex with.

My dilemma is with oral sex, because I have HSV1, which generally causes oral herpes. Every girl I've ever been with, I'm pretty sure, has had OHSV1. I've had it since I got it from my first girlfriend. HSV1 is HSV1 regardless of the site, and so if I receive oral from a girl who already has OHSV1, I am not putting her at risk of acquiring anything she does not already have, since I have recently acquired GHSV1, NOT HSV2.

On one hand, I'm not putting them at risk any more than I would be from kissing them (in fact probably even less of a risk than kissing them, because HSV1 sheds less frequently in the genital area). On the other, I have a feeling some people would consider the ommission of information dishonest.

Answer:
You could be exposing someone to a different strain of the virus than they have (if they have a virus) and that could cause them very different OB's than what you experience.

It is dishonest not to tell them before they give you oral, which by the way, is sex.

Answer:
If by sexual partners you mean girls I plan on having sexual intercourse with, then no, I have already made up my mind that I will have 'the talk' with anyone I am considering sex with.

My dilemma is with oral sex, because I have HSV1, which generally causes oral herpes. Every girl I've ever been with, I'm pretty sure, has had OHSV1. I've had it since I got it from my first girlfriend. HSV1 is HSV1 regardless of the site, and so if I receive oral from a girl who already has OHSV1, I am not putting her at risk of acquiring anything she does not already have, since I have recently acquired GHSV1, NOT HSV2.

On one hand, I'm not putting them at risk any more than I would be from kissing them (in fact probably even less of a risk than kissing them, because HSV1 sheds less frequently in the genital area). On the other, I have a feeling some people would consider the ommission of information dishonest.
I don't agree that oral sex is sex persay...i think youre just pleasuring someone with your mouth, just like you can do with a vibrator...people dont say youre having sex with your vibrator, why would you be having sex with someones mouth? Or people dont say youre sexing youre hand or fingers when masterbating, why should mouth vs hand/fingers be different.


anyways...

I would still tell them...Different strand giving or not, it still sucks to have a cold sore and by exposing them, if they give you head while having an outbreak, you are giving them more of a chance of having an outbreak than not.

I don't think you should be getting head/having sex during and OB.

Answer:
I most definitely agree I wouldn't want to be receiving oral during an outbreak.

I haven't actually read any articles about there being different strains of HSV1 and HSV2. This gets more and more complicated the more I read about it. Regardless, if I kiss girls without warning them, I don't see why they are being put at any more risk if they go down on me without me warning them. I think people just consider it more dishonest because you are engaging in sexual activities, whereas kissing without disclosure is considered the norm.

Does anyone have any good links to reliable info on different strains of herpes that they can point me to? If this is the case, it still seems irrelevant that disclosure of HSV1 status should be any more necessary when receiving oral than kissing. Like I said, I think disclosure is less important when receiving oral because theoretically, HSV1 shedding from that area is less frequent. If you do think for the sake of preventing disease transmission you must disclose HSV1 status when receiving oral, there is no excuse for being of the mind that disclosure upon kissing is not absolutely necessary as well. In my case, the only reason I would consider disclosing my status upon receiving oral is because I still acknowledge that some girls might consider me to have deceived them if I let them go down on me and then tell them that I won't have sex with them unless they are willing to risk a very small chance that they might contract HSV1 genitally.