Question:
I keep reading over and over that people think almost everyone has oral herpes and that it's no big deal...

As someone who just got genital HSV1 from oral sex reading this just makes me mad. My partner had no symptoms. None! But after I got this and questioned him, he did say he has had cold sores in the past, but had no idea he could give me genital herpes (cause again he had NO symptoms of an outbreak), and from what I've just read in so many places I would have thought that dang near impossible, too, except my tender parts can tell you different. I can't even blame him cause everywhere you read, you're pretty much given a go ahead to have oral sex if there is no outbreak. I even read a doctor's advice that disclosing oral HSV1 is no biggie "cause everyone has it," and if there's no outbreak you're not going to spread anything.

Let me tell you my primary infection with HSV1 has not been fun, even if it's just "the good" HSV1. I've had a fever of 102 for a week, chills, fatigue, crappy appetite, weird aches in my body, lower back ache, and swollen lymph nodes in the groin region (and even some minor swelling in my armpits and my neck lymph nodes). Since I got it from oral sex, I am absolutely COVERED in bumps - labia, all around the vaginal opening, and even some in the vagina... plus some bumps on my butt cheeks for good measure, to ensure that sitting down hurts everywhere. I thought I would die from just having to pee because those parts were all so swollen, plus the urine touching anywhere made me want to scream. Finally I got diagnosed and medicated up, which has helped a lot, but still, nothing about this seems like a "good" type of herpes.

Maybe I have a better prognosis for recurrence, but it does sound like many people with genital HSV1 do have some outbreaks... All I can hope is that I get lucky.

Answer:
That sounds like a nightmare. And I totally agree that it's a myth that type 1 is no big deal.

Personally I think there should be NO distinction between the two types. This would help to REDUCE the stigma attached to genital herpes, and INCREASE people's understanding of the problems associated with oral herpes.