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Answered by Jenny
From what I understand, condoms and vaginal dams aren't reliable because there is still some skin to skin contact.
Even if the skin is unblemished and there aren't any lesions, I believe you can still be exposed to the virus if the person has herpes.
Answered by Mary-Anne
I don't think that is quite correct Jenny.Ninety percent of people that get genital herpes only get one attack in their lifes.A lot of people get cold sores confused with genital herpes. I have included a article published by BBC Health
Published 2004-08-02
By BBC health
Genital herpes. Once the herpes virus is in your body, it's there for good.
Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two types of the virus:
type I usually causes cold sores around the mouth, but can affect the genital and anal areas type II usually causes sores in the genital and anal areas, but sometimes affects the mouth
Some people have one outbreak of herpes, others have repeated outbreaks. Genital herpes doesn't generally cause serious health problems.
Genital herpes is passed on by direct skin contact, mainly during vaginal, oral or anal sex, or kissing.
There are ways in which you can avoid passing on genital herpes:
During an outbreak, the blisters and sores are highly infectious. Avoid contact with the infected area of skin at this time or during the warning signs of an outbreak. Condoms may help protect against genital herpes, although their effectiveness is unclear as the virus is present on the skin, and the condom only covers the penis so it can't offer complete protection. It's unclear how easy it is to pass on the virus between outbreaks or when you have no symptoms.
You can't catch genital herpes from sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms Many people show no signs of the virus. Others don't recognise the symptoms if they're very mild. Symptoms can develop at any time after contact with the virus, from four or five days later to even weeks, months and years afterwards.
Symptoms include:
fluid-filled blisters that burst leaving painful sores flu-like symptoms - headache, backache, swollen glands in the groin or fever tingling or itching sensation in the genitals or anal area pain when passing urine over the sores Left untreated, the symptoms last approximately two to three weeks. Recurrent infections are milder and symptoms clear up more quickly (within three to five days).
From what I understand, condoms and vaginal dams aren't reliable because there is still some skin to skin contact.
Even if the skin is unblemished and there aren't any lesions, I believe you can still be exposed to the virus if the person has herpes.
Answered by Mary-Anne
I don't think that is quite correct Jenny.Ninety percent of people that get genital herpes only get one attack in their lifes.A lot of people get cold sores confused with genital herpes. I have included a article published by BBC Health
Published 2004-08-02
By BBC health
Genital herpes. Once the herpes virus is in your body, it's there for good.
Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two types of the virus:
type I usually causes cold sores around the mouth, but can affect the genital and anal areas type II usually causes sores in the genital and anal areas, but sometimes affects the mouth
Some people have one outbreak of herpes, others have repeated outbreaks. Genital herpes doesn't generally cause serious health problems.
Genital herpes is passed on by direct skin contact, mainly during vaginal, oral or anal sex, or kissing.
There are ways in which you can avoid passing on genital herpes:
During an outbreak, the blisters and sores are highly infectious. Avoid contact with the infected area of skin at this time or during the warning signs of an outbreak. Condoms may help protect against genital herpes, although their effectiveness is unclear as the virus is present on the skin, and the condom only covers the penis so it can't offer complete protection. It's unclear how easy it is to pass on the virus between outbreaks or when you have no symptoms.
You can't catch genital herpes from sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms Many people show no signs of the virus. Others don't recognise the symptoms if they're very mild. Symptoms can develop at any time after contact with the virus, from four or five days later to even weeks, months and years afterwards.
Symptoms include:
fluid-filled blisters that burst leaving painful sores flu-like symptoms - headache, backache, swollen glands in the groin or fever tingling or itching sensation in the genitals or anal area pain when passing urine over the sores Left untreated, the symptoms last approximately two to three weeks. Recurrent infections are milder and symptoms clear up more quickly (within three to five days).