Concerned about spreading herpes
Learn how the virus is spread
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How is Herpes Spread?

Herpes is most easily spread when a sore is present, but, it is also often spread at other times too. Some people notice itching, tingling or other sensations before they see anything on their skin. These are called "Prodromal Symptoms" and they warn that the virus may be present on the skin. Herpes is most likely to be spread from the time these first symptoms are noticed until the area is completely healed and the skin looks normal again. Contact with the infected area (including oral, vaginal, or anal sex) is very risky during this time.

One kind of complication involves spreading the virus from the location of an outbreak to other places on the body by touching the sore(s). The fingers, eyes, and other body areas can accidentally become infected in this way. Preventing self-infection is simple. Do not touch the area during an outbreak. If you do, wash your hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water. This will help prevent the virus from spreading further.

The spreading of genital herpes through inanimate objects, such as soap, towels, clothing, bed sheets, toilet seats, and spa surfaces is highly unlikely because the genital herpes virus cannot live very long outside of the body. Herpes is not spread through vaginal fluids, blood or semen, or like a flu virus that you can get through the air. Herpes is generally spread by direct contact.

Herpes can be spread by the following situations:

• Kissing, touching and caressing infected areas
• Sexual contact with the infected area (vaginal, oral, or anal sex)
• Skin-to-skin contact with the infected area can transmit HSV-1 and HSV-2
• Kissing someone if you have a cold sore can transfer the virus and the person you kiss can then contract herpes in the area kissed
• The virus can be transmitted to your partner if you have active genital herpes and have vaginal or anal intercourse
• If you have a cold sore and put your mouth on a partner's genitals (oral sex), the partner can be infected with genital herpes. Consequently, oral sex should be avoided if one partner has a facial herpes attack.
• people who experience an episode of herpes, either facial or genital, should consider themselves infectious from the start of the episode up until the healing of the last ulcer
• Occasionally, one partner in a long-term relationship may develop symptoms of herpes for the first time. Often this is due to one or both of the partners being carriers of HSV and not knowing it
• From mother to baby during pregnancy or at birth

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