A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:Okay, this may be a bit stupid but please bare with me.I'm 20 years old and I've just found out I have herpes simplex type 1. I haven't been tested, I've been told that cold sores are herpes? I've had cold sores since I was a baby and I didn't know anything about them being herpes until recently...Now I'm ashamed and scared. I haven't had a cold sore for years (Most of the time I get them after biting my lips) but now I'm afraid of getting one and passing it to my long term boyfriend. I'm actually considering breaking up with him now. Are cold sores really herpes? What can I do about it?
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female
reader, person12345  +, writes (17 July 2012):
 Cold sores are herpes, yes. HOWEVER, more than 70% of the entire population carries the virus. You have not been born with the virus, you likely caught it from putting something in your mouth that another kid had in his or her mouth.
Chances are, he already has it even if he has never had a cold sore. It's not serious at all. It is very rare for you to transfer herpes on your mouth to the genitals. So long as you avoid oral sex during an outbreak there shouldn't be a problem at all.
You have been carrying this the entire time you've been dating him, nothing has changed and like I said. The odds are he is already infected even if he has never had a cold sore.
If you feel one coming on (some people feel a tingling sensation), you should take large doses of Lysine until it goes away. My doctor told me about this and it works WAY better than any prescription anti-virals I've tried. I've had the beginnings of maybe 4 or 5 in the past 6 years and not one of them has "blossomed" into a full sore. Talk to your doctor about the correct dosage.
You really do not need to stress about this, more than 70% of the population has it! Even if he somehow doesn't, the odds are in his favor that he wouldn't have cold sores from it if he did catch it. Try to relax!
A
female
reader, Tisha-1 +, writes (17 July 2012):
 Your country has a great resource in the NHS's website which offers very valuable medical information on a great variety of conditions, diseases and illnesses.
Here are the relevant links:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cold-sore/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Genital-herpes/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Don't be ashamed of having cold sores. Many many people do. It has nothing to do with you being a good person or a good partner. It just means you contracted a virus as a baby.
If you two are sexually intimate, it's probably a good idea anyway to go see your respective doctors and have a full STD work up. There, ask about the cold sores and genital herpes and how to prevent transmitting the virus to your partner.
If you haven't had a outbreak in years, though, I doubt there's much to worry about.
Don't freak out. Go ask a medical professional as to your specific case and get checked out for STDs so you can enjoy a happy and healthy sexual intimacy with your boyfriend.
Good luck.
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A
female
reader, melco75 +, writes (17 July 2012):
Over 80% of the population has cold sores (herpes 1). It cannot be transmitted unless you are having an active breakout. Once you have it, you have it forever. An outbreak comes about when your immune system is under stress. You may not have an outbreak for years.. some people have them quite often because of stress, illness, fatigue, not taking care of themselves. They will reappear in the same area each time because the virus connects itself to a nerve in that area.. this is why they are so painful also.
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A
female
reader, aphexinfinite +, writes (17 July 2012):
 yes they really are. Dont feel disgusted about it you were born with it not much you could of done. You just have to becareful when you feel one coming on and if their is no touching till its gone. their are various things you can use on the cold sore but i find each to their own as i know a few people who have them. The best thing is to make sure your well rested as tiredness and general being unwell has brought them on with my friends. My friends partner has it and shes really worried about getting them but he does his best that if he thinks he might have one he wont kiss her anywhere as it can be passed on other than the mouth. so far they have been lucky thats been a year of them being together touch wood lol. try and not worry about it or you will stress yourself out and get one as i said just relax be well rested and have some cream ready for a break out. xxxx
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A
female
reader, cmarieky +, writes (17 July 2012):
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/coldsores.html Cold SoresAlso called: Fever blister, Oral herpesCold sores are caused by a contagious virus called herpes simplex. There are two types of herpes simplex virus. Type 1 usually causes oral herpes, or cold sores. Type 1 herpes virus infects more than half of the U.S. population by the time they reach their 20s. Type 2 usually affects the genital areaSome people have no symptoms from the infection. But others develop painful and unsightly cold sores that last for a week or more. Cold sores usually occur outside the mouth -- on the lips, chin, and cheeks, or in the nostrils. When they do occur inside the mouth, it is usually on the gums or the roof of the mouth.There is no cure for cold sores. Medicines can relieve some of the pain and discomfort associated with the sores. These include ointments that numb the blisters, antibiotics that control secondary bacterial infections, and ointments that soften the crusts of the sores.Yes based on the official government health site. It's not the end of the world. Stress is a primary factor for outbreaks so stop worrying.
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