Ok folks, lots of good questions about herpes! I’ll try to cover them all here 🙂
@HoneyPot that’s right: you can’t cause herpes symptoms in someone who already has it. The frequency & severity of your symptoms depends on your own immune system & nothing else.
@MintMilano Yes, it’s possible to get both herpes type 1 & herpes type 2 on the same body part. For example, you could have both types on the mouth. You can also get one type on the mouth and the other on the genitals. BUT, you’re unlikely to get one type on both the mouth and the genitals (so if you have herpes type 1 on the mouth, you’re protected from getting herpes type 1 on the genitals).
@tea that’s an interesting article, thanks for sharing! I like that it spells out that most people with herpes type 1 or type 2 don’t get any symptoms! That important fact is rarely mentioned in herpes info for some reason! I like that it challenges the idea that herpes type 2 is the “bad one,” but it might overstate the dangers of type 1 in the process. Remember 70% or more of us have herpes type 1 & complications are very, very rare.
@HoneyPot Herpes only very rarely affects other parts of the body besides the mouth or genitals. The skin is a great barrier to most infections. It’s the mucous membranes of the mouth & genitals that are the pathway for most STIs. If you have a cold sore on the mouth it can be easily passed to someone else mouth through kissing or to genitals through oral sex.