chapstick1520 t1_j6kyi2h wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:37 AM

Not fairly easy to avoid. 2/3 of the global population has HSV1 and 1/6 HSV2.

If you’re scared of both, you’re cutting your dating pool much smaller than someone with it. 80-90 percent of people that have it are asymptomatic. I’m one of them and doing just fine.

FYI chickenpox is also a lifelong illness. So is mono. We don’t think anything about those.

BellyScratchFTW OP t1_j6kzlk1 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:45 AM

When I say "fairly easy to avoid", it's relative. For example, someone can have the flu around me and I may not know it. They could walk by and sneeze or cough in my general direction and that's it.

Herpes, either type, requires some sort of action between them. Sharing a drink. Sharing a body part.

Hope that helps make my comment make more sense. ( :

chapstick1520 t1_j6l0mx3 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:53 AM

It’s not. Unless you’re testing every person before you even kiss them, in the US it’s a coin flip that the person you’re with carries the virus. In most European and Asian countries it’s 2/3 to 90 percent. For most of human history, having herpes was an accepted part of being human. Only in the last generation or two are we seeing thoughts and posts like yours.

While herpes is shed with a cold sore present most definitely, it can also be shed asymptomatically. So Just because someone never had cold sores, doesn’t mean that they can’t give you them. 80-90 percent of carriers are again, asymptomatic.

You not having either strain doesn’t mean you’ve done everything right, it just means you’re lucky. It’s pure chance. You can do everything “right” and still get it.

Of course. You can choose to not share items with people or test them before you kiss them. But imo, that’s overkill.

They only way you can truly avoid herpes is avoiding human contact and swearing celibacy.

BellyScratchFTW OP t1_j6l3n2p wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:15 AM

"...seeing thoughts and posts like yours."

I don't think I've given the impression that I think people with cold sores are "untouchable" or anything.

Yes, I realize it's been around a long time. And it's prevelant.

But if you avoid casual sexual encounters and using other's utensils, it's mostly avoidable.

(Please realize I used the qualifier "mostly". I know that some are just lucky. But avoiding unnecessary contact can prevent a lot of things.)

chapstick1520 t1_j6l3q11 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:16 AM

Would you engage in a romantic relationship with someone with them?

And again, you can have sex with someone and you’re both virgins, and still get it genitally.

It’s not just prevalent, it’s more common to have it than not.

YOU are the outlier if you don’t have either strain. You almost certainly have Chickenpox or the Epstein-Barr virus, two other members of the herpes virus family that like HSV1 and 2, are incurable.

BellyScratchFTW OP t1_j6l49pe wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:20 AM

I've been married for many years now. So, no. And if I wasn't married and was dating around, then no - I would not willingly/knowingly sleep with someone that had herpes. But I am not the type of guy to sleep around anyway so it wouldn't matter.

Yes, I realize that a virgin can have herpes. It could have been transmitted during birth. But we're getting further away from the original topic so I'm about done here.

chapstick1520 t1_j6l4oqy wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:23 AM

So you’re saying you wouldn’t touch anyone with it. Period.

Tell your wife/husband you wouldn’t be with them over a few bumps (if they ever manifest). Unless you’ve both been tested beforehand, very likely he/she has it (it’s not included on standard STI panels).

BellyScratchFTW OP t1_j6l5716 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:27 AM

I did not say I "wouldn't touch anyone" with it.

Since you are putting words in my mouth, I'll be done speaking with you now.

chapstick1520 t1_j6l5dpt wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:28 AM

Don’t post something stupid on Reddit if you don’t want people calling you out for said stupidity.

The amount of people that do not know that a cold sore is herpes is surprising.

BellyScratchFTW OP t1_j6kwe2p wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:21 AM