Saturday, August 25, 2007

Can a cold sore develop into genital herpes?

Lets say you touch a cold sore then your privates, would that develop into genital herpes? I though that cold sores were caused by a different strain of herpes than genital herpes. So is it true or not?
Answer:
Sort of... the kind you normally get on your mouth is Herpes type 1 (HSV1). The kind you normally get on your genitals is Herpes type 2 (HSV2). You can get type 1 on your genitals which would be "genital herpes," but it is still type 1, just in a different location. You can also get type 2 on your mouth, but it is still type 2, just in a different location.

If you develop herpes in a different location than it normally resides, the symptoms tend to be less severe. For instance, type 2 on your mouth is far less likely to reoccur than type 2 on your genitals.

So, yes, touching a "cold sore" (which is really herpes) then touching your genitals can give you herpes on your genitals. Though it wont be the usual genital strain, it can cause the same symptoms.read more

No comments: