How do you contract herpes?

In the past, HSV-1 was not known to cause genital herpes, but that is changing, especially among people who begin having sex at a young age. Still, in most cases, genital herpes is caused by the second type of herpes virus (HSV-2). HSV-2 lives in the nerves. read more

If you are in a relationship with a person known to have genital herpes, you can lower your risk of getting genital herpes if: Your partner takes an anti-herpes medication every day. This is something your partner should discuss with his or her doctor. read more

For example, if you have a cold sore and kiss someone, you can transfer the virus to their mouth. Similarly, if you have active genital herpes and have vaginal or anal intercourse, you can give your partner genital herpes. Finally, if you have a cold sore and put your mouth on your partners genitals (oral sex), you can give your partner genital herpes. read more

Still, in most cases, genital herpes is caused by the second type of herpes virus (HSV-2). HSV-2 lives in the nerves. When it's active, it travels to the surface of the infected area (skin or mucous membrane) and makes copies of itself. read more

You can get Genital Herpes from a Cold Sore Yep, a cold sore. If you receive oral sex from a person who experiences cold sores (even if they haven’t seen one in a long time) this can transfer the virus to the genitals — even if the person was not showing a cold sore at the time of contact. read more