I Have Oral HSV-1 , And I Believe I Gave

Posted on Sun, 15 Mar 2020

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : I have oral HSV-1, and I believe I gave it to my wife 2+ years ago. We both occasionally get a breakout on the same spot on our mouths. I've read that once your body builds up antibodies a few months after the first infection, you cannot spread the same type of herpes to other locations on your body.

My question is, since my wife and I both have the same thing, is there any risk of me spreading herpes to other parts of her face or genitals?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (10 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Regarding transmission of herpes simplex virus

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to ask a doctor service. I have gone through your query and noted your concern.

Herpes is a local infection and despite being already infected with a type of herpes (1 or 2) one can still get infected with that type at a different site through intimate contact.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if you need any more assistance.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T