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Can you get herpes with kissing?

This is the most common question patients ask, and we have a detailed answer on a separate page.

If I slept with someone with herpes, do I have it?

Not necessarily. There is a very low chance of contracting an infection if a person does not have symptoms, and herpes symptoms are uncommon.

Can you get herpes from the toilet seat?

Yes, it is possible, but it is incredibly uncommon. Why? Because too many things should happen for that to occur, such as:

  • A person with an active herpes infection should use the toilet right before you and touch the toilet seat with the herpes sore. The sore is usually painful, and people generally avoid touching it.
  • The toilet seat should be used immediately for transmission since the virus does not survive long outside the body.
  • The person’s skin that coming into contact should have minor cuts or abrasions

Can you get herpes sharing a vape?

Yes, it is possible.

It most commonly happens if:

✓ The positive person is symptomatic- and has open sores with a high concentration of the herpes virus.

✓ If the vape was used immediately after herpes positive person.

Can you get herpes from semen?

Yes, it is possible to get herpes via semen since herpes virus can be found in the human secretions: semen, vaginal discharge, and saliva. [3, 5] Persistent Genital Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Shedding Years Following the First Clinical Episode
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058740/#:~:text=Total%20HSV%20genital%20shedding,-The%20overall%20percentage&text=HSV%20shedding%20occurred%20on%2033.6%25%20of%20days%20among%20participants%20%3C1,Table%202%20and%20Figure%202)
Herpes simplex virus type 2 transmission: risk factors and virus shedding
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15319082/

Additionally, herpes can stay in the sperm for a long time without causing any apparent symptoms.

The transmission is most common when infected sperm come into contact with the mucosa: the lining of the mouth, rectum, vagina, or eyes.

How did I get herpes if my partner doesn't have it?

It is possible since herpes can be transmitted via skin-to-skin contact and is more commonly transmitted in a non-sexual way. [5] Herpes simplex virus type 2 transmission: risk factors and virus shedding https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15319082/

Can cats get herpes from humans?

No. Cats can get herpes from another cat, and it is a different herpes type that is specific for cats.

Humans cannot get herpes from cats or pass herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 to cats.

Can dogs get herpes from humans?

No. Humans cannot pass the herpes virus to dogs. The herpes virus dogs get is species-specific, called Canine herpes virus (CHV)

Source

  1. Transmission of genital herpes in couples with one symptomatic and one asymptomatic partner: a prospective study
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2836518/
  2. Risk of acquisition of genital herpes simplex virus type 2 in sex partners of persons with genital herpes: a prospective couple study
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8383724/
  3. Persistent Genital Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Shedding Years Following the First Clinical Episode
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058740/#:~:text=Total%20HSV%20genital%20shedding,-The%20overall%20percentage&text=HSV%20shedding%20occurred%20on%2033.6%25%20of%20days%20among%20participants%20%3C1,Table%202%20and%20Figure%202)
  4. Herpes simplex virus: global infection prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32514197/
  5. Herpes simplex virus type 2 transmission: risk factors and virus shedding
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15319082/

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