My boyfriend gave me herpes, but he has no symptoms.

Written and reviewed by Slava Fuzayloff | Published on June 5, 2024

Yes, it is possible, and it happens more frequently than getting herpes from someone with a breakout: sores and blisters.

This is why:

According to studies [2] Herpes simplex virus-2 transmission probability estimates based on quantity of viral shedding https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006256/ , most herpes transmissions occur when the person has no symptoms. Moreover, people might not even know they have herpes since the herpes test is not the test that is routinely done, even if you asked for a “full std panel.” According to the CDC [1] Screening for Genital Herpes https://www.cdc.gov/herpes/testing/index.html , herpes screening was discontinued since studies showed that it does not improve the transmission rate, has a high false negative rate, and only induces anxiety.

Additionally, your boyfriend might not even be aware of having a herpes infection while engaging in sexual contact with you. It happens a lot since the majority of people with herpes do not have symptoms, even once.

Plus, there is a chance of you having herpes from before, and now it is resurfacing (causing your symptoms) or showing up on the blood test. Keep in mind a lot of herpes transmission occurs during childhood- from parents, siblings, and friends in a non-sexual way. Furthermore, both herpes types (HSV-1 and HSV-2) can be transmitted orally and genitally, and blood tests will not tell how it was transmitted and how long you have had it.