Thanks for asking follow-up questions...let me know if this additional information helps.
There is a small chance that your partner could spread the virus even when no symptoms ("outbreak") are present, whether it is touching skin-to-skin, genital-to-genital, mouth-to-genital--or any combination of these--including her touching her genitals and then touching you. The largest risk of spreading the virus is during an outbreak, or in the few days before the outbreak, but there IS still a chance of spreading the virus even with no outbreak, unfortunately.
The best protection is to either use a dental dam, or a condom cut in half length-wise, to cover the genital area. Although not your first choice to use barrier methods, it is vitally important that you continue being cautious and not spread the virus from your partner, to yourself, to your unknowing husband (please do not read this as a judgment, I want to make sure from a public health standpoint that he is protected, as he won't know to protect himself, and this is how the virus keeps spreading. You are in a great place to stop the spread of infection, so that your current husband does not spread it to someone else without knowing that he should be using protection, since you mentioned that you are trying to end the marriage).
The only 100% way to make sure you are not spreading the virus from one person to another is to practice abstinence, and the next best thing is to practice safer sex (using a cut-up condom to cover the genitals-and-surrounding-skin and/or a dental dam). You can read more about safer sex options and Herpes at: American Social Health Association (ASHA), Herpes.
I am also sorry that you are in an unhappy marriage, and hope you can find a resolution soon, so that you can focus on your own future, health and happiness.
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Thanks for asking follow-up questions...let me know if this additional information helps.
There is a small chance that your partner could spread the virus even when no symptoms ("outbreak") are present, whether it is touching skin-to-skin, genital-to-genital, mouth-to-genital--or any combination of these--including her touching her genitals and then touching you. The largest risk of spreading the virus is during an outbreak, or in the few days before the outbreak, but there IS still a chance of spreading the virus even with no outbreak, unfortunately.
The best protection is to either use a dental dam, or a condom cut in half length-wise, to cover the genital area. Although not your first choice to use barrier methods, it is vitally important that you continue being cautious and not spread the virus from your partner, to yourself, to your unknowing husband (please do not read this as a judgment, I want to make sure from a public health standpoint that he is protected, as he won't know to protect himself, and this is how the virus keeps spreading. You are in a great place to stop the spread of infection, so that your current husband does not spread it to someone else without knowing that he should be using protection, since you mentioned that you are trying to end the marriage).
The only 100% way to make sure you are not spreading the virus from one person to another is to practice abstinence, and the next best thing is to practice safer sex (using a cut-up condom to cover the genitals-and-surrounding-skin and/or a dental dam). You can read more about safer sex options and Herpes at: American Social Health Association (ASHA), Herpes.
I am also sorry that you are in an unhappy marriage, and hope you can find a resolution soon, so that you can focus on your own future, health and happiness.
Let us know if you have any additional questions!
January 5, 2010 - 2:07pmThis Comment
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