Genital herpes and contacts?
Question:
I know I'm probably just being overly scared but I don't want it to spread to my eyes or mouth (obviously). Am I being too overly cautious? Any advice on how to thoroughly wash to make me feel safe?
Also, on a side, I use antibacterial soap but use Dove in the shower. Does Dove kill the virus on my hands?
Thanks all who have been so helpful to me over the past few weeks.
Answers:
The Herpes Simplex virus cannot live more than a few seconds outside the human body...that's why it's transmitted sucessfully by way of sex. It is not anywhere near your hands unless you touch your genitals during an outbreak. And, then, all you have to do is wash them with soap and water and you're fine. I've had Herpes for many, many years and just keep the area clean (with water, not soap, that's just me-I don't like using soap on my genitals-it's too irritating), and it has never spread to any other part of my body. Don't worry, that's not going to happen. You're just being paranoid because nobody ever talks about Herpes in our culture and so everyone who gets it (1 OUT OF 5 PEOPLE!) feels like they are the only one and has no idea how to deal with it. You'll be fine. Just keep yourself clean, wash your hands (once! not like a million times), and do everything else that you normally do. And feel better soon!
IMO you are being too overly cautious, but I can understand why you are. As your Doctor said about not being able to spread it to other people as long as you wash your hands, the same is true regarding your contacts. You are doing more damage to your eyes by leaving your contacts in when they should be taken out and cleaned than you would if you washed your hands before removing your contacts.
I did a search and found the following information:
"The herpes virus does not survive outside the body for more than about 10 seconds, and although it can survive for slightly longer in warm, damp conditions (i.e. wet towels), it dies very quickly once exposed to the air. "
This tells me that even if you come in direct contact with a sore, it won't take long for the virus to die, so washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water is more than sufficient.
I wear contact, too, and have never transmitted the virus to my eyes.
If you are really that scared why dont you just wear glasses?
It's a very real concern. I know someone with ocular herpes, and it's not pretty. However, you can do a lot of damage to your eyes by leaving your contacts in for so long, so I would definitely worry less about taking them out.
Anyway, try to refrain from touching your genitals as much as you can, especially when you're having an outbreak.
As far as soap goes, I think any kind will do, as long as you're thorough. I'm pretty sure the virus is whipped when met with any kind of soap :) Work it into a lather and wash for about 30 seconds, use warm water, and really get in between the fingers.
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