STD: HOW IS HERPES TRANSMITTED?
Both herpes simplex viruses are transmitted by skin contact with an area of a partner that is infected, or with secretions that are infected with the virus, such as semen, vaginal secretions, and saliva. The most vulnerable areas for acquiring herpes infections are mucosal surfaces, such as the mouth and throat, genital skin, or conjunctiva of the eye. Women acquire genital herpes more easily than men, probably because women have a larger area of mucosal skin surface in the genital area than men, which means that there is a larger area vulnerable to infection. Anywhere on the body where the skin is broken is also a vulnerable area.
Herpes is not transmitted through inanimate objects such as towels, drinking glasses, and toilet seats, but it can be transmitted through the use of shared sex toys, if they are immediately exchanged between partners. The virus is inactivated when secretions dry, and it doesn’t last long outside the body. (Theoretically, if someone with a genital lesion or oral lesion had direct contact with an object, such as a towel, which was then immediately put into contact with a vulnerable area of another person, such as the genitals, eyes, or mouth, then transmission could take place. But the likelihood of this actually happening is very remote, and there are no documented cases of herpes being transmitted in this way.) Herpes cannot be transmitted through the water or surfaces of a hot tub or a swimming pool. The only way to get herpes in a hot tub is to have sex with an infected partner in a hot tub.
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Tags: Erectile Dysfunction, Men’s Health