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Herpes
Can you have Herpes even if you've never had sex before?
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In addition to the user below who answered you can by giving handjob and other sexual encounters, many people are born with herpes or contract in while still in the infancy stage of life.
You would be astonished by the number of people who have accidentally given their child herpes (type 1 and/or 2) just by changing the baby's diaper. It's so contagious it's frightening.
Babies can also definately be born with herpes. If the mother experiences an outbreak during labor then there are high chances the baby will contract the virus. The baby also may be blind or end up with ocular herpes since it passes through the vaginal canal and the eyes may come in contact with the sores/infected areas.
Although I have not previously mentioned my experience I will now. I contracted herpes, HSV-1 (usually referred to as "oral herpes") to be exact, before I even kissed another person. My first outbreak that I can clearly recall was in kindergarten but I'm unsure if I had outbreaks before then.
I'm not sure how I got infected but I suppose I blame it on my mother's carelessness. She obviously had outbreaks frequently and did not take the right precautions to protect me against it. My mother NEVER kissed me on the lips; however, I did occassionally share drinks with her. As far as I can figure, I shared a drink with her while the herpes virus was shedding out of her (as it does periodically, which may not be visible, by the way) and contracted it.
Many people only have one initial outbreak and it's years before they ever have another outbreak. This doesn't mean they can't pass it along--the cells are ALWAYS being shed so there is always a danger in contracting it from an infected person. It also may be possible that someone simply does not know they are infected because their outbreak was so long ago (like if I had an outbreak prior to kindergarten I truly cannot recall back that far) or they have so many outbreaks they are very accustomed to it and don't think it's a big deal.
My mother never told me that she had herpes. My mother never told me that the outbreaks I experienced on my lip was herpes. She didn't tell me anything to help me protect other people against myself. As a matter of fact, I thought it was completely normal to get blisters on the lips like I did--many of my classmates through elementary school even suffered from the same thing! Years later (when I was about 19 or 20) I accidently ran into an article online about herpes and realize that the sores I had previously experienced was herpes. This was later confirmed when I had a STD screening.
In short, many people have herpes that have never had sex before. Many innocent people have never even kissed anyone before and have herpes because of adults in their life that didn't take extreme precautions to prevent transmitting the virus to their infant. Many parents are so ashamed of this that they do not bother to actually tell their child that the outbreak is not normal and that it's an STD they have to live with forever.
If you suspect you or a partner has herpes then you need to be tested to make sure. From there you can find out a lot more about herpes and how it affects the body. There are many questions here about herpes and such that I have answered. Here are some links you may be interested in:
"Can you get an STD from giving a hand job?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"Can you contract herpes on the outside of your genitals?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"How do you know if you have herpes?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"My boyfriend got sperm in my eyes. Are there risks? (Ocular herpes information)"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"I have herpes. When am I considered "contagious"?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"How did I get herpes? We used a condom and everything! Oh, and what helps calm the virus down so I don't have so many outbreaks?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Any other questions you have, PLEASE fee free to ask me! I am fairly well educated about herpes, including some treatments for it (no, it's not curable yet). I want people to be as educated as they possibly can be about this because it's serious business. SO, please feel free to see a question to my inbox if you have any you want me to answer.
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In short, yes. You can contract herpes by having oral sex or even giving a hand job. If you have been touching someone that is infecting and then touch yourself you can get it. Remember, people can have herpes and at times show no physical symptoms and still pass it. Remember to always be safe no matter what you choose to do. If you are worried you may have contracted herpes, I suggest you go to a doctor and get treated. :)
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