Can You Get Herpes if You Wear a Condom and the Person Had No Outbreak?

Can you get herpes if you wear a condom and the person had no outbreak?

If you are sexually intimate with a person who has herpes simplex II, or genital herpes there are a few things that you should know about herpes transmission.

The herpes simplex viruses are transmitted through skin to skin contact. It is not a blood borne virus, it lays dormant in the nervous system, and when it is triggered it rises to the surface. This is known as a herpes outbreak. Genital herpes outbreaks can look like anything from puss filled sores, to small open wounds. They can occur inside the vagina, on the scrotum, pelvis, the inner thigh, buttocks or lower back. Herpes sores can be big enough to see visibly, but they can also be be small as a pin point and barely noticeable to the human eye.

Now that you understand what a genital herpes outbreak is and the ways it can appear – you should realize that the answer to your question is simply yes – you can still get herpes even if you wear a condom and the person has no visible signs of an outbreak.

If you are in a relationship with a person who has genital herpes and are considering being sexually intimate with them, it is important for you to have a honest discussion about what types of medications they take. While condoms can reduce your risk, it is not a fool proof method of prevention. In order to protect yourself, your partner should commit
to taking daily suppressive therapy like Valtrex. Studies have shown that using condoms combined with daily suppressive therapy will reduce your risk to under two to five percent.

How Can You Tell if Someone Has Herpes?

Is there a way to know if someone has herpes?

The herpes simplex virus can go unnoticed and undetected for years to a person who has the virus. For this reason there is no real way to do a spot check to confirm whether or not a person has herpes. The most obvious indication that a person is having a herpes outbreak is the actual outbreak itself. However the skin symptoms associated with herpes can look like anything from a puffy red blister to a small zit. While herpes type 1 will usually surface on or near the mouth, genital herpes can literally appear anywhere below the waist. It is not just isolated to the genital area. People who have genital herpes often report having outbreaks on their inner thighs, lower back or pelvis area.

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