[Niki]

I actually have a couple questions. I have type 1 genital herpes. When will I ever be able to have sex without a condom and not run the risk of spreading it? Is it only transferred through skin to skin contact? And is using a condom a sure fire way of not passing it on?

[lisa c]

no you always have the risk of passing it on

[Jess]

Using a condom is the closest thing to a sure fire way of not spreading it, aside from not partaking in sexual encounters. Unfortunately you can never safely have sex without risking your partners health and safety. You will always be able to spread this to your partner and or child if you have any. Keep in mind if your condom breaks you will spread this just like you would without using one.

[Tiare]

hsv is spread by skin to skin contact, therefore condoms do not provide complete protection. the virus can still be passed with a condom. the good news is that genital hsv 1 has a very low rate of outbreaks compared to hsv 2. in addition, you may be a candidate for hsv suppresive therapy with daily medication. in couples where one partner is positive and the other negative, the pos person can be placed on suppression to prevent the other person from contracting the disease. talk to your doctor about this option.

The question is how did you catch it that's if you know??

only if the bumps aren't active(visable) then u can't pass it. don't have sex if u have an outbreak

The only sure fire way of not passing it on is to not have sex at all. Condoms are only a preventative measure and are not 100% effective.