New here with question about genital Herpes

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Hi, hope somebody might be able to answer my question. I've been doing some research on facts about herpes which has been very helpful but don't seem to be able to find what I am specifically looking for.What I want to know is during an outbreak of the disease, can the virus be spread to another person if they share a towel? For example, person A has a bath/shower, uses the towel and then hangs it up, person B then does the same.Also, if a person has an outbreak and has a bath/shower, hangs the towel up and uses it again themselves, are they risking reinfecting themselves time and time again?I hope I am making sense here, I know what I mean but not sure if I'm wording it correctly. If anyone can shed some light on this, I would very much appreciate it.Thank you in advance.

I remember when I use to take health class in school that my teacher told me that some families would 'quarantine' a family member if they knew they had herpes to prevent it from spreading to other family member. I'm not sure if you can catch herpes through sharing towels or other articles, but I whould hope that if someone had herpes that they would be more careful w/ their towels and clothing...

I think once you are infected, you can't "reinfect" yourself. However, I do believe the virus can be transmitted through a towel if it occurs within a timeframe before the virus dies.

Using the same towel within a limited time period and the towel still being wet I believe it can be passed on to another person, yes.

i've had herpes since i was 19, and i'm now...well...definitely older i have not reinfected myself, but if i had an outbreak i was extra careful to wash my hands after touching myself. i say "was" extra careful, because over the years my outbreaks diminished and i've gone from 4 - 5 per year to maybe one in two years. (yay!) if the towel is damp enough, yes, i think the virus can survive. but really, who uses other people's towels??keep in mind that cold sores...you know what some people get on their mouths...are also herpes, just in a different place. that's herpes simplex 1. you can get herpes simplex 1 on your genitals if someone with a "cold sore" (herpes!) gives you oral sex. if anyone has any questions about herpes, how to deal with it, what it's like, etc., just send me a private message. at this time i prefer not to have my email available, but that may change.herpes is not fun, but in the big scheme of things, really not the horrible thing society makes it out to be!

Well i'm a newbie to Herpes and just trying to come to terms with it.
I agree with being very careful... washing your hands so not to cause an outbreak on another part of your body. It is so easily done.

0204 - do you have health insurance? you can get prescriptions for antivirals that will help greatly with outbreaks. acyclovir, valtrex, famvir...you can take them all the time to prevent outbreaks, or you can take them "episodically"...ie...when you feel that first "tingle", you start taking them for 5 - 10 days. for me, if i take them right away, most of the time the outbreak doesn't even happen.where are your outbreaks? just one spot? all over? i have three places on my vagina where i will get an outbreak, but not all at once. ie, it's just one of the places per outbreak. i will add that i have, to my knowledge, never passed the virus along. i have been married for 12 yrs, and my husband does not have it. some theory is that perhaps he has received very very small doses of the virus when i wasn't aware i was "shedding", and that has made him immune. but that's only a theory. i just know he doesn't have it. one of the best things you can do for yourself is to stay healthy in general. being healthy keeps your immune system strong. work out, eat right, get enough sleep, don't drink too much and don't do drugs. take vitamins/supplements too.

I haven't yet tried any treatments.So far I have got a sore come up in between my vagina and anus and one around my anus (this outbreak only happened once). I just get the tingling sensation and a flat red area appear not long after...It dosen't scab or get bumpy at all. I also now suffer with severe back aches and flu like symptoms at the time. The very first episode I had thrush like symptoms. My partner gets only one area on his penis affected ( about 6 white lumps that do scab over) Maggie... Has your partner been tested? I have been told and read that people can actually have herpes without even having symptoms at all and wouldn't know unless an outbreak occured or they got tested for the virus. For some lucky people it just never shows on the outside for some reason so they wouldn't know they had it.I have been with my partner 3 years and all I had to start with was thrush like symptoms that caused irritation...I only started getting the symptoms I have now a few months ago. I was told this can be normal just like some people only get one mild outbreak and then can go years without having another,if ever. It's just like the virus can stay in your body and not rear it's ugly head for years on the outside with some people.

This is some info I just got off the net.....PreventionTo keep herpes from spreading, intimate contact should be avoided when sores are on the body. Itching, burning or tingling may occur just before the sores develop. Sexual intercourse should be avoided during this time. Herpes can even be spread when there are no sores or symptoms. To minimize the risk of spreading herpes, latex condoms should be used during all sexual contact. Spermicidal foams and jellies may offer added protection. The herpes virus can also be spread by touching the sores and then touching another part of the body. If you touch the sores, wash your hands with soap and water as soon as possible. Also, do not share towels or clothing with anyone. Babies can be infected with the herpes virus. If pregnant, you should tell your doctor if you have ever been exposed to anyone with herpes, even if you have never had any symptoms. Your doctor can take special precautions at the time of delivery to protect the baby from getting infected with herpes. Who has genital herpes? Millions of people have genital herpes and don't even know it, because they had no symptoms or their symptoms were minor. Because the sores of an outbreak go away and do not always recur, and because they can be mistaken for minor problems like razor burn.The virus is more contagious if an outbreak is present (although it's also possible, but less likely, for the virus to spread even if there is no sign of an outbreak). Herpes does not always have symptoms. That's right! Herpes does not necessarily cause any outward, visible symptoms. When someone does have symptoms, the sores can last up to several weeks and then go away. The sores can return — which is called an outbreak or recurrence — up to six times a year or more, or they may not return for years, if ever.

he's never been tested....never saw any reason to....we're married. well, he might in the future...i plan on leaving him soon.

well if he's never been tested, then you really can't be sure that he doesn't have it

yes that's true. i guess i coulda been clearer - he doesn't get outbreaks. he could very well have it and is asymptomatic.didn't mean to mislead anyone!