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This fact is undeniable: herpes and oral sex do not go well together. Many people find themselves wondering whether herpes and oral sex are tightly related and get surprised with the answer.

Herpes generally comes in two forms, oral herpes (also called herpes labialis) caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (hsv-1) and genital herpes caused by the type 2 virus (hsv-2). Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and it is in fact, the most common form of STD in the United States today, affecting at least 45 million people.

Oral Herpes and Genital Herpes: The Connection

It is common knowledge that oral herpes occurs above the waist, while genital herpes predominates below the belt. But the fact of the matter is that the main difference between the viruses that cause these infections is only on the locality where it chooses to infect.

Behavior and symptom wise, they are one and the same; the cold sores that result in the mouth due to hsv-1 are the same kind of cold sores that occur in the genitals due to hsv-2. So, does this mean that genital herpes can be transmitted as oral herpes and that oral herpes can be transmitted as genital herpes? Yes, definitely so.

But, how can oral herpes be transmitted as genital herpes? There is only one reasonable cause that can initiate the passing cold sores from the mouth to the genitals: oral sex.

Genital and Oral Herpes from Oral Sex

If one partner has active genital herpes, then the other partner is at a high risk for contracting herpes during sexual intercourse. On the other hand, if one partner has cold sores (and oral herpes for that matter), there is also a good amount of risk for transmitting it as genital herpes if he or she performs oral sex on the uninfected partner.

If one partner has genital herpes and receives oral sex, the partner who performs it will most likely get oral herpes. This pathway is mainly the mechanism which explains why one can get STD from receiving oral sex.

Oral sex may sound less potent than direct sexual contact, but it leads to similar end results. This also explains why people get genital warts from oral sex. Of course, if oral sex moves on to direct sexual contact, then both partners will end up with genital herpes, warts and other STDs.

How About No Cold Sore Oral Sex?

But what if no cold sores are present, can I get herpes from oral sex? This is actually a good question to ask. When no cold sores are present, herpes simplex viruses usually just lie dormant somewhere in your nervous system. If some of them are on the surface of your mouth or genitals, then there is a still good risk for virus transmission.

This does not mean however, that oral sex or sex is not possible for herpes sufferers. This just means that it is best to resort to safety measures such as condoms to protect your partner and yourself, especially during cold sore outbreaks.