Can you get herpes without having sex?

[Upnorth]

Does anyone know if u can get herpes when you've had absolutely no sexual contact? because i fear i have herpes but i havent had sex or any other sexual contact. i am 14 years old so i dont know.

[ouch]

No sexual contact whatsoever?
then no, you can not get it.

You CAN get herpes simplex 1 (coldsores) if you kiss OR perform oral sex on someone.


What makes you think you have herpes?

[chelly]

that's not what my dr. told me. my dr. told me that if you come in contact with a sore then you can get it. he told me to be careful to keep my outbreak covered since it is on my thigh so that my daughter don't come in contact with it cause she could get it that way. just brushing up against it while it is active cause pass it on. for example, here it is summer, so i wear shorts a lot and so does she. so if she were to hop up on my lap while i have an outbreak, if i don't have it covered with a bandaid or something then if her leg touches my thigh where that sore is then it can cause her to have it on her leg. this is just what my dr. explained to me.

[ouch]

Oh absolutely you can catch it from just rubbing up against it. I think this young lady is talking about intercourse and having genital herpes, and since most people get genital herpes from sex, oral and even dry humping...then in her case NO, only some sort of sexual contact would give her genital herpes . (unless she has been dry humping or rubbing up against someone naked....then no.)

But you are absolutely right, you can have herpes elsewhere on your body and it is just as contagious...and you CAN pass it onto someone. Like people with herpes whitlow have to be very careful. (herpes on the fingers/hands) as they can easily pass it onto another person. There is also that "wrestlers herpes" or herpes gladitorium (sp?) which is usually passed by close contact. (many many wrestlers get this.)

sucks, eh?

[chelly]

definitally sucks...mine is type2 but only on my thigh luckily....but that just means i have to be more careful around my children...and with a 4 year old, that is tough at times....i just have to remember to keep a bandaid on at all times during an outbreak.

[Very confused]

So im 15 and i have had no sexual contact what so ever, never kissed, never sex, nothing. I have these little bumps all over my penis and scrutom. And there is one maybe two bumps that are basically pimple but on my penis, is this herpes or what?

[notsofast22]

Couldn't you technically get it with no sexual contact at all but by touching one of your own cold sores and then touching your penis or vagina a short time after. I heard this is possible

[artgirl87]

I got it without having sex, but upnorth it doesn't sound like the same situation as you. I was messing around with a guy that had it (which he didn't bother to tell me...he's never had symptoms so he didnt think he could pass it on) and I got it from touching and stuff even though we didn't actually have sex. If you've never done anything though, that sounds highly unlikely.

[wtfisgoingon]

I myself am 17 and have very similar traits as Very Confused. I actually woke up this morning with my first serious outbreak of i dont know what. I as well have kissed only one girl, have never had sex or sexual contact or anything else. I as well have small bumps in the same areas, but, as I said, just this morning woke up with a larger, red, pimple like bumbs on my penis. Does anyone know wtf is going on??

[darkangel2100]

I'd say go to the doctor now, they can test it or tell you what it is. I cannot speculate. What you described COULD be herpes but could be other things. It is totally embarassing to go to the doctor about this but it's the only way to get it diagnosed and treated.