85% of the population have this non sexually transmitted strain of da herp
I'm not a doctor but I'll share what I know.
HSV-1 has been growing rapidly as sexually transmitted, because, as was stated earlier, HSV-1 and 2 can occur either genitally or orally depending on site of first contact. Oral sex has led to an increase in HSV-1 occurring genitally. I'd ask her if she's had any symptoms in a particular area, because it she could have it orally (the common cold sore) or genitally.
HSV-1 prefers the mouth area while HSV-2 prefers the genital area. They stay in the nerves in that particular area forever, which is why outbreaks occur during times of stress, immune weakness, or in the case of oral, sun exposure, as well as other reasons. An HSV-1 infection in the genital area tends to break out less, and is less likely to be asymptomatically shed (can be transmitted WITHOUT showing any visible symptoms), because again, it's not the preferred site of infection. Same with HSV-2 orally. It is believed that having HSV-2 offers a high level of immunity to contracting HSV-1, but not the other way around.
In The Rational Male, Rollo talks about STDs and several stats that I'm not gonna attempt to quote here, but you can be an incorrigible Casanova and not contract anything, and marry your high school sweetheart and get herp. 85% of the people with herp show little to no symptoms and don't know they have it. Furthermore, standard STD screens DO NOT include a herp test because doctors widely view it as benign, and the social stigma and psychological distress outweigh the need to test.
Herp used to not be a big deal until drug manufacturers decided it was profitable to make it a stigma, so they could sell medication. That said, I understand your predicament, and it really depends on how big of a deal it is to YOU.
So what do I do with the girl???
What does your gut tell you to do? Do you think she acted honestly and with integrity? Are all the girls you're sleeping with aware of their HSV status? Are you gonna ask each girl who goes down on you in the heat of passion whether she has oral herp? And if so, is it HSV-1 or 2?
What about kissing? Are you gonna ask every girl you make out with if she has HSV-1 or 2 orally? Has she ever had an outbreak of any kind? I'm just bringing this up because here you're dealing with a girl who knows and can take measures to prevent passing it on to you, as opposed to the 85% of those who have it and don't know. Most HSV transmissions occur from asymptomatic shedding.
This is meant to be informative only, and not to give advice. I recommend however, to meditate on it and do what feels right. Just don't be beta about it
