CARNAL NATION

I had sex last night, and this morning I had a herpes outbreak. Could I have infected my partner? What can I do about it?

Well, yes, you could have. For years, physicians didn't know if someone who wasn't having an outbreak could infect someone. But through the miracle of modern science (yes, really; the viral gene techniques were breathtakingly sophisticated), they proved it can happen. Nevertheless, it's relatively rare.

So, yes, it's possible to transmit herpes even when you're not having an outbreak. You can "shed" the virus at any time, although it's certainly more likely, and you'll shed a greater quantity of virus, when you're having an outbreak.

This is why you need to tell all potential partners that you have herpes, and let them make their own informed decisions about whether or not to have sex with you and what barriers to use. HSV1 is the oral type and HSV2 is the gential type, but you can get either one in either place. Fifty percent of all adults have been exposed to HSV2, and as many as 75% to HSV1—so if you don't want to have sex with someone who's ever been exposed to herpes, you may be lonely.

Condoms don't necessarily prevent herpes transmission, since the virus may shed from parts of the body that the condom doesn't cover. Some drugs (Acyclovir, Valcyclovir, and Fanciclovir are a few) reduce shedding and can thus help keep you from infecting your partner.

You can take them beforehand to further decrease the possibility of viral shedding—and also to prevent the "friction trauma" of sex (doesn't that sound romantic?) from triggering another attack.

Notify your partner about your outbreaks so that they can keep an eye open for symptoms. There's not really all that much else that can be done. Sorry.