How Long After Herpes Outbreak Is It Safe to Have Sex?

When herpetic lesions are present it is not safe to have sex as the virus is in its most contagious phase. Sex should be withheld until all lesions have cleared up completely. The difficulty with this virus and one of the reasons it is so common is the fact that many people do not present symptoms. This is called asymptomatic shedding and makes transmission avoidance difficult because it is not always apparent when somebody’s virus is “shedding”. So even when there are no symptoms present it is still possible to contract the disease. Condoms should be used every time there is penetrative sex to lower the risk of infection.

Note: This article is not medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your specific condition.