[hn_throwaway_99]

> e.g. with many people getting it as children due to careless parents/extended family

Puhleeze. HSV is present in the majority of the population. Branding parents as "careless" because their children get it is ridiculous.

[nsxwolf]

Not letting family members kiss your kids on the mouth and not letting your kids use other people's cups/forks etc? If the entire population did this there would be fewer herpes infections.

edit: the downvotes are interesting. If I had made the statement "We can take steps to reduce COVID-19 transmission" I can't imagine I'd get the same result. I can only assume that people really are ashamed of having herpes and are reacting emotionally.

[hombre_fatal]

What's your gameplan for the rest of your life? You're never going to kiss anyone or share a cup or a smoke or any of the thousands of ways that have infected the vast majority of humanity? You can even get it passing through your mom's birth canal.

Your two examples of transmission are so specific that I'm not sure you know how it spreads. Just extended family members kissing or sharing cups with your kids? What?

Herpes-1 is just part of the human condition. Time to get over it. Btw, odds are that you have it. And for your own sanity, don't worry -- it doesn't mean you were making out with your family nor their kids.

[asia92]

Herpes-2 is also part of the human condition at this point

Either way, they are gross

[benibela]

>You're never going to kiss anyone or share a cup or a smoke or any of the thousands of ways that have infected the vast majority of humanity?

Sounds reasonable

I am 30 and have never kissed anyone, and no plans to change that soon. Although I had some shared cups. I probably should get tested. But there is a good change I have avoided all herpes, even EBV. I hope they can find a vaccine soon.

[lm28469]

I mean, yeah, I guess if we avoid all physical contacts during our entire life until the world pop drops to 0 we could get rid of herpes. /s

[rebuilder]

If we all stopped having sex, that would admittedly solve the issue of all disease rather thoroughly. No people, no human Herpes infections.

[nsxwolf]

If we all had fewer sex partners, that would go a long way.

[s5300]

Never change, HN

[nsxwolf]

I'm in the second half of my life and I married an HSV-negative. I try not to put my mouth on sketchy things.

[SketchySeaBeast]

You both got blood tests for both types of HSV before you were married I assume?

[hn_throwaway_99]

You "married an HSV-negative"? Quite the romantic.

[lostapathy]

If you can figure out a way to get a 3 year old to care about what utensils they use or who's cake they finish, you're probably on track to solve even bigger problems than this!

[nsxwolf]

You can't prevent 100% of infections. We could do a whole lot better than we're doing now. Getting rid of the moniker "cold sore" would be a great start.