When is herpes contagious?

If a person with herpes outbreak kisses or is in close physical contact with another person,  herpes infection further. The risk of infection is greatest when there are blisters on the herpes outbreak. It is the clear fluid inside the blisters that contains the virus. Therefore, you are no longer contagious when the blisters are gone and the wound has crusted over. Many people ask "is herpes contagious during treatment?" and it is. Even if you have started treatment with gel/cream or medicine, you can still infect/become infected if there are still blisters on the wound.

If you have herpes in your mouth, palate or throat, you should be careful when you cough or sneeze. Herpes is also transmitted through saliva, and you can reduce the risk of infection by coughing/sneezing into a disposable tissue and washing your hands afterwards.

Do not touch the sore. You can spread the infection to other parts of your body and the sore can become infected with bacteria. Wash your hands often and avoid kissing and having sex during an outbreak. If you have herpes on your lips or in your mouth, you can pass the infection to your partner's genitals through oral sex, so it is recommended to refrain from having sex when you have a herpes outbreak. Herpes is not spread through towels or bedding, but you should always wash your hands when you wake up because you may have unknowingly touched your herpes sore in your sleep.

Herpes can also be contagious right at the beginning of an outbreak. If you have had herpes for a long time, you know the symptoms of an outbreak coming. The skin tingles, tingles and becomes sore where the outbreak occurs. Then you can be alert when the first blisters form. On the other hand, if you have only had a few outbreaks, you may not be aware of the symptoms before you notice the blisters and therefore you can be contagious before you actually realize that you have herpes in an outbreak.

Herpes is a virus like Corona and many of the measures we have learned during the Corona epidemic should also be used when we have herpes.