Herpes questions

can I spread it to other parts of my body thru bedding, clothes, shower loofa, touching it and then touching somewhere else on my body?

Touching a fresh blister and spreading it to other parts of your body rarely happens but theoretically it's possible. The rest are even less likely, if at all. Think about it this way: I've had oral herpes since I was a kid, so do many other, with visible outbreaks. If all that happened easily, we'd have outbreaks all over our bodies by now. But we don't.

if it has only ever once shown up on my butt cheek, will it only ever show up there?

If you get what you think is outbreak, get it swabbed so you know which type it is. The thing is, type one sheds a lot less genitally and therefore often only causes one outbreak and goes dormant. Type two sheds more genitally.

if it is not initially on my genitals can it pop up there without warning or will it stay in the first place is started?

It doesn't migrate from the initial point of infection through the body, if that's what you mean. It can spread to the nearby areas with lots of nerve endings but not from the head to the genitals or vice versa.

if it has only appeared on my butt cheek but is HSV2 could it infect a partner from my vagina thru sex, once again without having ever had an OB there?

Yes. See previous answer.

Shedding the virus, can it be passed from other areas of my body to family or friends? Say from my arm or something from a hug, cuddling, or playing close contact aggressive sports? Or is it just from the initial spot? How can I protect my loved ones and still be normal around them?

It only sheds from the initial point of infection, possibly from the nearby areas. It is not present in your sweat or anywhere else on your body. Again, think rationally. If that was true, literally every single person would have herpes. Except for hermits.

in the future any cuddling I do with a partner, (after having Disclosed of course ) would it be safest to keep my underware on so the skin that has had blisters does not come in contact with them?

After disclosure, do whatever both you and your partner are comfortable with.

since I've never had an OB on my mouth yet I carry HSV1 does that mean all these years I could have been infecting people from kissing them or having oral sex?

Yes. Don't beat yourself up about it. You're not a monster. The majority of people have herpes.

can I kiss someone without worrying I'll give it to them, since I have never had an OB on my mouth?

I don't know to what length are you willing to go to protect others but if I look back at my life, it would have been literally impossible to warn everyone. Also, you are in the initial phase. It might take months or years but you WILL FORGET that you have herpes and will only be reminded of it when/if you have an outbreak. Unless you teach yourself NEVER to have close contact of any kind with anybody without warning them, it won't work.

since the OB on my butt has healed would the only way to know what HSV it was (1 or 2) to be to get it swabbed if/when it comes back?

Yes.

can i get my nails done, a massage, or a tattoo without worrying or having to disclose my status?

Yes.

should I keep a bandage on the blisters? How to take care of blisters if they reappear.

Don't cover them up. If you mean an outbreak on your genitals, ask someone else, I only have oral herpes. I don't do anything with them. I tried in the past but with or without topical treatment it always went down the same way and lasted the same time.

any lastly any ideas how I might have gotten it on my butt cheek? (never done anal) I'm guessing spooning with someone who was shedding?

Ehm. Use your imagination and think about where the female and male genital areas rub together during intercourse. Hint: all over the place.

Keep your immune system as healthy as possible. Stay away from people when you have an outbreak. Don't lie if they ask you about your health status and remember that you are not invincible. There are more infections that are spread during sex. So don't just offer disclosure but ASK your partners. The majority of people don't get infected from those who know they are carriers but from those who don't know. No symptoms, doesn't mean no infection!

/r/STD Thread