Understanding HSV-1 Shedding: Insights from Recent Research
People have been asking me for YEARS about data for HSV-1 and I finally have an answer. Well— kind of.
1. There is new research that provides insight into the shedding patterns of oral and genital HSV-1. Whitley and Hook’s research entitled, “Shedding Patterns of Genital Herpes Simplex Corus Infections,” is an overdue but welcome addition. For clarity, all information in this post is credited to Whitley, R.J. and Hook, E.W., 2022).
2. This is a small sample size. 82 participants (65.8% women; median age 26 years) presented with first episode infections between 2013-2018. Researchers detected genital HSV-1 in 53 participants and oral HSV-1 in 24 participants (29.2%). 18 participants (22% withdrew).
3. In this sample, HSV-1 shedding was more frequent following the initial infection. Genital HSV-1 shedding was common at participants 2 month check-in (12.1% or detected 274 of 2264 days) but decreased at the 11 month mark (7.1% or detected 122 of 1719 days). The majority of shedding occurred without symptoms.
4. Oral HSV-1 shedding (aka cold sores) occurred less but was not non-existent. In comparison, oral HSV-1 shedding occurred less at 3.9% or 122 of 1719 days. This interval remained the same throughout checking at roughly 3%.
5. Shedding was higher among those with primary infections (17.2%) than non-primary infections (6.9%)
6. None of this data implies immunity from disclosure. Regardless of location, mouth or genitals, HSV-1 shedding still occurs in the absence of symptoms, which makes disclosure that much more important.