What is the difference between the types?
At one time nearly all facial cold sore infections were caused by type 1 virus and type 2 was responsible for most ‘genital herpes’ diagnoses. This is no longer the case. Modern sexual habits now often include oral sex so the two types have been swapping sites. Nowadays around half the people with genital symptoms diagnosed in clinics are found to have type 1 virus and half have type 2. There must also be people with facial cold sores of either type. The only practical difference is that each type has a preferred site and is more likely to recur if caught on the place it prefers – type 1 prefers the face and type 2 the genitals. How and where can you catch it? You catch herpes simplex by direct skin contact, usually with friction, with the affected patch of skin of someone who has it already. This means kissing, sex and/or oral sex. Transmission is very likely if there are obvious spots or blisters, much less likely if there are no symptoms present. It is not caught off towels, sheets,
