I am glad that you reached out. Your partner did the right thing by getting tested to find out if they have herpes.
Herpes is infectious; you can get herpes from a sexual partner even if they don’t have visible sores. The herpes virus is sometimes present on the skin even when there are no symptoms. This is called asymptomatic shedding. Asymptomatic shedding can happen at any time. The person with herpes may not know that they have the virus and could be shedding the virus through their skin to their sex partner(s). The only way to know for sure is to be tested.
Speak with your health care provider about your concern. They can make a diagnosis of genital herpes by discussing your symptoms and doing a swab test when there is a sore present.
It is important to recognize that while herpes is not curable, it can be managed.
Avoiding sexual contact during an outbreak or practicing safer sex by using internal condoms or external condoms or sex dams can reduce the risk sexual transmission of herpes. Since genital herpes may affect your sexual relationships, it is important to have a frank discussion with your current or future sexual partner(s).
Herpes.org.nz is a great resource for more detailed information on managing herpes.
