Confused about hsv - even with no active sores, hsv can be transferred but dormant? sounds like hpv, asymptomatic carriers pass virus and receiver won't get symptoms. is that correct? i thought no lip sore meant sex is safe and no infection risk?

Active HSV sores are infectious, but virus shedding begins before the sores are apparent and can occur without an outbreak (at least not an obvious one). This is why some people take medication routinely to suppress shedding and outbreaks. The concern with HPV is cancer risk and the virus often or even usually clears over time. A few HPV strains cause warts but most are asymptomatic.

Asymptomatic HSV infections are common -- i.e. some infections never cause visible outbreaks. And all infections are asymptomatic most of the time. Asymptomatic shedding of the virus -- i.e. active transmissible virus in absence of symptoms -- is very common for HSV2 (the main cause of genital herpes), less so for HSV1 (oral herpes). However, most of the time oral herpes is not transmissible.