Netherlands
A 17-year-old female asked:
is herpes spread via spit? can you catch it from tiny particales of saliva flying around when someone is talking?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Hugh Pabarue answered
Internal Medicine 21 years experience
Herpes: Herpes is a virus that gets in through cracks in the skin or mucus membranes. Generally, it would take a lot of saliva with virus in it for you to contract the virus. Thus, a small droplet of saliva would not contain enough virus for you to get infected with it.
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Similar questions
United Kingdom
A 28-year-old male asked:
Can you get herpes by using your own saliva?
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Killian answered
General Practice 28 years experience
Basic Science: To get an infection you have to be exposed to an infection. Herpes does not just appear out of nowhere. Once you have herpes you cannot get it again. There are two types of herpes. 75% of Americans have Type One and 25% have Type Two. But they all got infected from someone else. Not themselves.
3855 views
1 comment
Dr. Robert Killian commented
General Practice 28 years experience
Provided original answer
Herpes is transmitted through viral shedding that has no correlation between sores or not having sores.
Jul 22, 2014
NY
A 18-year-old male asked:
Can you get herpes from smoking even though it was no saliva?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Hunter Handsfield answered
Infectious Disease 53 years experience
No risk, no worries: HSV is only transmitted by direct contact with infected tissues. It is rarely if evertransmitted by intermediary objects like eating utensils, drinking glasses, cigarets, towels, etc, You won't get oral herpes unless you kiss or otherwise have contact of your lips with an infected person's infected site. Don't worry about it.
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Last updated Jul 30, 2018
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