Dear Dating Tips,
My girlfriend has HSV-1 and was told that the virus is transferred by kissing and not oral sex. What are the facts surrounding this? ~ Anonymously Concerned


Dear Anonymously Concerned,
According to the CDC:

"HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found and released from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between episodes from skin that does not appear to be broken or to have a sore. A person almost always gets HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. HSV-1 causes infections of the mouth and lips, so-called "fever blisters." A person can get HSV-1 by coming into contact with the saliva of an infected person. HSV-1 infection of the genitals almost always is caused by oral-genital sexual contact with a person who has the oral HSV-1 infection."

So not only can HSV-1 be transferred to the genitals, but it's also important to note that HSV-1 can be transferred even to the mouth when sores are not present (although these seem to be rare).

When dating, it is vitally important that you research various STDs, what causes them, how they are transferred, and how to take preventative measures from catching an STD. I applaud you for asking this question.

We have received several inquiries about STDs and dating to the point that Online Dating Magazine is preparing a new informative and detailed STD Guide for publication. You can expect to see this guide within the next couple of weeks and I'll edit this answer to link to it once it is complete.