Genital herpes and oral sex

Hi, and thanks for your medical question on eHealth forum!

Genital herpes can spread through oral, vaginal and anal sex when there are active lesions. Hence you and your partner should abstain during this time. During the lesion-free period the chance of spreading from a male to female partner is less than 8% during a year of contact.

Using condoms even for oral sex further minimizes the risk of transmission to your partner. Going on antiviral therapy also minimizes the risk. Hope this helps. Take care!