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Herpes
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Shedding light on viral shedding
Originally Published: January 17, 1997
~ Last Updated / Reviewed on: July 09, 2004
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Dear Alice,
Could you please explain to your readers, what do you exactly mean when you talk about the "asymptomatic shedding" or "viral shedding," when you describe one of the herpes virus phases. Also, I remember very well, when you said that it just occurs six days in a year. But although you mentioned that during the asymptomatic shedding period, transmission was possible, you did not say how someone was able to recognize this phase in order to avoid transmission. Hoping you can illustrate me and your ever readers. The asymptomatic Dear The asymptomatic, The herpes virus makes its home in the nerve cells of an infected person. At times, the virus travels along the nerves up to the surface of the skin. This process is called "viral shedding," or just "shedding." During shedding, the virus can be passed on to others by direct skin-to-skin contact, especially from anal, oral, or vaginal sex. Sometimes shedding is accompanied by symptoms, such as the characteristic herpes blisters. But sometimes shedding occurs without any noticeable symptoms; this is referred to as "asymptomatic shedding." Precisely because there aren't any obvious symptoms or sensations when a person is experiencing asymptomatic shedding, it's virtually impossible to tell when s/he is contagious. Consequently, the majority of herpes transmission — up to 70 percent — occurs during periods without any evident symptoms, when intimate or sexual contact may be more frequent. However, if herpes blisters are present, shedding is definitely taking place and precautions need to be taken, such as temporarily avoiding intimate or sexual contact with others, to prevent spreading the virus. Because asymptomatic shedding is invisible to the naked eye, exactly how often it occurs is hard to pin down. Researchers, however, estimate that shedding (both with and without symptoms) occurs on between 20 and 40 percent of days in the first six months after initial infection and on 5 to 20 percent of days after this time. Studies have also found that 50 percent of asymptomatic shedding occurs in the 7 days before and after an outbreak with noticeable symptoms. Because the frequency of these obvious outbreaks is highly variable, it is likely that the frequency of asymptomatic shedding also varies from person to person. But regardless of how often it happens, all people carrying the herpes virus experience periods of shedding at one time or another. Although keeping close track of contagious periods is practically impossible, medications are available that greatly reduce shedding and therefore substantially lower the risk of herpes transmission. Individuals who are considering taking medicine to decrease (but not eliminate) the risk of passing herpes on to others should discuss this option with their health care provider. For more information about managing herpes, Charles Ebel's book, Managing Herpes: How to Live and Love with a Chronic STD, comes highly recommended by experts. You can also contact the following resources for more information on herpes and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs):
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