Will sex cause a herpes outbreak?
It is not known exactly why certain things trigger a recurrence of herpes outbreak, but there are thought to be a number of triggers like weakened immune system, stress, drinking too much alcohol, excessive sweating in the genital area and sex.
Can sex trigger a herpes outbreak? Yes, the friction during intercourse has been proven to cause skin discomfort, leading to a herpes outbreak. Insufficient lubrication during vigorous sex can cause friction and irritate the skin and trigger herpes symptoms, though this might not happen every time. Water-based lubricants (not oil-based, as they can weaken latex, the material that condoms are made of) can help to reduce friction.
Please do aware that for some people, having sex can cause an outbreak, for others it doesn't. I think a lot of it has to do with the individual and his/her immune system. Generally I think that having sex draws attention to the genital area and may aggravate and wake up the herpes virus that was once dormant.
Some people had outbreaks after simply masturbating. They can feel tingling at the base of their spine just after having an orgasm. The herpes virus lives in the nervous system, so maybe it has to do with the blood rushing to the nerve endings in the penis and clitoris during sexual stimulation, heightening the sensitivity of the genital area to the herpes virus.
Some believe the herpes virus is always present on the surface of the skin, but you only experience an outbreak when your immune system takes notice of the virus and attacks it. So when you have sex you can sometimes tear the skin. The immune system reacts to the tear, notices the herpes cells, and begins to fight off the herpes virus while healing the tear.There is no exact facts about why exactly sex causes outbreaks in some.
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Does sex trigger outbreaks?
Can sex cause a herpes flare? Yes. I have been celibate for a year and a half and randomly decided to have sex with a guy I've known for a while. I had disclosed to him last year thinking something was going to happen between us. Well, the day after having sex, I started getting the symptoms of an upcoming outbreak.
Will sex cause a herpes outbreak? Yes, sex can trigger outbreak for me, definitely. And, weirdly, sometimes sex with a new partner can trigger it for me, too, the same way a new partner can result in yeast infection or BV. Or at least trigger prodrome (I don't really get traditional OBs anymore). With my ex-H we could have sex multiple days in a row and… nothing. With my new partner, I often get prodrome the day after sex.