As a child your bf probably had Chicken Pox which leaves him with the herpes varicella virus (a carrier), The virus can mutates to become herpes simplex HSV1 OR 2. i.e The HSV group of viruses usually appear in childhood when patients contracts chicken pox - a herpes virus. This can mutate to appear as shingles or the familiar cold sore or genital lesion. After an attack the virus can disappear spontaneously or it can penetrate the basal ganglia in the brain and neural ganglia. When it does this, it attacks the lower oral lip or the labia majoris at the opening of the vagina (HSV I and II).

well, if i were you i'd think about if im gonna stay with him forever. if not and its just a dating scenario i'd just stay friends with him. i wouldnt wanna risk getting that thing. it wouldnt be fair to you.

girl stay the hell away.trust me you will forgive yourself later. I see the last time you were on was 10/22. I just pray it's not too late. I'm sorry but life isn't fair and you shouln't have to live with that please TRUST ME!!!!!!!STAY STRONG & FOCUSED

Contrary to what 'blondie' says, having cold sores is NOT an indicator of infection with chicken pox/varicella zoster. The herpes family of viruses includes quite a few different viruses, NONE of which can turn into each other. Chicken pox (varicella zoster) CANNOT 'mutate' to form herpes simplex 1 or 2 - just as apples and bananas can't mutate into each other! Cold sores are the visible outbreaks of an oral herpes infection, either with herpes simplex virus 1 or herpes simplex virus 2. Herpes simplex virus 1 prefers to inhabit the mouth, while herpes simplex virus 2 prefers the genitals. The only difference between the two viruses is not in the symptoms, which are identical, but in how often they occur. So, you can get herpes simplex virus 2 on the mouth, which is not its 'preferred' site, but it will produce fewer outbreaks and be less infectious than if it were a herpes 1 infetion on your mouth or if the herpes 2 were in its preferred site - the genitals. Similarly, you can get a herpes simplex 1 infection on your genitals, but it causes fewer outbreaks than a herpes simplex 2 genital infection or a herpes simplex 1 oral infection. Currently, 95-97% of oral herpes infections (what causes your boyfriend's cold sores) are caused by the herpes virus herpes simplex 1. Herpes hsv-1 CAN infect the genitals, if it is passed their from the mouth of someone that has it orally. The person at the receiving end would then have genital herpes - but genital herpes caused by the virus hsv-1. Currently, 50-70% of new genital herpes infections are caused by hsv-1. Both I and my sister have genital herpes, and we both have herpes hsv-1 genitally rather than hsv-2. Hsv-1 on the mouth is most infectious when the cold sore is present and when your boyfriend has an tingle or other warning signs that he is getting a cold sore. However, it is important ot know that it CAN also be passed without symptoms - as with genital herpes, oral herpes is infectious about 5-10% of the time when symptoms are NOT present. I caught genital herpes from a very careful boyfriend who did not have a cold sore or any other symptom when he gave me oral sex and transmitted his oral herpes to my genitals. It is worth remembering that 80% of adults have oral herpes, most will not even know that they are infected. So it is pretty hard to avoid people with it. Your boyfriend probably caught it as a child from an affectionate and well-meaning kiss from a relative, so it is not his fault he has it. Since most people with it have no symptoms, it is possible you also have the virus. If you do not have the virus yourself, you can catch it orally by kissing him or genitally through receiving oral sex. Avoiding symptoms lowers the risk, but there is still about a 5-10% a year chance of catching it even if he does not have a breakout. I had been with my boyfriend (the one who got cold sores now and then) 7 years before he managed to pass it to my genitals. Just be very careful with oral sex - if you really don't want to take the risk, avoid receiving oral sex or use a dental dam or split condom.

Lots and lots of people get cold sores so that seems like a pretty shallow reason to stop seeing him. They are contagious and while he has one, you should not kiss him at all, avoid sharing anything that his lips may have touched. You can't get infected when he doesn't have a cold sore.