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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Diagnosed With Herpes Zoster. Had Unprotected Sex. Is It Contagious?

my boyfriend developed a rash inside his butt with water blisters and would burn him for at least 15 minutes everytime he would go to the bathroom during this his rash out burst we had sexual intercourse at the time he had already being seen by a medical doctor who gave him medication for hemmaroids thinking thats what it was during the 2nd week he went back got a sample and send it off to the lab the doctor told my boyfriend is anus looked like hamburger meat at the end of his 2nd week he was diagnosid with herpes zoster( shingles ). my boyfriend doesnt think it was contagious although we had sex at the worst time of its out burst. Should I be concered and get myself checked as well?
Sat, 10 Aug 2013
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Dermatologist 's  Response
hello,actually herpes zoster i contagious only in the first 72 hours.after that it is not.there is no test which indicates you get herpes zoster prior to infection.if u get vesicles on the body go for tzanck smear which shows multinucleated gaint cells
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Dermatologist Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia's  Response
Hi,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query.
Herpes zoster is not a Sexually transmitted disease. It can not spread by means of sexual contact so you should not be worried about the same. Herpes zoster at the maximum can give you chicken pox infection (very rarely) and this too can happen if there had not been a history of chicken pox before.
To explain you medically both chicken pox and herpres zoster are caused by same virus. So any body who have had chicken pox before can get herpes zoster in later life. If you have had chicken pox before then no need of worry. So you need not to be get checked for any kind infections and there is also no requirement for any medications or prophylactic management also.
Hope this information will help you.
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
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HIV AIDS Specialist Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan's  Response
Hi,
Welcome to HCM.
If you had any time since your childhood either an episode of Chicken pox or Herpes zoster, you will have a resistance or immunity to these diseases at least for 40 years if not for life time.
So you will unlikely to get the infection from your partner unless you are having an extreme degree of immune suppression either due to disease or drugs.
You don't need a check up for the disease unless you are having any symptoms of burning sensation, pain or eruptions.
Dr S.Murugan
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Diagnosed With Herpes Zoster. Had Unprotected Sex. Is It Contagious?

hello,actually herpes zoster i contagious only in the first 72 hours.after that it is not.there is no test which indicates you get herpes zoster prior to infection.if u get vesicles on the body go for tzanck smear which shows multinucleated gaint cells