the short answers are: yes and yes. if a person with an active cold sore performs oral sex on his or her partner the partner can develop genital herpes. a cold sore is caused by the herpes simplex (hsv-1) virus and genital herpes are caused by a related virus herpes simplex (hsv-2). if you're concerned about whether or not you have contracted hsv-2 from sexual contact with your partner your health care provider can have you take a blood test to determine if you have either hsv-1 or hsv-2. always remember to practice safe sex. a condom may not offer complete protection against genital herpes because the lesions associated with this condition may occur on skin outside the area covered by the condom. for this reason you shouldn't have sex with anyone who is having an active outbreak of either genital or oral herpes. i wish you all the best!
can a person contract genital herpes from a person with a cold sore. and is there a test one can take to know if u have.