 [ Symptoms ] is it possible for someone to carry genital herpes for a while months or years before having their first outbreak  i have never been diagnosed with genital herpes however i have only been with one partner and he has never had it before either i have been with other people before him and we have had our first outbreak is it possible that one of us carried it before and it didnt act out until now [ Disease ] hi this piece is from <link> it is an uncomfortable topic but it is a health issue you should know about nationwide about 1 out of 6 people between ages 14 and 49 is infected with the herpes simplex virus type 2—the main cause of genital herpes surprisingly most people do not know they are infected even if you have no symptoms or only mild ones you can still transmit the virus to others herpes simplex virus hsv comes in 2 forms the most common hsv 1 is best known for causing cold sores or fever blisters on the face especially on the lips and mouth but hsv 1 can also cause genital herpes hsv 2 usually affects the genitals but can also infect the mouth both types of hsv can pass from one person to another through sexual or other skin to skin contact but yes lots of people do not even know they have it hope this helps you good luck