Are cold sores genital her pies and shingles the same virus?
Yes, cold sores and genital herpes are often the same virus. The virus hsv-1 causes 95% of cold sores, but it also causes between 50-60% of genital herpes. The other cases of oral and genital herpes are caused by hsv-2. Every other woman I have met that had genital herpes had genital hsv-1 not 2 – it is extremely common. Even if genital herpes is caused by hsv-2, it has exactly the same symptoms as cold sores – the only difference is the location. And oral hsv-1 is the most infectious form of herpes – that is why so many people get genital hsv-1 from receiving oral sex! Shingles is one of the herpes family of viruses – herpes zoster – but that is its only relation to hsv-1 and 2. It does not cause genital or oral herpes like they do. Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox (varicella zoster) virus – like all herpes viruses, this stays in your body for life. Other herpes viruses include mononucleosis and epstein barr, but the only ones that cause genital herpes or cold so
