Everything About Genital Herpes and Swimming
Disclaimer: The information in this article is not intended to take the place of a physician’s advice. It is only intended to inform. If you have a yeast infection, please see a doctor.
Can you swim in the ocean with a herpes outbreak?
Better yet, can you swim with genital herpes in the pool, ocean, or lake?
You can swim with genital herpes, and you can swim in the ocean with a herpes outbreak. The virus causing this disease is not spread through water.
If you can swim with tampons on your period, you can also swim in the ocean with a yeast infection. Well, you can also swim with genital herpes.
But first things first…
What is genital herpes?
Before you read any further, watch the video below as Dr. Katherine McGowan from Brigham & Women’s Faulkner Hospital explains genital herpes:
According to the CDC, genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).
There is the HSV-1, as you might guess. However, this one causes oral herpes. However, it too could cause genital herpes, especially in people who practice oral sex.
This infection affects the genital area, causing sores, itching, and pain. However, in some people, it can also be non-symptomatic, staying dormant for a long time. Still, even when it is dormant, it can still be spread from one person to another.
Genital herpes is spread through sexual contact. It can survive in the human body, but it will not survive outside the body. Therefore, even when there is a herpes outbreak, you can still swim safely since this is not a waterborne disease.
Herpes might also manifest in and around the mouth in the form of sores, itching, and a burning sensation around the mouth.
Since herpes is a highly contagious virus, it is little wonder that most people wonder whether they can catch it through various means, such as swimming in the ocean, in saltwater or chlorine pools.
You can only catch this virus by kissing a sick person or having sex with them.
Does swimming make herpes worse?
In the same way that swimming does not cause UTI, it also does not make herpes worse. It also does not spread it out to others, since it is spread by contact.
But there is always that small risk that you might leave the virus on the deck of the pool. Another person might pick it up, and it finds its way into their body, the same way that you could get a UTI while swimming.
If you are using topical acyclovir to treat the pain and other symptoms of genital herpes, you will have a better time in your swimming moments. You don’t want the water to rub out the medication.
Herpes is not curable. You can only treat the symptoms and make the virus go dormant. Thankfully, swimming or even using bathwater or a bathtub does not make this condition worse.
You just need to be careful if you have open sores. Once you get out of the swimming pool, take a shower of fresh water to rinse the chlorine out of your skin.
Can you swim with genital herpes?
Whether you can or cannot swim with genital herpes depends entirely on you.
First, if you are showing all the symptoms of genital herpes—you know, open sores that are oozing—it would be better to avoid swimming in a public pool.
While there is no risk of spreading the virus through water, it is just not prudent to swim when you have open sores.
You might also want to avoid swimming in the sea. The saltiness of the water can cause a lot of pain in the open sores. If you have lesions, just avoid swimming.
If it is too soon after shocking your pool, you might want to swim because the levels of chlorine will be too high. Therefore, the water will make your sores hurt even more.
If you are the asymptomatic type, you can swim in the open water or in the swimming pool without any problem.
You can also swim in a heated pool in the winter and the warm water will actually feel very soothing on the skin.
The bottom line: Don’t swim in the ocean or, in the pool with open sores.
Can swimming cause a herpes outbreak?
Perhaps you are afraid that you might trigger or start a herpes outbreak if you swim in a pool with herpes.
When the virus is outside the human body, it is not going to survive long. It could survive in tap water for about 4 hours, and then it dies.
In the swimming pool, the chlorine is going to help kill it faster. This is why we can say with confidence that swimming does not cause a herpes outbreak.
As long as you avoid skin-to-skin contact with a sick person, there is no great risk of starting an outbreak of herpes by swimming.
Sharing the swimming pool with other people is not going to cause a herpes outbreak. Swimming in the ocean is even safer because there is a huge volume of water.
Can you swim during a herpes outbreak?
You can swim very well during a herpes outbreak. In fact, you can even swim in the pool since the chlorine helps to kill the virus.
However, if there is an outbreak, it is best to avoid touching surfaces around the swimming pool too much.
The herpes virus can survive outside the body for a few hours, so if it finds its way to another body, it can infect that person.
You might also want to protect yourself more when swimming during an outbreak. You can wear a wetsuit for swimming because it covers much more than a bikini would.
You can swim in the ocean because there is no risk of contracting the herpes virus there. It is perfectly safe!
Final Thoughts
Not only can you swim in the ocean, but you can also swim in the public swimming pool with genital herpes.
It will not make your condition worse, but it will make the infected areas feel more pain because of the saltiness of the seawater and the chlorine of the pool.
Thus, if you have invested in an above-ground swimming pool, unfortunately, you have herpes, you can swim.
Remember to see a doctor for medication. While herpes has no cure, managing the symptoms leaves you painless and able to do your daily chores.