When Are Shingles No Longer Contagious

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Get the Facts

Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

What Is Shingles? Shingles is a very painful disease caused by the same herpes virus that causes chicken pox (varicella zoster virus). Like other herpes viruses, the varicella-zoster virus has an initial infectious stage, (chicken pox) followed by a dormant stage. Then, with no warning, the virus becomes active again. About 20% of people who have had chicken pox will eventually develop shingles. This reactivation of the virus is most likely to...

Ask the Experts

Shingles/Chicken Pox & HIV+

I am HIV+ with good CD4 (800) and low VL (6000). I am NOT currently on meds.I had a sexual encounter recently (1 month ago), and noticed a nasty rash across the front of my partners chest- and I mean NASTY. It hurt to look at.He said that it was...

Response from Judith Feinberg, M.D.

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

It was less than wise of you to be intimate with someone with an obvious medical problem. That said, here are the facts about shingles and chicken pox:Shingles is merely reactivated chicken pox. That means in order to have an outbreak of shingles,... Read more »

Shingles with past "low risk" exposures (SHINGLES, 2010)

Thanks for reading my question, by the looks of your site you are all VERY busy. My concern is this. I am a 43yo male who has had exposures in my recent past with guys, oral only. I usually just recieve, but on occasion have given. I have never...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hello,The vast majority of cases of shingles have absolutely nothing to do with HIV/AIDS. See below. Regarding your HIV test results, the CDC guidelines indicate HIV-antibody tests taken prior to the three-month mark are not considered to be... Read more »

Can a person be "cured" of Hepatitus C, or will they always be contagious?

Can a person who previously had Hepatitus C go into what was termed "remission" and no longer be contagious?...

Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.

Stanford University, School of Medicine

That is the current thinking by many when the HCV viral load cannot be detected several months after successful treatment.... Read more »

How long am I contagious? Syphilis (SYPHILIS, 2011)

I was diagnosed with Syphilis last march, I was given two penicillin injectios in the course of two weeks (April the 7th and 14th). I had unprotected sex with my partner on June the 16th (for the first time), and did it four times between that date...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hi.Your doctor said that since your post-treatment FTA-ABS (fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed) was positive that you might still be infectious? WHAT?!? Your doctor is woefully uninformed on this matter! The majority of patients who have... Read more »

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Can I get Shingles from another Poz guy if I had ?

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

Can I get shingles from another poz person even if I already had them myself in the past??? Read more »

shingles?

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

i had a sexual encounter yesterday with a guy who appeared to have shingles. when i asked him he said it was eczema, which i did not argue, but while changing him in sexual positions i did noticed that the shingles were in his ankles, and other body... Read more »

Shingles_ARS_HIV-

Posted by Anonymous, 2 Replies

I had shingles about a month after a sexual experience. I also had other ars symptoms along with really dark urine. I have tested 3 times for Hep and Hiv- 1 month 6.5 weeks and 9 weeks- all negaitive. My Doc seems sure I have nothing to worry... Read more »

My sister is HIV+ and has shingles

Posted by Anonymous, 3 Replies

I was just wondering if anyone had experience with HIV and shingles. She's been fighting the shingles now for about 5 months and they'll just start to go away and then come back again. She was very thin for a while, but looked really good and had... Read more »

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