# Herpes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herpes/633110>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 30, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herpes/633110 "2012-08-30T04:43:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pplepic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@pplepic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pplepic)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herpes/633110/1 "2012-08-30T04:43:10Z")

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I’m not sure this would apply to every case of herpes and to get the medication I’m going to mention means getting a doctor’s prescription, but many years ago,

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**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herpes/633110/2 "2012-08-30T09:46:38Z")

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Is [this](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/245/is-it-possible-to-contract-herpes-from-a-hot-tub-or-spa) the column you are referring to?

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**Author:** ![thewyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@thewyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thewyj)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herpes/633110/3 "2012-09-02T20:17:06Z")

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I thought it was [this](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/837/are-viral-infections-most-contagious-before-or-after-symptoms-appear) topic.

Is there a difference between infection and contagion? The terms seem to be used interchangeably in the article, but I was under the impression that infection is through the air and contagion is through touch.

Any confirmation on that?

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herpes/633110/4 "2012-09-04T16:15:27Z")

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“Infectious” means due to a microscopic biological agent, an infection.

“Contagious” means able to pass from person to person.

> **[What's the Difference Between Infectious and Contagious? (for Teens) -...](https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/contagious.html)**
>
> Find out what the experts have to say.

Contagious can be via air or via physical contact or via blood/fluid transmission. Those are different forms of passing along.

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**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herpes/633110/5 "2012-09-05T20:35:26Z")

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Contagion is how you get the infection. 🙂

In any case, the OP isn’t complete. Who knows what the issue is?