In December 1997, I developed shingles. Now, my boyfriend has genital herpes, and his doctor tells him that he got this from being exposed to my shingles. Is this possible? Nothing I could find on shingles supports this theory. Multiple partners is not a factor here.

--Janice

Shingles is the common name for herpes zoster. This illness is characterized by inflammation of nerves and painful skin blisters along the path of the involved nerve. It is caused by varicella, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Herpes zoster is mainly a disease of adults who have previously had chickenpox. It is not the same virus that causes genital herpes (herpes simplex type II). So, to answer your question, if you have herpes zoster and he has herpes simplex, then the two are not related.

Now, just to confuse things, sometimes herpes simplex can lie dormant along nerves -- and then, when activated, it can act an awful lot like shingles. It is possible your "shingles" is really herpes simplex, or that his "herpes" is really shingles. Herpes simplex is usually transmitted by direct contact with a lesion. Varicella is usually transmitted via the respiratory tract, although the varicella virus is also found in the blisters themselves. (I told you it was confusing!)

The best way to determine exactly what is going on is for both you and your boyfriend to have viral cultures done -- but the cultures must be done from active lesions (the blisters). This way you'll know exactly what each of you has and whether you shared the same illness.