HSV and risk of transmitting the virus

Dear Ask The Doctor: I was recently told by my doctor that I have the antibodies for hsv2 in my blood. I asked what that meant and he said that it means that I once had herpes but that doesn't mean that I have it now. I told him that I never had an outbreak as far as I know and asked if this means that I can spread it. He said I can only spread it if I have hadd an aoutbreak and I would know if I ever had one. I have heard differently from others and need to know tha facts. I am currently not sexually active.

Dear Sam: Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). The virus is spread through sexual contact but could also be spread orally. After the initial infection, the virus lies dormant in the body and is reactivated during times of stress or illness. There is no cure for genital herpres and antiviral medication only help to ease symptoms and reduce the risk of infecting others. Unfortunately there is no way one can tell whether you could transmit the disease or not. Having genital sores definitely increases your risk of transmitting the infection. The best way to prevent infection is to abstain from sexual activity during an outbreak of herpes in the genital area or anywhere else, use a condom and having a single partner.