### Human:\nmy girlfriend believes she had a herpes breakout 17 years ago is it possible to go that long without another? . i have dated her for 4 months and she has not shown any visible signs of a breakout. we have unprotected sex and i have not had any visible breakout. she has only had a cold sore once since i've known her and that went away without further incident. how long could she possibly go without her knowing that she has herpes?\n\n### Assistant: if she is taking meds for it otherwise it could just be dorment right now. she could always have a flare up. from what i understand you cannot pass it along if it is not active. you could always speak to your family doc about it if you have concerns. good luck