The Health Risks of Kissing

You might want to kiss with the lights on. Kissing someone with an active cold sore on his or her lips or face can put you at risk of getting one, too. The Mayo Clinic says cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). If you have HSV-1, you may be contagious, even if you don’t have an active cold sore. There’s no cure, but you can prevent spread and outbreaks. The Mayo Clinic suggests avoiding skin contact with others while the blisters are present, washing your hands and avoiding sharing items like lipstick.