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Herpes question
Hi Doctor
About 4 weeks ago I had protected oral and vaginal sex with a sexworker.This was only the second time in 2 years ( the last after this). There was some skin contact without a condom as I rubbed my penis between her breasts and also for 2 seconds brushed my penis against her vagina while moving around( could I have caught something here?) Anyways the next morning( 8 hours) I felt a tinkling at the tip of my penis and a slight burning sensation after urination. Went doctor and he prescribed
Cipro for 10 days as he thought it might be beginning of UTI.After 3 days of taking Cipro I saw what I thought could be a discharge and went to get tested. I was tested for chlamydia,gonorrhea,syphilis,Heptitis and Hiv but NOT Herpes All tests came back negative,opinion was discharge was probably semen since I have not ejaculated for 6 days.I have had no visible bumps or rash. About 4 days after I finished taking Cipro I had mucus in my throat ,went to the Doctor and said it was a sideeffect of the Cipro.The throat cleared up a couple of days after that but then 6 days later I get a sharp pain in my left leg at the knee and below the knee and muscle spasms on my right leg. Could leg also be a sideeffect of Cipro even 10 days after I finished taking it? Couls this be a symptom of Herpes? That sharp pain lasted a couple of days and now I only feel my leg muscles are sore. I feel a tingle every couple of days on tip of my penis. Could my original tingling have been caused by an irritation due to condom? Am I stressing too much and causing
these leg pains? THANKS FOR ANY INSIGHT.
About 4 weeks ago I had protected oral and vaginal sex with a sexworker.This was only the second time in 2 years ( the last after this). There was some skin contact without a condom as I rubbed my penis between her breasts and also for 2 seconds brushed my penis against her vagina while moving around( could I have caught something here?) Anyways the next morning( 8 hours) I felt a tinkling at the tip of my penis and a slight burning sensation after urination. Went doctor and he prescribed
Cipro for 10 days as he thought it might be beginning of UTI.After 3 days of taking Cipro I saw what I thought could be a discharge and went to get tested. I was tested for chlamydia,gonorrhea,syphilis,Heptitis and Hiv but NOT Herpes All tests came back negative,opinion was discharge was probably semen since I have not ejaculated for 6 days.I have had no visible bumps or rash. About 4 days after I finished taking Cipro I had mucus in my throat ,went to the Doctor and said it was a sideeffect of the Cipro.The throat cleared up a couple of days after that but then 6 days later I get a sharp pain in my left leg at the knee and below the knee and muscle spasms on my right leg. Could leg also be a sideeffect of Cipro even 10 days after I finished taking it? Couls this be a symptom of Herpes? That sharp pain lasted a couple of days and now I only feel my leg muscles are sore. I feel a tingle every couple of days on tip of my penis. Could my original tingling have been caused by an irritation due to condom? Am I stressing too much and causing
these leg pains? THANKS FOR ANY INSIGHT.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry, I prefer not to respond to new questions in existing threads. "Thread creep" makes it hard to follow all the responses, and the main issue raised by the first questioner tends to get lost in the mix. Not just my policy, but strongly encouraged by the MedHelp organization.
But a couple of general comments about the issues raised:
A HerpeSelect test result <0.9 is unequivocally negative; that is, 0.7 is no more positive than, say, 0.2.
All tests for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to HSV-2 are useless; they mean nothing and are just about always irrelvant to a herpes diagnosis. The accurate serological tests (e.g., HerpeSelect) don't even test for IgM.
The chance of oral sex resulting in a systemic illness (flu-like symptoms) is just about zero. You can't get gential chlamydia or gonorrhea, or PID, by performing oral sex.
The statements about HerpeSelect timing are about right: Among people who acquire HSV-2, many will be positive by HerpeSelect after 3 weeks. But if someone is espcially concerned, a negative test at 3 months is more certain.
I will respond with more detail to questions posed as new threads. However, most of them have been covered in many other threads on this forum, and in the herpes article under the link "STD Quick Facts and Articles" on the STD Forum home page.
HHH, MD
But a couple of general comments about the issues raised:
A HerpeSelect test result <0.9 is unequivocally negative; that is, 0.7 is no more positive than, say, 0.2.
All tests for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to HSV-2 are useless; they mean nothing and are just about always irrelvant to a herpes diagnosis. The accurate serological tests (e.g., HerpeSelect) don't even test for IgM.
The chance of oral sex resulting in a systemic illness (flu-like symptoms) is just about zero. You can't get gential chlamydia or gonorrhea, or PID, by performing oral sex.
The statements about HerpeSelect timing are about right: Among people who acquire HSV-2, many will be positive by HerpeSelect after 3 weeks. But if someone is espcially concerned, a negative test at 3 months is more certain.
I will respond with more detail to questions posed as new threads. However, most of them have been covered in many other threads on this forum, and in the herpes article under the link "STD Quick Facts and Articles" on the STD Forum home page.
HHH, MD
My impression is that most people with be seropositive to
HSV2 IGG after 28 days depending on the test and that 9 weeks
is adequate--I think a safe harbor is 3 months--
just my impression.
My experience has been that STD labs "sell IGM positive
as a "recent exposure". However, if you are positive for
HSV1 it could be the result of that. When this first
happened to me I paniced and went back for repeated tests and
spent a lot of money.
Since then over the years I've learned in least in my
case it's meaningless. I'm been IGM positive and came back six months later and still been negative for
HSV2. Also one time I tested positive for IGM and was told I had a "recent" exposure to Gentital Herpes and two days later tested negative for IGM at a different LAB.
I think labs shouldn't be allowed wot use this test because
in my opinion it's just used to sell testing.
However, I do understand that a Western Blot could distinquish IGM HSV2 from HSV1 antibodies so I quess if true that could be
useful.
Maybe Doctor Hanson will clearify.
HSV2 IGG after 28 days depending on the test and that 9 weeks
is adequate--I think a safe harbor is 3 months--
just my impression.
My experience has been that STD labs "sell IGM positive
as a "recent exposure". However, if you are positive for
HSV1 it could be the result of that. When this first
happened to me I paniced and went back for repeated tests and
spent a lot of money.
Since then over the years I've learned in least in my
case it's meaningless. I'm been IGM positive and came back six months later and still been negative for
HSV2. Also one time I tested positive for IGM and was told I had a "recent" exposure to Gentital Herpes and two days later tested negative for IGM at a different LAB.
I think labs shouldn't be allowed wot use this test because
in my opinion it's just used to sell testing.
However, I do understand that a Western Blot could distinquish IGM HSV2 from HSV1 antibodies so I quess if true that could be
useful.
Maybe Doctor Hanson will clearify.
Doc,
Thank you so much for this extremely valuable service. I cannot thank you enough, for your encouraging words at a time when I was nervous and scared. I just got my HIV results back and was negative at 4 weeks, which is great news... will get tested again in a couple of months.
However, it appears I may have HSV2 (not sure). The IgG test gave a reading of 0.70 for HSV2 (still less than 0.91), but the IgM gave a reading of "<80H" Titer (reference range is <20H). I'm guessing this is because of a recent infection and that the type specific antibodies haven't completely formed given that it has only been a month since exposure?
Once again, your advice is priceless and I am thankful to have found this website.
~John
Thank you so much for this extremely valuable service. I cannot thank you enough, for your encouraging words at a time when I was nervous and scared. I just got my HIV results back and was negative at 4 weeks, which is great news... will get tested again in a couple of months.
However, it appears I may have HSV2 (not sure). The IgG test gave a reading of 0.70 for HSV2 (still less than 0.91), but the IgM gave a reading of "<80H" Titer (reference range is <20H). I'm guessing this is because of a recent infection and that the type specific antibodies haven't completely formed given that it has only been a month since exposure?
Once again, your advice is priceless and I am thankful to have found this website.
~John
dear doc
Sorry for posting my question here, but since I knew there is a limited new topic each day, so maybe I can just put here a quick question and avoid to waste other people's chance to get help from you.
My question is, after my once potential exposure (protected oral/vaginal sex), I got tested 3 weeks after for all STD and HIV. The result gave a all negative. Even I knew, for HIV, there is a window period, and the 3 weeks result doesn't make too much of sense, since the risk is pretty low, so I am not really worry about it.
But, is there any "window period" for the other STDs if I did catch some of them. What about HPV and HSV, or syphilis.. Is it possible that a blood check in 3 weeks can not detect these virus but they will show after some time.
Thank you very much
simon
Sorry for posting my question here, but since I knew there is a limited new topic each day, so maybe I can just put here a quick question and avoid to waste other people's chance to get help from you.
My question is, after my once potential exposure (protected oral/vaginal sex), I got tested 3 weeks after for all STD and HIV. The result gave a all negative. Even I knew, for HIV, there is a window period, and the 3 weeks result doesn't make too much of sense, since the risk is pretty low, so I am not really worry about it.
But, is there any "window period" for the other STDs if I did catch some of them. What about HPV and HSV, or syphilis.. Is it possible that a blood check in 3 weeks can not detect these virus but they will show after some time.
Thank you very much
simon
Thanks buddy
But according to what I learn from interent, herps will normally break up 2-20 days after exposure,with or without any SYM. so I thought even though without SYM, 20 days is enough for the virus to spread in the blood and you know, being detected. So, this is not true?
How do you know about the others?
it has been 5 weeks since then, and I had absolutely no sym at all. If a 3 week test doesn't actually prove anything, how can I know for sure I am totally home free?
thanks a lot
But according to what I learn from interent, herps will normally break up 2-20 days after exposure,with or without any SYM. so I thought even though without SYM, 20 days is enough for the virus to spread in the blood and you know, being detected. So, this is not true?
How do you know about the others?
it has been 5 weeks since then, and I had absolutely no sym at all. If a 3 week test doesn't actually prove anything, how can I know for sure I am totally home free?
thanks a lot
You should wait for 3-4 months for a herpes blood test. The reason is that the body has to have time to build up the antibodies that will show up in a blood test. If you have any sores (even if they're not the typical round ones you see on most websites) you should get a culture done and that would tell you. A lot of people don't get sores so people should get tested for it regularly since 25% of people have genital herpes and 90% of them don't know it.
Hi,
I couldnt post this as a new thread. sorry; but my question is
I gave oral sex to my boyfriend about 2 months ago. He is a virgin and only recived oral sex once before me. He says he's std free, but never got tested. Since then i've had sore thoarts, flu like symptons, pink eye, slight pain when getting fingered and un-usally discharge. Im very worried i have a std. Ive also had slight admonial pain. Im currently on amoxcillan (spelling?) for my sore thoart. And i think the other symptons could be from allergies.
I'm worried I might have PID; due to the pain when fingering, discharge and admonial pain. But my question is: can i get PID from a oral transmisson of Gonherra or Clymida (spelling?) Or is PID strictly a result of STDS from sexaul intercourse?
Thank you so much for your time. I am very worried.
I couldnt post this as a new thread. sorry; but my question is
I gave oral sex to my boyfriend about 2 months ago. He is a virgin and only recived oral sex once before me. He says he's std free, but never got tested. Since then i've had sore thoarts, flu like symptons, pink eye, slight pain when getting fingered and un-usally discharge. Im very worried i have a std. Ive also had slight admonial pain. Im currently on amoxcillan (spelling?) for my sore thoart. And i think the other symptons could be from allergies.
I'm worried I might have PID; due to the pain when fingering, discharge and admonial pain. But my question is: can i get PID from a oral transmisson of Gonherra or Clymida (spelling?) Or is PID strictly a result of STDS from sexaul intercourse?
Thank you so much for your time. I am very worried.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
None of that sounds like herpes. Whatever is going on, the symptoms that began 8 hr later were not due to any STD; there are no STDs whose symptoms can show up that fast. More likely a chemical or allergic reaction, e.g. to lubricant in the condom, especially if the condom contained the spermicide nonoxynol-9. Semen never leaks out without ejaculation, regardless of the time since a previous ejaculation. As to the leg pains, mucus, and all that, none of it sounds like either a reaction to the cipro or to herpes.
Sorry I can't help more. I suggest you continue care with the doctor you are seeing and follow his/her advice. But I am postive you did not acquire any STD from the exposure you describe.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Sorry I can't help more. I suggest you continue care with the doctor you are seeing and follow his/her advice. But I am postive you did not acquire any STD from the exposure you describe.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
