SHOULD I GET A 2ND OPINION?

Hello, about 2 weeks ago my boyfriend and I had oral sex and the very next day my vagina was very irritated and I persisted to scratch it. After scratcing for a night, the next day a few fairly noticable  red bumps appeared around the same areas that i scratched so I thought that it was just irritated and scratching caused the red bumps. But as the day went on,more red bumps appeared( no head or puss was there.) The itching got worse also.The bumps lasted for 6 days. I went to the gynochologist and she said that I had about a dozen ulcers and she took a swab sample of my vagina.She also took a urine test and culture sample The Urine test came back negative, the culture test came back negative but the Herpes test came back positive. Is it possible to have a negative culture result and a positive herpes result? What exactly does a culture sample detect? Should I get another test done to make sure that Herpes is what I have? Also, obvious it was contracted orally from my boyfriend. Is it okay to kiss him? Is it possible for me to contract oral if I already have vaginal Herpes?

[Keith Downing, MD]

Hello,

Whether you know it or not you probably have the oral herpes virus (HSV1) already. Worldwide, more than 90 percent of people are seropositive for HSV-1 by the fourth decade of life.  It is possible for there to be cross reactivity (HSV 1 causing genital herpes and HSV 2 causing oral herpes).

I would believe what your gyn has told you and take care of yourself accordingly.

Best regards,

Dr. Downing