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HSV 1 Genital ?
I’m confused and freaking out between all of my googling.
I shaved my genital area on a Friday night. Monday morning I felt some irritation down there. Monday night there was about 4 bumps and swelling on my labia near my vaginal opening. They looked and felt like zits. Not soft kind of hard and white like a pimple ready to pop. There was swelling in the area. On Tuesday the bumps were gone, no sign of what looked like whiteheads. Only thing left was i guess open skin where each pimple had been. No craters. No oozing, no crusting. Just looked like the top layer of skin was gone. The only soreness was when I touched the area. On Thursday I decided to go get swabbed for herpes at the clinic. Thursday evening through Friday I put neosporin on the area. The tenderness and swelling went down almost immediately.On Saturday there was no sign anything had ever occurred. I used no other cream or medication. On Monday my results came back negative for hsv 2 and positive for hsv 1. My question is was this definitely an hsv 1 genital outbreak, or is it possible that I just have the oral virus in my body and thats why it showed up when tested? I’ve never had any symptom before not even a cold sore which I know is common among people with hsv 1. Will hsv show up when tested no matter what are of the body the sample comes from?
I shaved my genital area on a Friday night. Monday morning I felt some irritation down there. Monday night there was about 4 bumps and swelling on my labia near my vaginal opening. They looked and felt like zits. Not soft kind of hard and white like a pimple ready to pop. There was swelling in the area. On Tuesday the bumps were gone, no sign of what looked like whiteheads. Only thing left was i guess open skin where each pimple had been. No craters. No oozing, no crusting. Just looked like the top layer of skin was gone. The only soreness was when I touched the area. On Thursday I decided to go get swabbed for herpes at the clinic. Thursday evening through Friday I put neosporin on the area. The tenderness and swelling went down almost immediately.On Saturday there was no sign anything had ever occurred. I used no other cream or medication. On Monday my results came back negative for hsv 2 and positive for hsv 1. My question is was this definitely an hsv 1 genital outbreak, or is it possible that I just have the oral virus in my body and thats why it showed up when tested? I’ve never had any symptom before not even a cold sore which I know is common among people with hsv 1. Will hsv show up when tested no matter what are of the body the sample comes from?
COMMUNITY LEADER
So your swab came back positive for hsv1?
That means it detected hsv1 in the sores, and you have it genitally. Herpes isn't a systemic infection - it stays either oral or genital in the local nerve group it infects.
Have you recently received oral sex from someone? They can give you genital hsv1 from their oral hsv1.
That means it detected hsv1 in the sores, and you have it genitally. Herpes isn't a systemic infection - it stays either oral or genital in the local nerve group it infects.
Have you recently received oral sex from someone? They can give you genital hsv1 from their oral hsv1.
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I had recently received oral sex. Thank you, this is what I had been trying to figure out because the quick healing without oozing crusting and no real medication was confusing me as to whether they could have just been a reaction to my recent shaving.
Could this be passes to future partners through vaginal sex? As in can i give someone genital hsv 1 genitally? Or would they generally have to perform oral sex on me to get it?
Could this be passes to future partners through vaginal sex? As in can i give someone genital hsv 1 genitally? Or would they generally have to perform oral sex on me to get it?
Genital hsv1 doesn't recur as often or shed as often as ghsv2, so it doesn't transmit as often.
If you have an outbreak, definitely avoid all sexual contact until it is totally healed.
If your partner already has hsv1 orally, they have antibodies which gives them very strong protection against getting it genitally. I would just avoid sex when you have symptoms if that's the case.
Herpes generally doesn't go from the genitals to the mouth as easily as it does from the mouth to the genitals, but still, avoid oral sex when you have symptoms.
We know that after 2 years, people with ghsv1 only shed 4 days a year outside of outbreaks. This means that if you aren't having symptoms, it's virtually impossible to transmit it.
You can read more about what shedding is in the Herpes Handbook - https://westoverheights.com/herpes/the-updated-herpes-handbook/
It's mostly for ghsv2, but does have some general info about herpes that will be helpful for you. The handbook is free and you can read it on any device.
You can also browse and search Terri Warren's forum for more info on ghsv1 -
https://westoverheights.com/forum/search/ghsv1/
Let me know if you have any questions. :)
If you have an outbreak, definitely avoid all sexual contact until it is totally healed.
If your partner already has hsv1 orally, they have antibodies which gives them very strong protection against getting it genitally. I would just avoid sex when you have symptoms if that's the case.
Herpes generally doesn't go from the genitals to the mouth as easily as it does from the mouth to the genitals, but still, avoid oral sex when you have symptoms.
We know that after 2 years, people with ghsv1 only shed 4 days a year outside of outbreaks. This means that if you aren't having symptoms, it's virtually impossible to transmit it.
You can read more about what shedding is in the Herpes Handbook - https://westoverheights.com/herpes/the-updated-herpes-handbook/
It's mostly for ghsv2, but does have some general info about herpes that will be helpful for you. The handbook is free and you can read it on any device.
You can also browse and search Terri Warren's forum for more info on ghsv1 -
https://westoverheights.com/forum/search/ghsv1/
Let me know if you have any questions. :)
Hello Back again!
My initial outbreak has been completely healed for over a week now. In the last couple days I have noticed random somewhat burning sensations in my genital area. Feels kind of like I have paper cuts in different areas. But when I check there is absolutely nothing there. This didn’t start until well after the tiny lesions had healed on their own and after getting my results . Is this hsv related or could it all be in my head because hsv is pretty much all I think about.
My initial outbreak has been completely healed for over a week now. In the last couple days I have noticed random somewhat burning sensations in my genital area. Feels kind of like I have paper cuts in different areas. But when I check there is absolutely nothing there. This didn’t start until well after the tiny lesions had healed on their own and after getting my results . Is this hsv related or could it all be in my head because hsv is pretty much all I think about.
It could be all in your head, it could be what I call pissed off nerves, it could be prodrome (warning signs that an outbreak is coming).
So prodrome lasts two days tops - if you don't get an outbreak soon, it's not that.
Pissed off nerves - herpes infects nerve groups. Genital herpes infects the sacral ganglia. The nerves are all inflamed and sensitive right now. It may take some time for everything to settle. If you can safely take it, take a couple of ibuprofen and see if that helps. Take only as directed - you don't need to go crazy with it. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, and if it's inflamed nerves, it may help.
If it's anxiety over it all, and wondering what is happening and when will the next outbreak come and what is that feeling and omg is that a sign and will it hurt again - well, that's pretty normal at first. Try to distract yourself. Go back to your normal activities, whatever those are. Video games, exercise, movies, friends, Instagram, TikTok, sports, knitting, puzzles, kids, family - I don't know, whatever you like to do, do that. Get back to your life. :)
So prodrome lasts two days tops - if you don't get an outbreak soon, it's not that.
Pissed off nerves - herpes infects nerve groups. Genital herpes infects the sacral ganglia. The nerves are all inflamed and sensitive right now. It may take some time for everything to settle. If you can safely take it, take a couple of ibuprofen and see if that helps. Take only as directed - you don't need to go crazy with it. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, and if it's inflamed nerves, it may help.
If it's anxiety over it all, and wondering what is happening and when will the next outbreak come and what is that feeling and omg is that a sign and will it hurt again - well, that's pretty normal at first. Try to distract yourself. Go back to your normal activities, whatever those are. Video games, exercise, movies, friends, Instagram, TikTok, sports, knitting, puzzles, kids, family - I don't know, whatever you like to do, do that. Get back to your life. :)
Thank you! I will try the ibuprofen and do my best to calm my nerves. You have been sooooo helpful!!!!
You're welcome.
I promise you it gets easier to deal with this. Just give it some time and be kind to yourself. :)
I promise you it gets easier to deal with this. Just give it some time and be kind to yourself. :)
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
