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How Accurate are Urethal Swabs for HSV2?

I am a 35 year old healthy male, I received unprotected oral sex 3.5 weeks ago. During the encounter I must have been bitten and the skin was broken on the tip of my penis.  On the third day after the incident, I developed slight tingling in my penis. I went to the doctor and they tested for gonnorhea and clymidia both of which came back negative. As a precauation they gave me a shot of antibiotics in case I did have it.

10 days after the outbreak I went back to the doctor as the burning had gotten worse. I did not have any pain upon urination or discharge. By this time, the cut on my penis had completely healed. They found white blood cells in my urine and suspected NGU. They tested again for all STD's but did not give me a blood test for HSV, everything else came back negative. Instead they gave me a urethal swab PCR DNA test (very painful btw), which tested positive for HSV 2. As a precaution, they gave me doxy for a week, which I took. It's now been 3.5 weeks and the burning has continued. Some days it is not there at all, some days it is can be quite painful. Otherwise I feel fine

I have no leasions or anything else that would suggest herpes. My partner claims that she was tested 3 months ago and everything came back negative, of course she could have gotten it in the interim. I did not see any sores on her lips or mouth. It also seems that i would have had this burning in my urethra for 3 weeks if I had it? It is possible the PCR DNA test was false positive? I have abstained from sex until I figure out what is going on.

Thank you very much for your help. You provide an invaluable service!
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Avatar universal
It's time you consult a Urologist! You sound like you have some prostate problems going on there expecially with the high white bloodcount in your Urethra! Go get checked for Prostasis. Herpes isn't going to give you burning testicles...
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
This has been going on long enough that herpes antivirals probably aren't going to do much unless you are interested in starting suppressive therapy to protect a partner. A herpes recurrence has just about run its course by now.

The vast majority of folks who have hsv2 have no idea until tested.  If your provider hadn't thought to check for it this time, you'd probably continue to have no idea you have it.

grace
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Avatar universal
Grace,

I've never had any classic herpes symptoms, is it possible I am one of the people that is assymptomatic?  

They didn't do any blood tests for herpes or give me antivirals. I am going to go back and tell them to do that.

The NGU still seems to be on and off with the pain, most of the pain is in my testicles now though. I've also had strong feelings of warmth from my testicles and scrotum area. I holding out hope that the PCR test was lab error but you're probably right that I had herpes for a while. Thank you again.

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Avatar universal
I don't know, whatever you have going on there isn't from herpes but of course you could have gotten it like Grace said from sometime before.. Over 3 weeks and burning etc, that's not herpes...
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101028 tn?1419603004
A pcr swab looks for herpes dna. It won't detect herpes dna unless it's there to be detected. Does that make sense? So yes if you had an urethral swab for herpes and it came back + for hsv2 that means that you are infected with hsv2 and are actively shedding the virus.  Did they do a herpes blood test at all yet on you? It would be unusual to contract hsv2 from oral sex so my assumption would be that you had it already and didn't know it and the oral sex gave you a ngu infection and it's triggered shedding of a previous hsv2 genital infection that was detected on the swab ( if you are a googler then look up herpes urethritis and I think you'll find that you match the symptoms ). Did they give you herpes antivirals to take the herpes part out of this?

If you have a regular partner they need a herpes blood test too.

grace
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Avatar universal
I am not sure what you got going on but none of this sounds like herpes at all!!! I don't know what you got going on there but herpes isn't going to last this long either.
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