No actual symptoms. Tested negative 6.5 weeks out. Should I retest?

[Tom969]

I had 3 sexual partners 10 weeks ago. I have had no diagnosable symptoms but I do feel what I think could be prodromal symptoms. These certainly don't feel like the intense or obvious prodrome symptoms that I read about(intense Bruning,tingling, pinching etc) I can only describe them as momentary flashes of irritation, meaning these sensations only last for a few seconds and disappear as fast as they came and nothing visual ever follows and these sensations have been happening randomly everyday for 2 weeks straight. I have ZERO blisters, lesions, ulcers, paper cuts, rashes, ingrown hairs nothing but I do worry about it a little bit. But again these sensations or so light and extremely mild that it could just be my highly paranoid mind playing tricks on me and making it seem far worse than they actually are. I've been tested igG blood test almost 7 weeks out which came out negative. What would you do? Should I retest? Or should I forget it about and move on with life. Also, in the small chance that I'm asymptomatic and I have it, do I really want to know that? I guess that's why most doctors don't recommend getting tested unless there are actual symptoms present? Thoughts? Advice?

[auntiejessi]

I wouldn't retest. You have no symptoms - I'll address your symptoms in a moment - and you tested positive at 6.5 weeks. I'd let it go. 70% will test positive by 6 weeks.

Your symptoms - prodrome symptoms last a day, maybe 2, tops. If you don't get blisters/sores after that, it's not prodrome.

What you are experiencing might just be a heightened awareness of the area and noticing things that you had before but never noticed.

There are also a fair number of false positives on the the hsv2 IgG. The more you test, the higher the chance you'd get one, and unraveling that can take weeks and hundreds of dollars.

[Tom969]

Thank you for your response.Your probably right. Honestly I'm just trying to ignore it and move on. Although, I'm tempted to take one final test. Even though I'm probably fine, I just feel like a post 12th week negative test result would be a great psychological relief to me.I guess I just want that absolution so i can totally forget about it and move on..Any theories on why it takes some people longer than others to develop antibodies? I'm a young healthy fit person surely like most, I would have them by now?

[auntiejessi]

Everyone is just different. We do know that having hsv1 can delay developing hsv2 antibodies in some people, but that rate varies, too.

If a 12 week negative would bring relief, keep in mind that a false positive would do just as much harm as the negative would bring relief. I can't tell you what call to make - that's up to you, but just really consider it.

You might really want to consider therapy since this is causing you such anxiety.

You haven't said what your risk actually was - oral, vaginal, anal? Condoms?

[Tom969]

Used condom for all 3 girls, they we're sex workers(in costa rica where its legal). My exposure was oral(giving and receiving) and vaginal intercourse. I asked them all if they were clean sexually and they said yes, perhaps its possible they could of lied but I doubt it they all worked out of the same hotels and I'm sure it would hurt them professionally if they were spreading anything. I also didn't see anything on their mouth or genitals that stood out to me or looked alarming ( I definitely looked before putting my mouth down there). I really have no proof that they had anything. I just know a day afterwards I felt a little tingle in my lips there was an appearance of 2 clusters of Fordyce spots that weren't there before and that's how this started.

[auntiejessi]

If everything was protected, the chances of you getting anything is very, very slim.

Yes, sex workers use condoms to protect themselves from you, not so much to protect you from them. Their livelihoods depend on it.

Also, "clean" is a stigmatized word. It implies people with STIs are dirty.

Maybe the Fordyce spots appeared because you kept checking things out due to anxiety. Or exposure to sun, if those were on your lips. You were in Costa Rica. Fordyce spots have nothing to do with STIs.

[Tom969]

Thank you auntiejessi. Didn't mean to use stigmatized language, I'll have to work on that. If what I'm experiencing isn't prodrome and  I don't have any actual visible symptoms. I guess I'll just move on and forget about it. Thank you for Helpful advice and hope not to annoy you in the future with any more questions!

[auntiejessi]

You're welcome. :)