No signs till now?

Is it possible to contract herpes and not show any symptons for a long period of time and then have your first outbreak? Or is the first outbreak always soon after contracting the STD?

[petal130]

Yes.
Sometimes.

[Danny231]

According to doctors I have talked to....yes. In fact, I read a story on one forum of a man that had a herpes outbreak 15 years into his marriage. Apparently he had gotten it from a sex partner he had before he met his wife. Through all of that time he never had any symptoms. That is what freaks me out about all of this.

[petal130]

What's to be freaked out about? If you're uncertain as to your herpes status, get an IgG type specific test. And, if you're in a relationship, you both can.

Herpes is nothing more than a pesky skin condition. I have it genitally, my partner orally. I never even think about it, and if I have an outbreak I treat the symptoms.

[skullcandy]

Danny as you said that a guy had a breakout 15 years into his marriage. If he would have done his text lets say 4 months after the intercourse with the sex partner would he have come positive or do you need an outbreak or some kind of symptoms to know that you are positive?

[gracefromHHP]

You do not have to have obvious symptoms appear first before the infection shows up in the blood tests.

Studies have shown over and over again that over 90% of of folks who have hsv2, have no idea they have it until they are tested for it. Ironically another study that looked specifically at folks who tested + on the blood test but swore they had never had symptoms, found that with proper education, 80% of them were able to start accurately recognizing symptoms of recurrences. So the reality is, folks just have no idea what to look for ( and neither do providers sometimes either unfortunately ) and everyone assumes that unless you have frequently reoccurring and very painful lesions that are very obvious, that you couldn't possibly have herpes.  It's not unusual for folks to miss the subtler signs of herpes infections and not go and get properly diagnosed until they have a rip roaring or very "classic" appearing lesion and it gets them to their provider.

grace