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Oral to Oral HSV2
I have been dating my girlfriend for about 6 weeks now. I was going to ask about testing for STDs but she offered before I got to it. We have been having sex for roughly 2-3 weeks using condoms with penetration every time. Oral sex was performed by both of us, as well as some dry humping but nothing overly aggressive.
When she got her results back HSV2 was positive. She is understandably devastated. I have no intention of bailing on her nor do I know if this relationship can go the distance at this point. She says she has never had any signs of an outbreak. We both shave and I am aware that an outbreak can look like razor burn or ingrown hairs etc. We have agreed that holding off on sex is best for both of us to limit the amount of emotional charge until 6 weeks after our last sexual encounter when I can get tested. My main concern is how much risk is involved in kissing. Since she does not know if this is oral hsv2(very rare I know). I am trying to come to grips with how I can make this relationship work with this fear or if that fear is even rational. What can/should I do to help keep us both comfortable in dealing with this?
I have a history of manifesting symptoms in my own head. About a week after we first had sex I had an ingrown hair on a single pore located just off the base of my penis on the top of the right testicle. It ended up behaving like a pimple. I squeezed it and pus came out, as expected, followed by me over doing it and a small amount of blood. The area is obviously a bit red but has healed over otherwise and no other occurrences on any other pores have cropped up. This would normally not even phase me but now is increasingly on my mind. Is it worth making an appointment with my doctor despite not having any visible symptoms at this point?
Thank you very much for your time and effort on this forum. I have been reading it on and off for almost a year now and it has been incredibly educational and beneficial.
When she got her results back HSV2 was positive. She is understandably devastated. I have no intention of bailing on her nor do I know if this relationship can go the distance at this point. She says she has never had any signs of an outbreak. We both shave and I am aware that an outbreak can look like razor burn or ingrown hairs etc. We have agreed that holding off on sex is best for both of us to limit the amount of emotional charge until 6 weeks after our last sexual encounter when I can get tested. My main concern is how much risk is involved in kissing. Since she does not know if this is oral hsv2(very rare I know). I am trying to come to grips with how I can make this relationship work with this fear or if that fear is even rational. What can/should I do to help keep us both comfortable in dealing with this?
I have a history of manifesting symptoms in my own head. About a week after we first had sex I had an ingrown hair on a single pore located just off the base of my penis on the top of the right testicle. It ended up behaving like a pimple. I squeezed it and pus came out, as expected, followed by me over doing it and a small amount of blood. The area is obviously a bit red but has healed over otherwise and no other occurrences on any other pores have cropped up. This would normally not even phase me but now is increasingly on my mind. Is it worth making an appointment with my doctor despite not having any visible symptoms at this point?
Thank you very much for your time and effort on this forum. I have been reading it on and off for almost a year now and it has been incredibly educational and beneficial.
the link I posted previously on the low positives is accurate.
the provider who said there isn't a WB for herpes was mistaken. www.herpesdiagnosis.com has more testing info too to refer to.
the provider who said there isn't a WB for herpes was mistaken. www.herpesdiagnosis.com has more testing info too to refer to.
She ended up calling the doctor to be told the following...
"There is no western blot test for HSV. You had the most accurate test available done." I don't believe either of these statements are true. Am I correct? Trying not to repeat myself here but, what test should she be asking for?
"There is no western blot test for HSV. You had the most accurate test available done." I don't believe either of these statements are true. Am I correct? Trying not to repeat myself here but, what test should she be asking for?
I have encouraged her to get tested again. She is not very enthusiastic about the idea. Does not want to get her hopes up. I am going to try and continue to encourage her. Should I suggest she ask for a specific test?
I may or may not go in now to be tested. Feels like it might be a waste of time at this point as any result could be positive in x period of time. I have seen suggestions ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months suggesting when to get tested. What is actually true?
I may or may not go in now to be tested. Feels like it might be a waste of time at this point as any result could be positive in x period of time. I have seen suggestions ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months suggesting when to get tested. What is actually true?
getting retested at this point is fine.
did you encourage your gf to seek out additional confirmatory testing for her own status too?
grace
did you encourage your gf to seek out additional confirmatory testing for her own status too?
grace
Sorry for the long response but it has been a while since I filled you in :).
I was tested about 6~ months ago. My result at the time was negative for both HSV1 and HSV2. I did not see the numbers. Planned parenthood just has you call a number to get your results from a machine.
I recently had a bump I mentioned earlier that looked a little like a blister. I stupidly messed with it and popped it at night. It took a lot of effort to do so. Was about the size of a large ingrown hair. I then went to the DR the next day and had it swabbed. The doctor took a needle and broke the bump open and took a sample(at this point almost all blood came out) and stated it was not typical HSV but if I saw more to just call and they would get me on medication. Contradicting statements there. The test came back negative. The bump still exists looks like a scar, shiny but no fluid.
About 4-7 days later a red bump appeared about an inch away all by itself. It had a head(bubble looking thing) but was not easily popped. This was after some rough dry humping. I did not force things this time and it looks like it resolved itself about two days later when I noticed it looked like a red popped pimple. After it appears it broke off entirely and is now a very very small flat red spot. Almost like someone poked me with a needle. I have had no pain and only itching associated with stopping shaving(about 2 weeks ago). I do notice red spots but they are not bright and I'm sure it is just me being crazy.
The DR suggested I get a test done for a base but I mentioned I received a negative result 6 months ago. She seemed to think I should only then get tested 10 weeks after the last possible exposure and has given me the lab paper work already. Should I go for a test now as well? Is 10 weeks appropriate?
I suffer from OCD but am trying my best to work through this with her. Looking for a therapist and trying to get better each day. I'm sure you're sick of us OCD guys and gals :).
Thanks again for all your help.
I was tested about 6~ months ago. My result at the time was negative for both HSV1 and HSV2. I did not see the numbers. Planned parenthood just has you call a number to get your results from a machine.
I recently had a bump I mentioned earlier that looked a little like a blister. I stupidly messed with it and popped it at night. It took a lot of effort to do so. Was about the size of a large ingrown hair. I then went to the DR the next day and had it swabbed. The doctor took a needle and broke the bump open and took a sample(at this point almost all blood came out) and stated it was not typical HSV but if I saw more to just call and they would get me on medication. Contradicting statements there. The test came back negative. The bump still exists looks like a scar, shiny but no fluid.
About 4-7 days later a red bump appeared about an inch away all by itself. It had a head(bubble looking thing) but was not easily popped. This was after some rough dry humping. I did not force things this time and it looks like it resolved itself about two days later when I noticed it looked like a red popped pimple. After it appears it broke off entirely and is now a very very small flat red spot. Almost like someone poked me with a needle. I have had no pain and only itching associated with stopping shaving(about 2 weeks ago). I do notice red spots but they are not bright and I'm sure it is just me being crazy.
The DR suggested I get a test done for a base but I mentioned I received a negative result 6 months ago. She seemed to think I should only then get tested 10 weeks after the last possible exposure and has given me the lab paper work already. Should I go for a test now as well? Is 10 weeks appropriate?
I suffer from OCD but am trying my best to work through this with her. Looking for a therapist and trying to get better each day. I'm sure you're sick of us OCD guys and gals :).
Thanks again for all your help.
those are your gf's test results? she definitely needs to follow up on her hsv2 igg and confirm her status. It's in the low positive range and needs confirmed. a herpes Wb is the best test for her to get to confirm this. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Confusing-Igg-Test-Results/show/771141 is a good prior post by HHH on this that explains the low positive issues in more details.
did you get tested too?
grace
did you get tested too?
grace
Just trying to make sure my thread hasn't been forgotten. Any ideas on the test results I posted?
HSV1 IGG type specific AB - 0.85
HSV2 IGG type specific AB - 2.13
I did my own research and this isn't the lowest positive but it definitely is not a high positive. I suggested she get another test done but she is hesitant to get her hopes up. Any suggestion?
Also for my own curiosity. Is it possible to have antibodies to the virus but NOT have it? What causes a false positive? A faulty test?
HSV2 IGG type specific AB - 2.13
I did my own research and this isn't the lowest positive but it definitely is not a high positive. I suggested she get another test done but she is hesitant to get her hopes up. Any suggestion?
Also for my own curiosity. Is it possible to have antibodies to the virus but NOT have it? What causes a false positive? A faulty test?
4% transmission rate is from just avoiding sex during any genital symptoms and doing nothing else.
you will not get your risk down lower than 1% and have it be statistically useful. Just really not worth anything else extra.
grace
you will not get your risk down lower than 1% and have it be statistically useful. Just really not worth anything else extra.
grace
Guess there is no edit option :).
Also I highly doubt it but it is worth asking. Is there any other form of protection for me beyond condoms and her taking Valtrex.
Also I highly doubt it but it is worth asking. Is there any other form of protection for me beyond condoms and her taking Valtrex.
She has not received them yet but I asked her to get a copy for that reason. I will be sure to post them when I get them. What do you mean by "she had anything going on genitally"? She says she has never shown a single symptom. I assume either she is asymptomatic or it was so mild it was unnoticeable. I know some cases cause large amounts of pain. I will suggest talking to her doctor about it tomorrow. Is there anything else specific I should have her ask about?
She has already started Valtrex and I would be using condoms. Does that 4% a year include that? Just asking because I thought I read it was much lower in that case.
Thanks!
She has already started Valtrex and I would be using condoms. Does that 4% a year include that? Just asking because I thought I read it was much lower in that case.
Thanks!
If all you and your gf did was avoid sex any time she had anything going on genitally, you would be 96% likely each year NOT to contract her hsv2 on average. The odds that you contracted hsv2 from her are very small. I don't even recommending avoiding sex for 6 weeks and then retesting yourself at all. If this is going to be a long term relationship, you can't drive yourself with testing all the time. I don't recommend it after the initial testing unless you either have obvious genital symptoms, the relationship ends or just a yearly check up on your status.
Do you know if your gf has posted her results either here or on the ashastd message boards for me to look at? if she hasn't, it's a good idea for her to do so ( or give you the results to post here in your post ) so we can be sure she doesn't need additional testing to confirm her status too.
grace
Do you know if your gf has posted her results either here or on the ashastd message boards for me to look at? if she hasn't, it's a good idea for her to do so ( or give you the results to post here in your post ) so we can be sure she doesn't need additional testing to confirm her status too.
grace
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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.
