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Possible Genital Herpes?
I know that the only way to be certain of my status is to be tested, but I guess I'm just hoping for some guidance in the meantime. Apologies in advance for the long post.
I am a female in my early 30s. A couple of years ago, I started to experience recurring itching/burning/tingling of the vulva. From time to time the inner left labia would also look a bit red and irritated to me. Sometimes I would also experience mild pain in my hips and buttocks. No bumps or lesions. I would keep going to the OBGYN, and usually I would just have a small bit of yeast or a mild bacterial infection. Also negative for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trich, etc. In the back of my mind I was always concerned that maybe I had herpes. Then I got a small bump that didn't look like a blister but the skin was open. Both a culture and IgG blood tests came back negative for HSV-1 and 2. My doctor felt confident that I did not have herpes. It had been over a year since any sexual contact so the tests should've been accurate.
Since then, I still have had intermittent itchiness, irritation, etc. but with no real known cause except that I may be over vigilant. Since my negative tests, I have had two partners. One was one-time only with protection. The other was my serious boyfriend for five months. We used condoms for about the first six weeks, then stopped using them when I went on the pill. We did discuss STDs, and with regard to herpes, he had never been tested because he had never noticed anything to cause him to think that he may have herpes. In my time with him, I never visually spotted anything to be concerned about.
He was my last partner, and I haven't had any sexual contact in nine months. No signs of what I would think to be herpes in that time. About 10 days ago, I was out of town and experiencing itchiness, which seems to happen more often than not. Had a long, tiring, sweaty, stressful day and experienced chills as I was trying to fall asleep, as well as a throbbing pain in my left breast and arm, but don't think I had a fever. My period was also due to start the next day. In the morning, my hips and buttocks were aching. Upon going to the bathroom, I noticed three small bumps on the left side of my labia, where the "regular" skin meets the mucosal skin. They were not clustered together. They appeared like small pimples, but with no white heads, did not look like blisters, just small and pink, were slightly tender if touched, and itchy off and on. I also had some itchiness/irritation near my anus, but not near the opening. Just looked irritated and felt itchy, a little pink, but no unusual bumps or rash there. Of course I was out of town on vacation on a weekend so couldn't do much about it. Later in the day, the area where I frequently have itchiness and irritation was looking and feeling that way again, red, but the bumps seemed to be going away. By nighttime, things were still looking irritated, but the initial bumps were almost completely gone. But I did notice a few flat red spots, only about the size of a pinhead, and not clustered together, on the mucosal skin. They were not raised or open. Maybe four of them. I took a shower and slept without underwear, and in the morning everything looked almost completely back to normal. Aches and pains gone too.
By Monday I didn't even think I should go to the doctor, because there were no visible bumps or anything to swab. I haven't seen any additional bumps, but itching/burning persists off and on. My hips and buttocks haven't been aching since then, but now I'm having the muscle aches in my chest/arms again. I don't think I'd be so worried about this being herpes if not for the muscle aches and initial chills. But I am also prone to random irritations, as well as being on a medication that causes skin dryness, and being outdoors sweating a lot, so still wondering if what I experienced was due to that. Could this be an initial herpes outbreak, even without blistering and with everything disappearing so quickly, and so long after any sexual contact? And the persisting upper body muscle aches? Just not sure what to do.
I am a female in my early 30s. A couple of years ago, I started to experience recurring itching/burning/tingling of the vulva. From time to time the inner left labia would also look a bit red and irritated to me. Sometimes I would also experience mild pain in my hips and buttocks. No bumps or lesions. I would keep going to the OBGYN, and usually I would just have a small bit of yeast or a mild bacterial infection. Also negative for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trich, etc. In the back of my mind I was always concerned that maybe I had herpes. Then I got a small bump that didn't look like a blister but the skin was open. Both a culture and IgG blood tests came back negative for HSV-1 and 2. My doctor felt confident that I did not have herpes. It had been over a year since any sexual contact so the tests should've been accurate.
Since then, I still have had intermittent itchiness, irritation, etc. but with no real known cause except that I may be over vigilant. Since my negative tests, I have had two partners. One was one-time only with protection. The other was my serious boyfriend for five months. We used condoms for about the first six weeks, then stopped using them when I went on the pill. We did discuss STDs, and with regard to herpes, he had never been tested because he had never noticed anything to cause him to think that he may have herpes. In my time with him, I never visually spotted anything to be concerned about.
He was my last partner, and I haven't had any sexual contact in nine months. No signs of what I would think to be herpes in that time. About 10 days ago, I was out of town and experiencing itchiness, which seems to happen more often than not. Had a long, tiring, sweaty, stressful day and experienced chills as I was trying to fall asleep, as well as a throbbing pain in my left breast and arm, but don't think I had a fever. My period was also due to start the next day. In the morning, my hips and buttocks were aching. Upon going to the bathroom, I noticed three small bumps on the left side of my labia, where the "regular" skin meets the mucosal skin. They were not clustered together. They appeared like small pimples, but with no white heads, did not look like blisters, just small and pink, were slightly tender if touched, and itchy off and on. I also had some itchiness/irritation near my anus, but not near the opening. Just looked irritated and felt itchy, a little pink, but no unusual bumps or rash there. Of course I was out of town on vacation on a weekend so couldn't do much about it. Later in the day, the area where I frequently have itchiness and irritation was looking and feeling that way again, red, but the bumps seemed to be going away. By nighttime, things were still looking irritated, but the initial bumps were almost completely gone. But I did notice a few flat red spots, only about the size of a pinhead, and not clustered together, on the mucosal skin. They were not raised or open. Maybe four of them. I took a shower and slept without underwear, and in the morning everything looked almost completely back to normal. Aches and pains gone too.
By Monday I didn't even think I should go to the doctor, because there were no visible bumps or anything to swab. I haven't seen any additional bumps, but itching/burning persists off and on. My hips and buttocks haven't been aching since then, but now I'm having the muscle aches in my chest/arms again. I don't think I'd be so worried about this being herpes if not for the muscle aches and initial chills. But I am also prone to random irritations, as well as being on a medication that causes skin dryness, and being outdoors sweating a lot, so still wondering if what I experienced was due to that. Could this be an initial herpes outbreak, even without blistering and with everything disappearing so quickly, and so long after any sexual contact? And the persisting upper body muscle aches? Just not sure what to do.
Grace, thanks so much for taking the time to read my long story! Since writing this yesterday, the things I've been experiencing have gotten a little bit worse again, so I'm going to see my OBGYN in the morning. I'm hopeful that nothing serious is going on, but will feel better to hear her opinion and also get tested while I'm there to know for sure. (I have already been tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hep, HIV, etc. after last partner, so herpes is the only big question mark for me.) Will report back when I figure out what's going, if it may be helpful to someone else reading my post.
I've been doing a lot of research on the message boards and thank you for everything you contribute to this community!
I've been doing a lot of research on the message boards and thank you for everything you contribute to this community!
certainly follow up with a type specific herpes igg blood test from your last partner. always best to get the whole shebang of testing done in case they weren't honest about their own testing.
your genital symptoms are ongoing and not likely herpes related. sounds like you have very sensitive skin in general down yonder :( You might want to work with a dermatologist if your gyn is stumped to try to get a better idea of if there are certain ingredients that you are more sensitive or and such too. you can also try regularly using a diaper rash type cream too to help soothe your sensitive skin as well as protect it.
grace
your genital symptoms are ongoing and not likely herpes related. sounds like you have very sensitive skin in general down yonder :( You might want to work with a dermatologist if your gyn is stumped to try to get a better idea of if there are certain ingredients that you are more sensitive or and such too. you can also try regularly using a diaper rash type cream too to help soothe your sensitive skin as well as protect it.
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.
