Red Patches

Hello, I've had genital herpes for almost two months and every once in a while I get red patches about an inch away from the bottom of my vagina, they are tender to the touch and I do not remember getting them before I contracted the herpes. They are usually not that big but today the patches look larger than usual. I I just wanted to know what they mean. Should I not touch them? Are they pro-dome symptoms? Should I put ice on them?

[Mistakeguy789]

This isn't typical to be a prodome without getting symptoms later on.  Be seen by your provider to find out what is going on.  Just because you have HSV genital doesn't mean everything is related to herpes.

[booknerd2]

I think getting prodome symptoms without getting outbreaks later on is just way my body reacts to HSV because a few days after I contracted the virus I did get the tingling and it lasted for about three weeks without resulting in sores. I know that not everything I'm experiencing has to be related to herpes but I just want to confirm that getting red, tender areas is a symptom of herpes, right?

[gracefromHHP]

well they can be but they also can be other things. at this point the best thing you can do is when you next have these red areas, be seen and get a proper work up done. they can culture them to see if they are herpes too while you are there. have you also been back to be seen and tested for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally too?  how long are these red areas lasting?  do they hurt or itch?

when you were diagnosed, did they do a lesion culture or a visual diagnosis? do you have hsv1 or hsv2 genitally?
grace

[booknerd2]

My gyno actually did say that I have a yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis, which I'm going to get the medication for today. The red areas can last from a couple of hours to a day. They don't itch or really hurt but they feel very sensitive if anything comes into contact with them.
I was diagnosed about a month ago. I never got the lesions, just the tingling, that's how I knew something was wrong. My gyno did take a culture from my vagina and that came up negative. The test I did come up positive on was the IgM for hsv2. I know from reading the other people's questions that the IgM isn't reliable but I only got tested sixteen days after I was exposed to hsv so it would not have come up positive on the IgG yet. I know I should wait a few months to get retested with the IgG but the vaginal tingling isn't associated with any other STI so I am pretty sure that I have hsv.

[Mistakeguy789]

Tingling is only when you have a prodome symptom.  It lasts at max 2 days.  The red areas leaving in a day isn't going to be herpes either.  The IgM test is completely flawed and many things will cause it to cross react and be positive.  You need to wait the 3 months and get a type specific igg test.  

[gracefromHHP]

I totally agree - you don't know at all if you have genital herpes at all yet. do you have a regular partner?  if so, they need tested to know their status too.

bv and yeast both cause tingling and red areas.  

your provider needs to update their knowledge about herpes blood testing. telling someone that they have hsv2 from a + igm is actually considered malpractice at this point and they are doing their patients far more harm than good by still ordering it :(

[booknerd2]

I don't have a regular partner, it was just a one time thing with the guy. It was the only time I ever had sex so that made me think that there would be more friction than normal because my hymen broke so it might have rendered the condom less useful than normal, especially since it wasn't my condom so who knows if it was even latex or not.
How do yeast infections and bv cause tingling, they're not nerve diseases. I haven't found tingling as a symptom on any website for the two. I don't mean to sound skeptical of either of you, I'm just confused, but I really appreciate your answers.
Also, out of curiosity, what makes the IgM so unrelaible? I know that it can't tell the difference between Herpes Simplex and Mononucleosis or Chickenpox but I've never had Mono and I've never had Chickenpox because I got the vaccine for it so wouldn't it be more accurate for someone like me?

[gracefromHHP]

anything that irritates the genital area can cause tingling.  

the igm has a high false positive rate hence why we don't recommend its use.  it doesn't matter what previous infections you've had, it's still not very useful overall.   current cdc guidelines advise against its use in adults too.

if this is a partner you aren't in contact with, you'll need to repeat your herpes igg blood test in another month to see what your herpes status is. continue to be seen anytime you have genital symptoms for proper testing for vaginitis too.