Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Scared and Confused

I recently received oral sex for the first time from my partner.  We have been having vaginal sex for over two years.  One week later I developed a red bump in the inner vaginal area.  Thinking it was an ingrown hair, I popped it with a razor.  Only blood came out.  I went to my PCP who diagnosed me with herpes from visual inspection.  He prescribed me Valtrex and tested IGG and IGM antibodies.  The bump was already going away so I did not start the Valtrex.  5 days later I discovered two more small bumps on the inner labia minora.  I went to the gynecologist one day after discovering the bumps and was swab tested for herpes.  I also started the Valtrex.  She diagnosed me with herpes as well, (since at that time the IGM test had not came back).  After 5 more days of taking Valtrex, the bumps were still there, and I have a new one right next to my vaginal opening.  The viral culture of the bumps came back negative.  The gynecologist and PCP both told me this means it is impossible I have herpes, especially since the Valtrex should have made them go away if it was.   The bumps are not painful, but the whole vaginal area feels irritated and itchy.  My partner swears he does not have herpes, and has never even had a cold sore.  Even though both doctors told me it's not herpes, I am still terrified it is.  Both also told me they don't know what it is.  Any help would be great, as I have been dealing with this for three weeks now.  
8 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
101028 tn?1419603004
If they tested your vaginal secretions for infections then they would've detected any infections going on. If you still have yellowish discharge a week from now, return for further testing.  

Follow up with the blood testing as I advised earlier just to cover your bases.

grace
Helpful - 0
1174003 tn?1308160819
The pain is something my ex-wife went through a lot before switching birth controls.  She had PCOS and even when on birth control she would get those random pains.  I think when she changed to Yaz the pain didn't happen as much or as often.  

You aren't a mess.  :-)  We are all broken some how.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
  I should clarify that they never blistered or became painful.  I treated myself for a yeast infection anyway and the bumps are gone.  They were in the process of healing anyway. The whole vaginal area still feels irritated.   However, now I have stabbing pain in what feels like my ovaries-mainly on the left side. It has been keeping me up at night.   I have been also diagnosed with PCOS and I take birth control for it.  However, I just had a normal pap a week before the bumps appeared.  The yellow discharge has continued, but the amount has decreased considerably.  Do you think I have PID somehow?  I should also mention I had kidney stones about two months ago and have had trouble urinating since then.  I sound like such a mess, LOL.  Any ideas?
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
this doesn't sound at all like a hpv infection going on. Any hpv you had in your body 10 years ago, has most likely cleared itself anyways and is no longer there to be an issue.

at this point your partner needs tested to see what his status is.

A newly acquired herpes infection can linger for 2-3 weeks easily, even longer without proper treatment.  Waiting to start the valtrex so long into things helps but not much as far as speeding healing.

grace
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
They did test the secretions for yeast and bacterial infections.  The doctor said yeast was present but not large enough to call it an infection.  He also tested for syphllis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV.  I was diagnosed with HPV about 10 years ago and haven't had a breakout since.  This isn't what I remember the breakout as.  I really don't think it is HPV, but i'm grasping at straws.  Would a herpes breakout last three weeks and not go away with Valtrex use though?  I'm treating myself for a yeast infection now, just to rule it out.  
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
Your partner also needs tested. If this is a newly acquired infection for you, it might be months until it's reflected in your blood testing.

lesion cultures have a very high false negative rate so following up on this with testing for your partner and possible repeat testing for you, is in your best interest.

Did they also test your vaginal secretions for yeast and bacterial infections too?

grace
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was tested for the IHerpes Type Specfic IgG test and the results were negative.  However, I keep hearing that a week is not long enough for the antibodies to show up.  We have been having unprotected vaginal sex .  The bumps are still there and I can't shake the feeling that I really do have herpes.  My doctor says the antibodies would have been present.  Do you agree?
Helpful - 0
1174003 tn?1308160819
Bumps could be anything really and not everything is herpes related.  

My advice is have your partner get tested with a Herpes Type Specfic IgG test.  If he is negative and the only person you have been with in the last 4 months and you were the last person he has been with in the last 4 months it is a good sign at knowing you don't have herpes.

IgM test are useless.  There is a tread in our expert forums that goes over it being useless.  Many things will cross-react with a IgM test making its ability to tell you if you have herpes useless.  IgG tests are the best ones to use in a diagnostic manner along with cultures.  

Visual inspection can be wrong atleast 1/3 of the time by even the most herpes experts out there.  So it can or can't be herpes right now based on visual inspection.  Culture is the best way.  If the sores were between 24-48hrs old when swabbed chances are that you would have gotten enough virus to be tested.  The best test would have been a PCR test on the culture but its very expensive but extremely accurate.

Oral sex is considered a low risk sexual encounter.  While I say low risk it does not mean NO risk.  It means your chances are in your favor of being herpes negative from this one time enouncouter.  But the other side is you have had vaginal sex.  You don't say if it was protected or not.  So I will assume its not protected.  In this case you are a little higher on the risk meter.  

The best thing to do at this time is to get your partner tested.  Given enough time has passed (3-4 months) from his last possible exposure his results can be treated as accurate for a negative.  You can post his and your IgG results here for grace to take a look (others may comment but grace is trained in this so her responses come with more training).  
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
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.