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Understanding my Risk
I am a gay male, and I hooked up with someone exactly 8 weeks ago. The hookup involved making out, some body contact, and I received unprotected oral sex. I touched his anus, jerked him off, and then jerked myself off. There was no penetration and I did not perform oral on him.
4 days later, I felt a general tingling/burning feeling on my thighs, genitals, and anus area. I was tested for STDs – all of which came back negative. The feeling came and went and it was felt on both sides of my body and sometimes felt very extreme. It was sort of like a ben-gay feeling. The feeling would persist throughout the month but sometimes would feel like it wasn’t there, but then it would come back.
There were no blisters to ever form. I thought there was a lesion that looked like a long scratch and I went to two doctors because I knew herpes could take different forms, but the first doctor said she was certain it wasn’t (swapped at about 5 days after appearance – came back negative). The second doctor, as dermatologist said, she would identify herpes as the blisters and this would be atypical. She, too swabbed it, and it came back negative. At 4 weeks, my blood test came back negative for HSV2 (I’ve had HSV1 even as a kid).
It is now 8 weeks post exposure, and I’m starting to feel that general tingling feelings again. I went to get a follow up blood test and the doctor said, the blood test should be conclusive now as majority have antibodies at this point. I’m waiting on my results
I want to understand my true exposure. From oral, I know I was exposed to HSV1, but is the potential of getting HSV2 high? Could I have gotten it from jerking him off and jerking myself off? I asked the guy and he has never had any symptoms – never even thought of having HSV2. Also, doctors said the tingling wouldn’t be this widespread or on both sides. They don’t think I have much to worry about at this point. Could that lesion have been HSV2 but the swab not captured it? Would that make sense? I appreciate your thoughts.
4 days later, I felt a general tingling/burning feeling on my thighs, genitals, and anus area. I was tested for STDs – all of which came back negative. The feeling came and went and it was felt on both sides of my body and sometimes felt very extreme. It was sort of like a ben-gay feeling. The feeling would persist throughout the month but sometimes would feel like it wasn’t there, but then it would come back.
There were no blisters to ever form. I thought there was a lesion that looked like a long scratch and I went to two doctors because I knew herpes could take different forms, but the first doctor said she was certain it wasn’t (swapped at about 5 days after appearance – came back negative). The second doctor, as dermatologist said, she would identify herpes as the blisters and this would be atypical. She, too swabbed it, and it came back negative. At 4 weeks, my blood test came back negative for HSV2 (I’ve had HSV1 even as a kid).
It is now 8 weeks post exposure, and I’m starting to feel that general tingling feelings again. I went to get a follow up blood test and the doctor said, the blood test should be conclusive now as majority have antibodies at this point. I’m waiting on my results
I want to understand my true exposure. From oral, I know I was exposed to HSV1, but is the potential of getting HSV2 high? Could I have gotten it from jerking him off and jerking myself off? I asked the guy and he has never had any symptoms – never even thought of having HSV2. Also, doctors said the tingling wouldn’t be this widespread or on both sides. They don’t think I have much to worry about at this point. Could that lesion have been HSV2 but the swab not captured it? Would that make sense? I appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you both for your response.
I guess my underlying confusion relates to this tingling in my thighs, scrotum, and penis. I got this feeling 4 days post my initial exposure and it came and went periodically. 3 weeks later, I saw that "scratch" and a lot of the tingling stopped. Now a month later, I'm having the similar tingling. Could this just be the symptoms of my flare ups? Potentially getting the hsv2 from genital to genital contact during the hook up? Does this sound like a potential way of how hsv2 is shown?
I guess my underlying confusion relates to this tingling in my thighs, scrotum, and penis. I got this feeling 4 days post my initial exposure and it came and went periodically. 3 weeks later, I saw that "scratch" and a lot of the tingling stopped. Now a month later, I'm having the similar tingling. Could this just be the symptoms of my flare ups? Potentially getting the hsv2 from genital to genital contact during the hook up? Does this sound like a potential way of how hsv2 is shown?
Hi Life360,
Thanks for your response. Would the body contact/teasing the anus and then touching me result in a risk for HSV2?
Thanks for your response. Would the body contact/teasing the anus and then touching me result in a risk for HSV2?
Hi, your correct in that your herpes exposure would have been hsv1 from the oral but if he did not have any lip sores at the time your risk would be close to zero. From what you descibe there was no risk for hsv2, and hand jobs are no risk.
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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.
