herpes groin pain and backache

[andy950]

My wife has been having pains in the lymph node area, combined with backache and shooting pains down the leg. The pains in the groin/lymph area are dull rather than sharp and there is no detectable lymph node swelling. The pain is always on the left side, somewhere around the lymph node or possibly the fallopian tube. There is no discharge or any visible lesions.

The pains last 2-3 days and come at 2-4 week intervals, although sometimes the gap is longer. The first time, the pains lasted longer, and they seem to have got shorter, but not really left frequent, over the eight months since it started.  I've read that herpes may cause recurrent sciatica, but I thought this was hype. Is it true?

Does this sound like herpes or is there another explanation? The pains started just after I began to have herpes-type tingling and feared that I'd passed it to her.  

If it is herpes, would you expect the frequency and severity of the pains to diminish after the first year?

Many thanks

[andy950]

Just one final add-on question:  does a herpes infection usually show up on a pap smear or only if there is an outbreak when the smear is taken?

Thanks

[andy950]

Sorry Grace, although you did answer a similar question from me back in December. I'm asking it again because I only recently became aware that she also felt backache and shooting pains in the leg, which I thought suggested there might be a link with herpes.

All the best