Should I get a second opinion?

[gem123134]

Hi,
For about a year I have been having vaginal itching in the external folds of my vagina.  Its becomes itchy and red.  I had protected sex about a year ago with a guy who swears he has no STDs, but he had been seeing a girl who sounded very sexually active since she got tested for STDs regularly.  To be on the safe side and because I was having the worse yeast infection ever, I went and got tested for STDs about 7 or 8 weeks later (a blood test and a culture from my vagina). I also had an examination and expressed that I thought it might be herpes (I don't know why but I thought that).  The nurse practitioner saw nothing except a lot of discharge. The test came back negative, but I still had some intense itching.  

I went to my gyno and explained everything; she did a wet mount (I think that is what it is called--a culture) and a examination, and everything was fine. Since I am a runner, she thought, the excessive sweating and motion of running might cause the itching. I still take care of the itching when it flares up.  I hardly exercised this winter and had no itching.

But the other day I heard that most people, especially women, don't know that they have genitial herpes.  I'm paranoid now that my symptoms might be from an outbreak in my cervix or elsewhere.  About two years ago, I lost my virginity to a guy who also swears that he has no STDs and he said we used a condom, but I was drunk and don't remember. I have only had sexual intercourse those two times in my life. I see my gyno yearly and get a pap smear, which comes back negative. I also take birth control pills, and wonder if that causes the itching.  Do you think I have atypical symptoms of herpes or something else?  I would be very appreciative of an answer because I would like some peace of mind.  

[auntiejessi]

I agree.  Enough time has passed that you could have a type specific IgG herpes test done.

I also think you need to be careful of assuming that someone is having a lot of partners if they test regularly.  Its advised that anyone who is not in a long term, monogamous relationship be tested at least once a year.  Long term usually means longer than several months.  If you have 3 partners in one year, even if you consider them "boyfriends", you are at the same risk as someone who has 3 casual sex partners, ya know?

Aj

[gracefromHHP]

You need to continue following up on this with your provider. You could have herpes but so far you've been at very low risk for it.  

If you are only having the itching when the weather is nice and you get out exercising - perhaps it's from friction even. Look at changing your work out clothes and look at ways to decrease friction when running like powders and lotions made for that purpose.  

grace