Advice

Sorry for the post in the std community. I intended to put it here but became confused.

A few years ago I had sex with a girl I did not know very well. The first few seconds were unprotected and then I wore a condom. A week or two after I noticed a red bump on the shaft of my penis that was sore when I touched it. I was not able to get to the dr in time to have it examined. Since I did not have it checked I became worried this was herpes and got the blood test (I believe herpes select) either 1.5 or 2.5 months after (don't remember). The results were negative for hsv-1 and hsv-2. Since I did not wait the 4 months I have never been able to completely shake the idea. I have not noticed any recurring symptoms but am still concerned.

My girlfriend and I would like to start having sex without condoms. I am going to the dr to be tested but don't think the herpes blood test is part of the normal procedure. Given this history what testing would you recommend?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I'll try to help.  The exposure you describe was low risk- it was a single, brief exposure with a partner who you do not know had HSV. The odds of acquiring HSV form a single exposure are low- in the neighborhood of 1 in 1000 or less, if there were no lesions present.  Then, you had a single tender lesion on your penis  a few weeks after the brief, solitary exposure.  You don't remember precisely when it occurred and don't describe how long it lasted.  

While can present occasionally as a single lesion, This, plus the fact that there have been no recurrences make it unlikely that this was genital herpes, although one cannot say for sure.  In such a situation I would not typically even recommend testing.  You however seem rather concerned about this.   If you are and you choose to test, my advice would be to make sure that both you and your partner are tested at the same time and that you discuss with each other what will do if one, or both of you have positive tests.  

As i said, my advice is to not test and move forward.  If you feel you most, consider how you will use the results if one or both of you are positive.  EWH