Can I move on from fear of herpes/stds now?

[valmikidas]

Hi Doctor
I am from Sri Lanka. Only TYPE NON SPECIFIC Herpes test in my country.  I had 15 sexual encounters in these past 4 years with CSWs.
2008 to 2011 - Unprotectd **,unprotectd cunilingus,deep kiss,protectd vaginal
Risks:
2008 unoticed condom broke during vaginal sex
2009 condom slip - bare penis penetration for 1-2 mins. After 1month got burning urination for 6-7 days -ok by drinking water and citrosoda
2009 Dec - frequent urination after unprotected ** and protected vaginal sex. Lasted two months and treated with antibiotics.
2010 May – unoticed condom break inside girl. Saw red flaking rashes on her buttocks.  Got itch for like two months and few red dots on scrotum and 1 on shaft (no blisters!). Scratched one and healed in 2-3 days.  Treated with antifungal creams.  Took PEP for few days.  Got two big oral canker like sores on gums- white bit red with pain.  Put bonjela gel and heal in 10 days. Had one scab like thing on foreskin after 1mnth which disapeared in 2-3days.
2011 June- frequent urination. Urine Test = increase WBC count/epithelial cells.  CIPRO treatment then
2011 Sept- all protectd
2012 Jan protected **  
2012 22th Jan Protected **, bare genital frottage few seconds (healing wound on scrotum)
From FEB to MARCH – Selfexam daily., 20th & 28th February red bump with clear pus on scrotum after 1-3 day of shaving each week.  One had hair adjacent. Popping made a little hole then I scratch them and created 1cm wound. I picked at them for like three days then put alchohol + Providone Iode gel antiseptic 4 times for another 3-4 day and they scabbed and heal. Scab fell when bathing or when scratchd, scar left disappeared in time. I stopped shaving and never got it.
I am to be married in July. My Combined IGG tests and all other std tests are negative after 4 months past sex.  I tested multiple times in these past years.  My to be spouse is virgin and I do not want to infect her.  I want to believe I have no STDs and no herpes. Please advise.

[valmikidas]

Thank you Doctor.

I got my answer.  I just needed somebody to wake me up from my anxiety.  I believe I do not have herpes now.  I will never post again, neither here nor any new thread.

Thank you for your help.  Take care.

Bye

Valmiki Das

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Please stop posting anxiety driven questions that have been answered, like the latest ones I deleted.  Your test results prove you don't have herpes.  It doesn't matter what symptoms you had in the past or might have in the future.  If you continue, the entire thread will be immediately deleted.  Do not start a new thread with the same questions; it would also be deleted, without refund of the posting fee.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I understood everything.

"When you I can safely have sex with my future spouse without fear to infect her, this implies unprotected sex?"  YES.

[valmikidas]

P.S: I was afraid to ask it since I feared you will laugh at my poor understanding of English language.

Namaste
bye
V

[valmikidas]

Hello doctor.

A last insight please.  When you I can safely have sex with my future spouse without fear to infect her, this implies unprotected sex?  I'm asking since we wil plan pregnancy afterwards.

Sorry I had a little trouble with my English since it is not my first language!

Thank you once more for all.  I'm reassured and no longer worried as before.

I will be glad if you could clear this.  I will make no further post.

Thank you and bye.

[valmikidas]

Much obliged doctor  

I am free from my worries and happy now.  Something I have not felt in months due to worrying.  Just the marriage preparations now on!!

All the best with your work Sir.

Namaste

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I took all your test results into account.  You are correct that the non-type specific tests are highly reliable when negative.

[valmikidas]

I hope you took that in consideration all the herpes tests were Type Non Specific elisa?  If yes then it is great for me and I will move on and not look back doctor!!

Thank you

[valmikidas]

I meant to say I could only type Non Specific testing for herpes here in Sri Lanka.

But since you say not to worry about herpes anymore, I feel better!!!

Thank you so much.

[valmikidas]

Thank you so much doctor.  

I was really scared since I could get only type NON Specific testing (IGG combined only) for herpes and a type specific testing that is not the usual one you have in US as you have noted above.

But from you comment I can see that I can believe on my results and need not worry about herpes.  That is exactly what I am going to do as per your advice.

I was really worried. My worry was because we plan to have kids in future and I really never wanted to infect my wife.  As for now I am ignoring all other things and stopping to examine my genitals.

Thank you so much for your wishes.  I am really looking forward for that big day now.

Thank God!! I breathed such a relief.

Have a nice day ahead. I wish you "Bon Vent" for your work.

Bye

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Based on your symptoms, I agree with the doctors you have seen:  herpes does not cause the kinds of symptoms you describe.  You have been seriously over-tested; the first test done more than 4 months after your  most recent sexual exposure was definitive -- all the later tests were unnecessary.  In any case, you have had consistently negative results on several highly reliable tests.

Accordingly, you needn't worry at all about herpes.  You can safely have sex with your wife without fear of infecting her.  And for goodness' sake, stop examining your genitals.  It isn't necessary.

Best wishes for a successful marriage.

Regards--  HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the forum.  In the event of future questions, please note that the reason for the 2,000 character limit is to require that the question be stated entirely in the initial window.  (On some MedHelp forums, the moderators set their preferences so they don't even see any follow-up comments.)

See my reply following the last comment below.

HHH, MD

[valmikidas]

I also get a type specific test from a lab here.  Thank God.  It is not Herepeselect but another test.  The result is as follows:

HSV IGG 1= 3 (negative).. Positive being >15
HSV IGG 2= 5 (negative).. Positive being > 15

This has been the lab interpretation.  I just got the results.  The test were done on 10th May 2011.  I am negative for both IGG1 and IGG2 according to this test.

Im much relieved.

[valmikidas]

My latest test is 110 days past last enconter this year. I had it on 10th may 2012.  All negative in full panel STD including herpes.

[valmikidas]

I always used condoms.  But Twice it broke n once slipped.  Decemder 2011 I had sex unproted oral both giving n receive and protected  sex.oI saw no lesions on the girl friend mouth r genitals.
My fear is herpes.  I'm negative for HIV, hbv, hbc, syphilis n all others

[valmikidas]

I forgot to mention I have jawline lymph nodes (small) and hard lymph at back of my head and two small ones on each side of my groin which are hard and small less than 1cm.  All of them have been noticed by me and doctor over 1 and a half year ago.  They never pained and are still the same.

I never had oral or genital sores per se.  I never had cold sores when I was child.  Not even one.

[valmikidas]

I have been told my doctors that these do not seem like herpes symptoms.  Also they told me to believe in my -ve results.  I wish to point out that perhaps I have been vaccinated for measles and chicken pox in childhood.  I am 25 now.  In 2012 I only had few protected oral sex and once a bare genital touch frottage for few seconds with a girl. I do not know if she had herpes but she had some redness near vagina.  I wore a boxer short but my penis head was out via the opening in it in this latest encounter of January.  This got me more scared and prompted me to test again now.

Lastly please also note that I read on this forum that a combined test is useful only when negative.  From 2010 to 2012 I tested with this test for like 10 times and the IGG combined 1 and 2 has been always negative. Latest IGG result is 0.1, positive being over 1.1 and equivocal 0.9-1.1.

Can I believe I do not have herpes and move on now?  I have been worried and really depressive since some months now.  I vowed to be monogamous now on.  I have even left alcohol.