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Confused and Worried
I had an unprotected sexual encounter with a man at the beginning of June who was not my husband. I had been drinking and did not intend for this to happen. Within 2 weeks I started having a watery discharge that would seem to make my underwear wet. I went to the Dr. and he did a pap and urine test. I, at the time, did not consider STDs but he mentioned them. I left the hospital in immediate panic. I started looking up stds on the internet which could be a big mistake. I started growing paranoid and constantly checked myself down there for any thing that might seem odd. the discharge continued. I went back to the dr and they told me all tests for chlymidia gonnorhea, trich, yeast and bv were negative. I asked what could cause the discharge then. They said it was in my head. So I went home I continued to check myself. I think I may have caused irritation to myself. Around the middle of July The skin around my vagina especially the opening seemed to burn and sting. The discharge was still coming out. I could watch it drip out. So I went back to the Dr. told him everything and he retested and did a blood test for syphillis and hiv. He also did what he called a dna culture for chlyamidia and gonnerhea. He then treated me with a zpack a shot of antibiotics and metro something and a one time yeast infection pill. I waited for the test results and had my period. everything seemed to be normal for about a week and two weeks after treatment I had sex with my husband. Within 5 days the burning started again. I called the Dr. and he said all results came back negative. I went back and saw a different Dr. She did an exam and told me it looked like I had a fissure at the opening of my vagina. She also said that I had a thick discharge that seemed like more than normal but every woman is different so maybe not. She reran all tests and all negative except I am waitning on the chly, gonn testing again. She said it was highly unlikely cause the past results. Help Why does it burn.
I forgot to mention they said it was the igm test. They said this is how they know it's recent exposure!
So after all this time, the dr said a blood est came back positive for hsv! All they told me was recent exposure but they can't tell me what kind! I have a constant thick discharge and burning around my labia. There are no present sores and the only one they thought I had, they did a biopsy on and it came back negative! How do I get rid of discharge and burnin that seems to have been going on for countless months!
It's January and still no results! The tests all came back non specific! I still have discharge! It is thick and snotlike. It is sometimes white sometime yellow. It burns only when the discharge is present. I do get minor cramping as well at the same time! Is there any stds that could be causing this? There is no burning with urine. Just with discharge.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
All this makes herpes even less likely than before. There is no need to inform me of any further test results, unless they show herpes or another STD. I am not a gynecologist and not an expert at all on non-STD genital symptoms. Just continue to work with your ObG; other than herpes/STDs, she is more expert in this sort of problem than I am.
I finally got myappt with the obgyn! She decided to do a lood test for herpes and shr did a vulva biopsy! I am still awaiting the results! The discharge that seemed to go away, didn't. It seems to be thicker and almost snotlike! She said she thinks it an inflammatory vaginitis! She said possibly desqueamous. Sorry for the spelling! She put me on two weeks clindamycin! I hope the dis harge will go away! She did tell me after the biosy that the skin on my labia was was very thin! My pH was also higher than normal! I just wanted to give you an update! I will update again withthe test results!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No, herpes cannot cause a fissure that lasts 2 months. Something in your story above made it seem the fissure had started recently. And indeed if you are touching and rubbing repeatedly to check for things, that could contribute. I suggest you keep your hands off.
Anyway, glad to hear that your discharge is better. It's sounding more like you have no STD. But still I suggest you discuss it with your doctor. After you do that, please let me know what if anything more you learn. But until then, I won't have more to say.
Anyway, glad to hear that your discharge is better. It's sounding more like you have no STD. But still I suggest you discuss it with your doctor. After you do that, please let me know what if anything more you learn. But until then, I won't have more to say.
So if herpes can look like a fissure is it possible for it to stay there for almost two months or should it come and go like outbreaks? It never breaks open and leaks or scabs over? Also could it just be that it is raw or that I caused a fissure from checking down there too frequently or wiping so much over the last few months when I was having the discharge? The discharge is no longer watery that stopped after I was treated and my partner isn't having any symptoms!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. I will try to help, but I'm not sure I can. It is rare that a distant expert can come up with an answer that has eluded repeated examinations and testing in person.
Increased vaginal discharge 2 weeks after a new sexual encounter certainly is a red flag for STD, and your doctor was right to be concerned about that possibility even before you thought of it. However, most of the test results you had are quite reliable, and you can be quite confident the problem isn't gonorrhea or chlamydia. Repeat testing isn't likely to show anything, but I agree with your current doctor that it's wise to check.
I suggest you ask your doctor about bacterial vaginosis and trichomonas. BV is sexually associated -- it behaves like an STD and often appears after a new sex partner, but it remains uncertain whether it is actually an STD. Trichomonas is an STD for sure, and it can easily be missed with the standard test, which is to look for it in vaginal fluid under the microscope, but a culture can be done and is much more accurate. There are other clues to both BV and trich (vaginal pH, certain cells visible under the microscope), and these tests might have been done. Anyway, talk to your doctor about both possibilities, including the possibility of treatment even if the diagnosis is uncertain; the same antibiotics (metronidazole or tinidazole) are effective against both BV and trich.
And herpes has to be mentioned as a possibility. Usually the first HSV infection causes multiple painful genital sores, and symptoms usually begin within 3-5 days. But vaginal discharge can be the only symptom, and herpes also can cause lesions that look like vaginal fissures. So you definitely should discuss herpes with your doctor and she should consider testing you for it.
If not yet done, you definitely should speak with your sex partner. Make sure he hasn't had symptoms like a urethral discharge, uncomfortable urination, or genital sores or blisters; and ask whether he has had known oral or genital herpes.
Having said all that, it may be that this has nothing at all to do with the sexual encounter in June, just a coincidence. As your doctors undoubtedly have told you, there are many potential explanations other than STDs.
Finally, whatever was the start of the discharge, it may not be the same problem now. For example, given the antibiotics you had, a yeast infection might explain the current symptoms, especially burning and perhaps the fissure.
I hope this helps. You might consider printing out this thread and using it as a framework for further discussion with your doctor. It sounds like she is both knowledgeable in these areas and understanding of your symptoms and your frustration.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Increased vaginal discharge 2 weeks after a new sexual encounter certainly is a red flag for STD, and your doctor was right to be concerned about that possibility even before you thought of it. However, most of the test results you had are quite reliable, and you can be quite confident the problem isn't gonorrhea or chlamydia. Repeat testing isn't likely to show anything, but I agree with your current doctor that it's wise to check.
I suggest you ask your doctor about bacterial vaginosis and trichomonas. BV is sexually associated -- it behaves like an STD and often appears after a new sex partner, but it remains uncertain whether it is actually an STD. Trichomonas is an STD for sure, and it can easily be missed with the standard test, which is to look for it in vaginal fluid under the microscope, but a culture can be done and is much more accurate. There are other clues to both BV and trich (vaginal pH, certain cells visible under the microscope), and these tests might have been done. Anyway, talk to your doctor about both possibilities, including the possibility of treatment even if the diagnosis is uncertain; the same antibiotics (metronidazole or tinidazole) are effective against both BV and trich.
And herpes has to be mentioned as a possibility. Usually the first HSV infection causes multiple painful genital sores, and symptoms usually begin within 3-5 days. But vaginal discharge can be the only symptom, and herpes also can cause lesions that look like vaginal fissures. So you definitely should discuss herpes with your doctor and she should consider testing you for it.
If not yet done, you definitely should speak with your sex partner. Make sure he hasn't had symptoms like a urethral discharge, uncomfortable urination, or genital sores or blisters; and ask whether he has had known oral or genital herpes.
Having said all that, it may be that this has nothing at all to do with the sexual encounter in June, just a coincidence. As your doctors undoubtedly have told you, there are many potential explanations other than STDs.
Finally, whatever was the start of the discharge, it may not be the same problem now. For example, given the antibiotics you had, a yeast infection might explain the current symptoms, especially burning and perhaps the fissure.
I hope this helps. You might consider printing out this thread and using it as a framework for further discussion with your doctor. It sounds like she is both knowledgeable in these areas and understanding of your symptoms and your frustration.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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.
